) HONG KONG 7 V FrtRIVI p 1} 1 PUILIPDINE ISLANDS ? NEW GUINEA - .4 ' 6o ' Β Β« β Qo - UNITED STATES NAVAL INSTITUTE GREAT FAUS ,0,0 MISSOULA Β° ' , O O St OKAMfc SrATTLt RAPID CITY LOS ANCrbLtS SAN DIEGO From the library of: JACK E. FRENETTE O ' HAWAIIAN ISLANDS DEDICATION LIFE IS WORTHWHILE WHEN THE IDEALS WHEREBY WE LIVE BECOME THE IDEALS FOR WHICH WE WOULD GIVE OUR LIFE. SO TO THE PARENTS, WIVES, CHILDREN AND SWEETHEARTS β TO EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING WE LOVE BACK HOME IN OUR LAND, WE OF THE KENNETH WHITING WISH TO DEDICATE THIS BOOK. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE WORTHWHILE TO US . . . FOREWORD.,. This is the story, in words and pictures, of the 1955 Far East cruise of the USS KENNETH WHITING AV-I4. A story which begins on the morning of May 12th, in San Diego, California, travels some 16,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, into the China Sea, and across the Sea of Japan. On November 1st, it ends, like many stories, with a joyous conclusion β in San Diego, where it began. To us β the 39 officers and 544 men β the ship has meant many things. She stewed us in the firerooms and fried us on the well deck. She offered us rest when we were weary and comfort when we were sad. She took us to many exotic, always strange, and some- times colorful lands. But most important she was our home away from home. And from it all we learned much. To our friends and loved ones we wish β through this medium β to bring forth some of the things we did and places we saw. You all were with us, you know. Oh yes! We would like to point out some of the places you ' ve been. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE KENNETH WHITING Built to provide long range reconnaissance by means of her attached sea- planes, the USS KENNETH WHITING AV-14 earned two battle stars for sup- porting action at Okinawa and during the final strikes against Japan by Task Force 38. Built at Tacoma, Washington her keel was laid on 19 June 1943 and was launched on 15 December of the same year. Mrs. Kenneth Whiting, widow of the distinguished naval officer, Captain Kenneth Whiting, for whom the ship was named, christened her. The tender was placed in commission on 8 May 1944, with Commander Raymond R. Lyons, aboard as her first skipper. After shake-down trials she departed from the U. S. 21 July 1944, bound for the Western Pacific. Arriving in Saipan on 30 August, her squadron, VPB 102 began search and reconnaissance flights in the Marianas area. During these first few weeks of operations at Saipan severe storms made it necessary for the seaplanes to operate from Tanapag Harbor. There the squadron made use of the former Japanese facilities. And in spite of the danger from hold-out Japanese troops, maintenance personnel continued their work and got the planes back into the air on schedule. The ship transferred her operations to Kossol Passage, Palau, in November 1944, but remained there only for a two-week period, then sailed for Ulithi, and on back to Saipan. Here, while movies were being shown on the seaplane deck during the evening of 1 1 March ' 45, a sudden air raid flashed, two suicide planes had sneaked through undetected. One crashed on the flight deck of the USS RANDOLPH, anchored only 1000 yards away, and the other screamed over the ship to crash into Sorlen Island. On 20 April the KENNETH WHITING, with VPB 20 aboard, got underway for Kerama Retto and participated in one of the largest amphibious operations ever undertaken β the invasion of Okinawa. Remaining at Kerama Retto she soon became a housing center for aircraft survivors. More than 30 men were brought aboard for hospitalization and quarters. At dusk on 21 June two planes staged a surprise attack on the harbor. One struck the CURTISS, while the ot her was shot down a few yards off the KENNETH WHITING ' s port bow by fire from her guns. The explosion caused slight damage, as the plane ' s engine ricocheted into the ship ' s side. Four men were injured, one of whom later died aboard a hospital ship. In October the ship sailed for China duty and she anchored in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong on the 14th to begin operations. On 28 November the KENNETH WHITING was relieved by the NORTON SOUND and ordered to report at Pearl Harbor. On 22 December 1945 she sailed under the Golden Gate at San Francisco, and home, after a job v ell done. Earning her battle stars for the