Hollandia (CVE 97) - Naval Cruise Book

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What's the use of being an old salt, all slicked up in tailor-mades, he said, when the boots get all the women ? Brackeen's shipmate-who must remain anony- mous-had had too many girl-friends. Or one too many, at any rate. He had gone ashore with 3400 in cash, a good part of which he was going to send home in money order form. But before making the post office he decided to join a couple of pals for a sociable drink-just one drink. When the pals left, he found himself seated next to a good- looker he didn't know. He ordered drinks for her and for himself. He remembers the next half hour or so. After that a large blank. He came to several hours later-alone and in a strange place, with NO dollars in his pocket. The Padre spent his leave in Los Angeles, and apparently he spent it quietly. Not so Kristofak, Alexander, and Walsh. They say that when they were together, single drinks were unheard of. Every drink ordered was a double at least. And one night, in the Zebra Room of the Town House, Vance ordered a quadruple stinger. Ordered it and drank it with- out batting an eyelash. HE HOLLANDIA crossed the equator eight times, the 180th meridian 14 times during our first 16 months as a seagoing Navy ship. We first crossed the equator 24 July 1944 on our first trip to the Far Pacific. It is customary to hold crossing the line ceremonies for all Pollywogs the first time they sail across the equator, but our festivities were delayed because of crowded con- ditions aboard ship. The ceremonies were held on the way back to the States, 18 August. The pictures of the ceremonies will tell the story It is sufficient to say here that King Nep XXXX tune held court and put the poor Pollywogs through some mighty stiff paces before accepting them as Shellbacks of his realm. Capt. Lee and Comdr. Brown were interested spectators and also chipped in with suggestions for special treatment for certain Pollywogs. It goes without saying that their suggestions were for extra punishments, not milder ones. There was no initiation for crossing the Inter- national Date Line, but we were admitted into the Order of the Golden Dragon when we did so. Those crossings were important parts of our Navy life. For one thing, they made us a part of a tradition that goes way, way back. In addi- tion, they helped show us just how big this world is. Because when you reach the equator or the 180th meridian-brother, you're a long, long way from home. During our months at sea up to 1 October 1945 the 97 sailed approximately 120,000 miles. ow, as this book goes to press, the HOL- LANDIA begins its new peacetime career as a personnel transport, under its new Skipper, Capt. Wakeman, who has already demonstrated that his understanding and his interest in his men match his skill as a sailor. Old faces are gone. Joe Anderson has taken over the Engineering Department, Ray Russell is Navigator, Bill Pyromaniac Hutchins has taken Phil Cheney's job as First Lieutenant. Communi- cations are in the able hands of Tony Finger. Dave Rice is Gunnery Ofhcer, Georve Budde Air C Ofiicer. And Comdr. Max Jacobson heads up the Medical Department. But she's still the U.S.S. HOLLANDIA, Old 97 to us vtho serxed aboard her the best ship in the Nasy In Capt Lee s vs ords Keep er so' awk fe' QQ? 7 7 Y 7 1 l . . V . - . V D A , V , U , ',, KK i ing. ' N N Tex --i Fo - N N Q W' WI .- 'bggg MW 5 ' 4

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