Gunston Hall (LSD 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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K The quarterdeck swarmed with bob- bing white hats. The whitest hats in the fleet. This was the first night of liberty in Japan, and some hundred or more sailors were determined to make it a memorable one. Of course, some had seen it all before, and for these old timers it was like com- ing home again. They were surround- ed eagerly by the first-nighters who prodded them continually with questions about the best places to visit, the prices, the souvenirs, the girlsans, and do they serve beer? After what seemed hours of waiting, the OOD finally loaded the waiting boat, the bowhook threw off the line, and the first load headed towards shore. Minutes later the GUNSTON HALL announced her arrival in Japan. No one knew it then, but the crew off the LSD-5 were destined to leave their own little mark on the Far East.

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BUT WE HAD OUR HAPPY HOURS 31

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We had just about enough time to dis- cover who served the best saki and for how much ,when we got underway for Wonsan. At Wonsan we began the endless and thankless job of support ship for the many hardworking minesweep boats that were keeping the coastal channels clear. Anchored a few miles off the coast, we provided a haven for these boats and at the same time contributed our potential fighting power to the block- ade then in effect. At night, we were assured there was still a lot of fighting being done along the coast. We could see the flash of guns in the distance and the resulting ' fires on the mainland. We watched our j planes make bombing runs to the north and over the enemy-held Wonsan. And : strangely enough, there were many of us that would have willingly traded our snug little niche at any moment for the hottest spot on the bombline . . . 33