assault and occu- pation of Okinawa and for operations against Japan, the KENNETH WHITING also received the Navy Occupation Service Medal, Asia. After various peace time assignments, including operations with the support forces for the atomic bomb tests, she was given a deserved rest in the Reserve Fleet from January, 1947 until September, 1951. Rejoining the Pacific Fleet in October of that year the KENNETH WHITING sailed for line duty in the Far East and is still going strong. β 1 REAR ADMIRAL FREDE- RICK N. KIVETTE, former Commander of Formosa Patrol Force, Commander Fleet Air Wing One. Hold- ing this command from July 1954 until 3 August, 1955 Admiral Kivette was relieved by REAR ADMIR- AL GEORGE W. ANDER- SON at Keelung, Formosa. In the space of a life time, an individual lives from day to day, month to month, year to year in three mediums of time: the observable present, the imaginary future and the memorable past. The pres- ent may be the ball game we are watching today, the port we are visiting this week, this one to two years tour of duty at San Diego, Norfolk, or aboard the Kenneth Whiting. In youth, one ' s life is ahead and one ' s mind and thoughts are most likely to dwell in the future. As we grow older we live less in the future and more in the past. This book is the record of a great adventure for those of us who cruised in the Kenneth Whiting dur- ing the period of the chronicle. The names of far- away mysterious places β Hong Kong, Kao Hsiung, Manila, Taiwan, Boko Ko, Okinawa, Keelung, Buck- ner Bay, the Pescadores β many of which we could not pronounce yesterday, are part and parcel of our every day yarns today and, but for this book, would be lost to failing memories tomorrow. As the years pass, this journal will grow in im- portance to those of us who participated in the trav- els and adventures it recalls. It will restore old lustre and detail to the fading memories of the past. In years to come the narratives it will serve to embel- lish will hold wide-eyed and spellbound our chil- dren of the future, though they may bring smiles to the lips of our Kenneth Whiting shipmates of the past. s F. N. KIVETTE Rear Admiral, U. S. Navy REAR ADMIRAL GEORGE W. ANDERSON, ]R. Commander, Formosa Patrol Force Fleet Air Wing One CAPTAIN WILLIAM W. HOLLISTER, USN Commanding Officer July 1954 to June 1955 CAPTAIN LLOYD H. McALPINE Chief of Staff Commander Fleet Air Wmg One Commander Formosa Patrol Force CAPTAIN LEMUEL M. STEVENS, JR., USN Commanding Officer Captain Lemuel Mussetter Stevens, Jr., was born in Honolulu, T.H. Commissioned on Ensign in 1933, his first assignment as a naval officer was to the battleship USS NEW YORK. After three years aboard the NEW YORK, he attended the Naval Avia- tion School at Pensacola, graduating in 1937 as a Naval Aviator. His career has been in naval avia- tion since that time. In January 1952 he was pro- moted to the grade of Captain, USN. On completion of flight training, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS RANGER, as a pilot in VS-41. In 1939 he returned to his former ship, the NEW YORK, in the VO-5 unit, and after a short period was transferred to the USS TEXAS. Later in β 40, he was assigned to NAS, COCO SOLA, Canal Zone, in the Overhaul and Repair Department. Returning to the sea again after the outbreak of WW II, he helped commission the carrier PR INCE- TON (CVL-23) and was assigned Assistant Air Officer. Remaining on board the PRINCETON until 1944, he was transferred to the ADMIRALTY ISLANDS (CVE-99), to put her in commission, as Executive Officer. From there he went to Washing- ton, D.C., and became Aide to Vice Chief of Naval Operations, in July 1945. The then Commander Stevens, received his orders to sea duty again. This time to NAS NOB Midv oy Islands, where he was assigned the dual roles of Executive Officer and Chief Staff Officer. In 1949, he returned to the U. S. to attend the Armed Forces Staff College. In the fall of ' 49, he again went to Wash- ington, D.C., this time to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Remaining there until 1951, he was transferred to the Staff of Commander-in-Chief, U. S. Pacific Fleet, as head of Plans and Develop- ment. In 1954, he became Commanding Officer of NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Fla., and held that post until receiving his orders to command the USS KENNETH WHITING (AV-14) in June, 1955. COMMANDER JOHN N. WEST, USN Executive Officer Commander