Isherwood (DD 520) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 18 text:

SUPPLY DIVISION t FIRST ROW, Loit to Right: White, Whipkey, Piccini, TerqiialeiLi. Sulhvan, De Lc j Gijrza, Conner. SECOND ROW: ' .:: s;;, ijuinn, Horrell.HMC, LTJG McLaughlin. Schwariz, CSC, Cleveland. Lennon. Leitc. REAR ROW: Byrne, Handy, Haessley. Preissler. Phillips, O ' Donnell. Hill. Included in the Supply Department are the Store keepers, Disbursing Clerks, Barber, Laundrymen, Cooks, Bakers, and Ship ' s Servicemen. It is to these men that the rest of the ship turns when in need of special services. To the Storekeepers goes the task of keeping the records, of knowing just what has been purchased and what has been expended. Bookwork? Sure it ' s bookwork, but without it the ship would not be able to operate efficiently if at all. Also included in this category is the Disbursing Clerk, everyone ' s friend on pay day, but so quickly con- demned if anything goes wrong. The Barber needs no explanation, especially before a big inspection. Laundrymen, in spite of frequent breakdowns, man- age, through dint of long labor, to keep the clothes clean. To the Cooks and Bakers lies the task of keeping the crew well fed and happy. Again, the good meals are rapidly forgotten when a mediocre one slips through. Lastly, to the Ship ' s Servicemen goes the responsibility and management of the Ship ' s Store. The ability to cmlii-ii ito the needs of the crew and a cheerful dis; the primary factors necessary to the l;. iteration of a Ship ' s Store. I have heard m- ' cmpiamts about our Store. These then are the men who do the bookwork and provide the special services; their work is every bit as important as the back breaking work of a deck- hand or snipe.

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COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION FRONT ROW. Left to Right: Pellelier, Gieenwood, Sncllien. DowIukj, Duih. Fopow, Siinlield, RMl , Ens. Sleiqerwold, Nihem. Huml REAR HOW: The ComiiiuiHcatioiis Division is comprised of the Radio- men and the Telemen. Besides their official job of sending, re- ceiving, and routing messages, the Radiomen also provided that extra service of Press, which accurately covered the news from home. They are the men responsible for the straight scoop, and all messages whether sent to or originating from the ship pass through their capable hands. Thus, while the Operations Division may be referred to as the eyes of the ship, so the Radiomen may be called the ears of the ship. Working hand in glove with the Radiomen are the Telemen. It is their job to see that all teletype gear is in good working order, plus the additional responsibility of getting that all im- portant item. Mail, to the crew. Whether the message is a routine weather report or a coded communique, these men are always ready to assemble and route the information. T ftD»ontN 13

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FAR EAST CRUISE 4 JANUARY 1955 — 19 JUNE 1955 Call me Ishmael. So commences another great saga of the Sea, but we, the crew of the Isherwood, did not have a captain named Ahab, nor were we in search of a white whale. However, on 4 January 1955 after an unevent- ful trip from Newport, Rhode Island, through the Panama Canal, and on up to San Diego, the U.S.S. ISHERWOOD DD-520 set sail for Far Eastern waters. Prior to this time, the Ish, which was based on the East Coast and operated under the aus- pices of COMDESLANT, had made several cruises to the Mediterranean. Then, after suc- cessful completion of a training cruise to GTmo Bay, Cuba, it was announced that the Isher- wood along with some thirty other ships of the Atlantic Fleet, was to be transferred to the West Coast. Actually, the West Coast was no stranger to the Isherwood, for during World War II she was based at Long Beach, Cali- fornia, and saw continuous action in the South Pacific. At the end of World War II, the Isher- wood was de-commissioned, put into moth- balls, and along with a good many of her sister ships was seemingly doomed to a plasti- cized death. However, with the outbreak of the Korean War the services of the Ish were again required. After spending Christmas away from home, most of us envisioned a Far Eastern cruise as something of a picnic, but at that time if we had been able to foresee the future I ' m sure our departure would have been a bit more solemn. Notwithstanding, we departed San Diego for Hawaii and points east, our spirits and hearts somewhat quickened by the play- ing of Anchors Aweigh. We were off on the first log of our very long journey. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 10 January 1955, the Isherwood steamed down Battleship Row, past the sunken hulk of the Arizona, and on up to the pier. It was almost impossible to conjecture that here, some fourteen years ago, our country suffered the greatest defeat of its history. With the exception of the Arizona, all 15