Helena (CA 75) - Naval Cruise Book

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HAWAII The Hawaiian Islands were our first stop after we left Long Beach, and when not preparing for Administrative Inspection, we had an opportunity to poke around Oahu. The first impressive sij ht when making our approach from seaward was Diamond Head, a familiar landmark that used to be a volcano. We could sec the beach at Waikiki with its rolling surf, exclusive hotels, thatched huts and fringe of palms. Ilickam Field and Pear! Harbor were next. We topped off, shifted berths and when Liberty Call was passed, the crew had a chance to visit Honolulu. Honolulu is the big town, roughly 275,000 population, and as Americana as Stateside. It starts at the waterfront and ambles through the foothills to the mountains beyond. Shoppers had a field day. Merchandise from all over the world overflows from the Honolulu stores, and also there were shops that dealt exclusively in Hawaiian souvenirs. There were the latest movies, concerts and museums specializing in Polynesian arts and culture, and, of course, service clubs. Honolulu is a melting pot of the races of the Pacific. Its people, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Ilawaiians, and Mainlanders, live together, mostly out of doors, argue and play together and send their children to the same schools. There was pineapple, poi and pork roasted in bananas, and abundant recreational facilities, including swimming at Waikiki, former playground of Hawaiian kings, for three days following our rough voyage from the U.S. before we said Aloha to the Territory of Hawaii and continued on westward towards Yokosuka, Japan, our next port of call.

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SUMMARY 5 Jan Left Long Beach, Calif. 11 Jan -13 Jan Pearl Harbor. Administrative Inspection 26 Jan 30 Jan Yokosuka, Japan. Relieved St. Paul as Flagship 3 Feb — 12 Feb Keelung, Taiwan 16 Feb 17 Feb Iwo Jima. Navy-Marine Landing Exercise 20 Feb —21 Feb Keelung 23 Feb -26 Feb Buckner Bay, Okinawa 29 Feb — 2 Mar Keelung 5 Mar 9 Mar Manila, Republic of the Philippines 14 Mar — 21 Mar Keelung 24 Mar —25 Mar Nagasaki, Japan 26 Mar — 28 Mar Sasebo, Japan 31 Mar — 2 Apr Nagoya, Japan 6 Apr — 13 Apr Keelung 22 Apr - 28 Apr Hong Kong, B.C.C. 30 Apr — 1 May Keelung 5 May — 11 May Kobe (Osaka, Kyoto Nara). Japan 14 May — 21 May Keelung 23 May — 24 May Kaohsiung, Taiwan 30 May — 3 Jun Keelung 9 Jun —21 Jun Yokosuka. Rochester takes C7F aboard 22 Jun HOMEWARD BOUND FAR EAST CRUISE ' 56

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NIHON With most of the Pacific Ocean behind us, we arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, the Navy town of the Far East. It was a short stay, but what with daily stores working parties and such there still was time for liberty and haggling in Black Market Alley. Shopping in Yokosuka is an art in itself. There ' s the first price, you speak, and then the prices go back and forth like a tobacco auction interspersed with an occasional ne until a satisfactory figure is reached about one third of the original given price. Also there ' s the pay day price and the day before pay day price. For the uninitiated, there was the Ship ' s Store. For the athlete, there were the service clubs of Yokosuka, Yokohama and Tokyo, a gym, roller skating rink, bowling alleys, rod and gun club, yacht club, bicycle riding, swimming pool, tennis courts, skeet range, golf course and sight seeing. An hour train ride lands you in Tokyo where Navy tourists could eyeball the Imperial Palace grounds. Diet Building, Imperial Hotel or just roam the Ginza, the Broadway of Japan ' s capital city. There ' s the Oriental Bazaar, Suehiro ' s Japanese Restaurant, Meiji Shrine and Kiffatsu Arcade, to say nothing of the Meiji Art Gallery, Yasukuni Shrine and the Kokusai Theater, featuring a variety show with a cast of over 300 girls. A short haul from Yokosuka brings you to Kamakura, famous for its huge bronze Great Buddha. Thousands of pilgrims travel to Kamakura from all over Japan to worship this immense statue and the Goddess of Merch at Kannon Temple. Later in the cruise we returned to Japan and visited Nagasaki, Sasebo and Nagoya. The city of Nagasaki is on the western coast of Kyushu along the eastern coast of Nagasaki Bay. It was through Nagasaki that Christianity was introduced into Japan. The first recorded mission in Nagasaki was that of St. Francis of Xavier who arrived in 1589. The Japanese opposed Christianity and, in 1597, twenty-six missionaries were crucified