John Norman West was born in Forest Grove, Oregon, but claims Corvallis, Oregon his home. Commissioned as Ensign in 1938 upon his gradu- ation from flight training at the Naval Aviation School, Pensacola, his first assignment as a Naval Officer was aboard the carrier USS WASP with Scouting Squadron 72. In 1939, he was transferred to another scouting squadron, VS-6, aboard the car- rier ENTERPRISE, where he served during the first part of World War II in the Pacific. From the ENTER- PRISE he was assigned to Naval Air Station, Jack- sonville, Florida, as an instructor in Scouting and Fighter aircraft. Later in 1944, ho to tions lor Commander job of Air Opera- r-r Forces. In 1945 he was ordered to duty as Air Officer aboard the USS SITKOH BAY (CVE-86). Promoted to Commander in 1945, he was assigned to the General Line School, Newport, R. I., as a student. On graduation, he drew the assignment as Commanding Officer of FASRON- 110, and held that post for two years. From here he was transferred again to the General Line School in Newport, this time as an instructor. In Septemiber, 1950, Commander West took over command of Scouting-26. In 1952 he returned to the field of education, this time to the Armed Forces Staff College at Newport, R. I. On graduating, he was as- signed as Chief Inspector, Bremerton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, where he remained until reporting aboard the USS KENNETH WHITING in October 1954. THE DIVISIONS Why does something as small and compact as a ship need to be divided into divisions? Well, why does a city need maintenance crews, utility people, fire departments, or a police force? That ' s easy. Chaos would reign without them. It ' s no different with a ship β any ship. But with most ships they, more often than towns, become something very personal. They ' re home away from home. And any good home is an organized one, one you can depend upon as a sanctuary. And herein is the making of a first-rate ship. Foremost in the minds of both officers and men of the Kenneth Whiting, our ship had to be organized to fit the needs of a comfortable home. Certainly it wasn ' t always as comfortable as that apartment back in the States. But then that would understandably be impossible β a couple of important ingredients are lacking. But, again, there are some sacrifices required by this type of duty. As a home with over 550 inhabitants, there are difficulties that a dozen house- wives couldn ' t face. Imagine the problems associated with just feeding so large a group! What about barber shops, cobblers, athletic facilities? How about a hospital for this miniature city and a dentist ' s office, the movies, the library, and the soda fountain? These never-ending headaches could even shake our mothers-in-law loose at the switch. But the Kenneth Whiting satis- fied them all and more. In undertaking to serve this floating city, there are still many more require- ments. Our city needs power plants for electricity and motivation, a water works for converting the sea into a healthy drinking fountain. We had to have a government, and administrative group. We have a court system, a police force, and a fire department. And because we are a ship, we have to include such personnel and organizations as the deck force and repairmen to keep her in good shape, an engineering force to keep her propellers turning. We have first-line navigators and quartermasters to get us from one spot on the globe to another, signalmen to converse with other ships, radarmen to give the ship eyes at night and in fog, radiomen to keep us informed and dozens of other experts, each and all as important as the next. One of our chief functions was to serve as the Flagship for the Admiral and his staff. For them we supplied many things besides office space. We handled hundreds of incoming and outgoing messages. At times we even acted as a floating pick-up truck, transporting supplies to various ports of the China seas. And it would be difficult to estimate the number of seaplanes we refueled or how many pilots and flight crews we served. Those were just a few of the duties. Yes, the Kenneth Whiting is indeed a large and complex pie- .- ' .