Gunston Hall (LSD 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS GUNSTON HALL LSD -5 WESTERN PACIFIC CRUISE 1960 CONTENTS SHIP ' S HISTORY 2 OFFICERS 4 THE CREW 11 THE CRUISE 33 SNAP-SHOTS 69 CREDITS 79

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FOR WARD The Moving Finger writes; and having writ Moves on; nor all your Piety nor wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it. Omar Khayyam ON the following pages are glimpses into the lives of the crew members of the USS GUNSTON HALL, it is these officers and men who provide the teamwork that a navy ship must have to carry out her mission . we in GUNSTON HALL know that a cruise in a naval ship is more that a mere succession of new ports and exciting experiences, in addi- tion- to the pleasures, a cruise involves hard work, long tedious watches , boredom , and loneliness - FOR ALL OF US ARE LONELY AT TIMES . 1 know that in FUTURE YEARS MANY OF US WILL OPEN THE PAGES OF THIS BOOK TO TAKE A LOOK BACKWARD. AS THE EXPERIENCES OF THE PAST CRUISE BECOME MELLOWED WITH THE PASSAG E OF TIME THE WEATHER WON ' T BE AS HOT, THE WATCHES AS LONG, OR THE WORK AS HARD AS WE NOW REMEMBER. 1AM SURE THAT AS YOU THINK BACK YOU WILL REMEMBER THE GOOD FELLOW- SHIP OF SWAPPING YARNS AND HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE WITH YOUR SHIPMATES IN YOUR DIVISION COFFEE MESS, ENGINEERING WATCH SPACE, OR ON THE BRIDGE. BECAUSE IN A SHIP OF THE NAVY WE HAVE THE BEST FELLOWSHIP THAT YOU CAN FIND ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

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BUILT DURING WORLD WAR M AT THE MOORE DRY DOCK COMPANY OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, THE GUNSTONHALL EARNED THE BATTLE RIBBONS FOR THE INVASIONS OF KWAJALEIN, THE MAR- SHALLS , EMIRAU, HUMBOLT BAY, AND HOLLANDIA , NEW GUINEA, GUAM AND PAU7 U , LEYTE , LUZON, AND I WO J IM A AND OK I NAWA . PUT IN RESERVE IN 1947, SHE WAS ARCTICI ZED AND RECOMM I S- SIONED IN MARCH OF 1949 IN TIME FOR KOREAN SERVICE. SINCE THE END OF HOSTILITIES IN KOREA, THE SHIP HAS BEEN HOME PORTED IN SAN DIEGO WHEN NOT ROAMING THE FAR REACHES OF THE PACIFIC. ON 21 JUNE 1960 GUNSTON HALL LEFT SAN DIEGO TO BEGIN THE CRUISE OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS BOOK.