Gunston Hall (LSD 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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pES pIT KEST iipi . K tffiiiCJl HK; ' ' ' s 11 pK ini n ijMM j E im pPBR -flgi -; Z ' ' ' ' f THE STAY IN SASEBO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE HAD SOME OF THE CREW BELIEVING THEY HAD THEIR HOME PORT CHANGED. THE CITY STREET LAYOUT BECAME FAMILIAR AND THE TWO PICTURES ABOVE SHOW THE BRIDGE THAT EVERYONE TRAVERSED TO GET FROM THE FLEET ACTIVITIES AREA INTO THE DOWNTOWN SECTION. THE FROGMEN WHO RODE THE SHIP FROM SAN DIEGO PERFORMED THE SERVICE OF UNDERWATER INSPECTION JUST BEFORE THE SHIP WAS DRY- DOCKED .

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THE SHIP ' S COMPANY PICNIC AT SASEBO ' S 99 ISLANDS WAS STR ICTLY A WET A FFA IR . FLEET ACTIVI- TIES PROVIDED THE PARTY WITH A YFU TO LIFT THE GROUP OUT TO AN AFTERNOON OF BEER, SUN AND FUN . PETE GARCIA, HAROLD HOOD, ROLAND MELANCON AND ARTHUR HALSOR SUNNED ON THE ROCKS WHILE THE YFU WAS RECEIVING ITS FIELD DAY. NORM SMITH D I RECTED TRA F Fl C FOR THE RE- EM BAR KAT ION PHASE OF THE DAYS OPERATION WH ILE BOBBY STEWART ACTED AS SENIOR SHORE PATROL. AT RIGHT MELANCON KEPT RIGHT ON SUNNING.

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UNDERNEATH THE WELL DECK AND ALONG THE WINGWALLS THERE WERE 33 TANKS OF VARIOUS SIZES AND SHAPES THAT WITH DOZENS OF BALLASTINGS FILLED WITH SEA WATER, FISH, AND OCCASION- LY A LITTLE BLACK OIL . CONSEQUENTLY, THE TANKS GOT DIRTY AND HAD TO BE CLEANED BEFORE THE SHIP RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES. THE R DIVI- SION TOOK ON THE JOB AIDED BY SIX MEN FROM OTHER DIVISIONS BEGINNING THE THIRD OF NOVEMBER . AT THE TOP, A BEFORE SHOT OF ONE OF THE TANKS . IN THE CENTER, A LITTLE STEAM, CHE- MICALS AND QUITE A BIT OF ELBOW GREASE FOR A NUMBER OFHOURS BROUGHT ABOUT THE CLEAN TANK READY FOR IN- SPECTION AND REPAIRS SHOWN AT BOT- TOM .