β ery, and in running this machine, there are countless tasks req-...: .a high degree of specialization and cooperation. On the following pages ore the men who did all these jobs. These are the men of the Kenneth Whiting. Come aboard; won ' t you! Glad to meet ya! XO DIVISION LCDR WILLIAM G. FOSTER Administrative Officer Johnstown, New York G 0 y f LTJG. HOWARD J. NORDEEN Chaplain Buffalo, New York The officers and men of this organization are con- sidered by most as the ship ' s white collar workers. And granted, they seldom get covered with oil, grease, or paint, their working hours are not infre- quent longer than those of other divisions. With Lieutenant Commander William G. Foster at the helm, the XO Division not only takes care of the major portion of the administrative duties on the ship but the Master-At-Arms force. Educational Services, and the Print Shop is under its charge. One of the ship ' s smaller divisions, there are two officers, the Administrativei Officer and the ship ' s Chaplain, and a dozen |enlisted men. But don ' t let small numbers throw you off base, cause this group of people can out-perform many such outfits with twice their com- plement. . . The Personnel Office gang gathers for the photographer. THE SHERIFF AND HIS DEPUTIES ... Standing, Uh to right: Williams, Chief Wilson, Lee. Kneeling: Smith and Wlllli. YEOMEN PERSONNEL MEN PRINTERS John W. Almond, High PoinI, Norlh Carolina Charles J. Eltinger, Wilmington, Delaware James L. Embrey, Indian Gap, Texas p E R A T I N S COMMANDER lOHN G. baker ' f Operations C . Officer Winthrop Mass. t β bC ( THE EYES AND EARS OF ALL SHIPS Any officer looking for a job with a built-in headaclie miglit try this one on for size. Within this department there are grouped more technical skills than any other department. Here every man is a trained tech- nician, a specialist at his trade, for here if you flub your dub it could mean disaster. Made up of six divisions β Combat Information, Air Intelligence, Aerology, Air Operations, Communications, and Electronics β the clock never moves but what all the many sta- tions are manned. With an officer at the head of each division their duties encompass such responsibilities as visual com- munications, electronics, air search, electronic exterior com- munications, analysis and dissimination of intelligence in- formation, photographic services, and the preparation of the mountains of paper work involved in such jobs. And last but by no means least, the post office. Although the PO has little to do with the immediate success of an operation it will forever remain the morale center of all ships. And is that important? Does a plane need a pilot? So it goes without saying that so long as the Navy goes down to the sea in ships. there will have to be Operations Departments aboard. And they will have to be manned by competent officers at the helm and skilled technicians turning the knobs. Herein we have a prize crop aboard the Kenneth Whiting. U r 01 DIVISION AEROGRAPHERS, RADARMEN, and PHOTOGRAPHERS :DR. STANLEY P. KROLC OI Divisicn and Aerology Officer Toledo, Ohio Hon E. Cox. Woodinville, Washinglon Thomas F. Wallemath, Hershey, Neb. La Rue F. Amacher, St. Marys, Pa. Roberl D. MacLean, Hannah. N. D. Charles I. Becker, Ypsilanli. Michigan Joseph R. Cock, Bronx. New York David M. Leib. Kilo, Montana Newlin R. Buckson, New Castle, Delaware Arthur J. Sccha. Chicago. Illinois Ernest L. Trcmmler, Eugene, Oregon Dave B. Wilson, Concord, New Hampshire Herbert V. Mussetter. Sissetcn, South Dakota Kenneth D. Williams, Sledge, Mississippi Walter S. Clayton. Lubbock. Texas Ronald R. Owen. Spokane, Washington James A. Parker, Tyler, Texas Robert F. Brcwitt, Roslyn. Washington Edward J. Beldin. Spokane. Washington Paul R. Cecil, Ulysses, Kansas - Two Heads Are Better Than One ' y OR DIVISION RADIOMEN AND TELEMEN Robert L. Washburn Henry J. Scovern TEC RMC Cheyenne, Wyoming Natrona, Pa. Donald I. Swanson, Glendora, California George B. Deaton, St. Pauls, North Carolina Herbert A. Blumer, Chicago, Illinois William H. Heberlein, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Galen G. Graves, Joplin, Missouri Joe E. Clark, Lexington, Kentucky L,T. WILLIAM W. McCUE OR Division Officer Miami, Florida Richard E. Hintze, New York City, New York Willard F. GunsoUey, Platlsmouth, Nebraska Harry R. Berwer, Syracuse, New York Ronald J, Laverty, Long Beach, California Roy L. Balcom, San Gabriel, California Donald L. Melton, Wayne City, Illinois Donald L. Zack, Vandergngt. Pennsylvania Terry L. Jones, St. Louis, Missouri Donald Ryan, Chicago, Illinois Carl 1. Montcya, Trinidad, Colorado Dean Armour, Allen, Nebraska Roger R. Rutz, Berrien Springs, Michigan Henry G. Solewin, New York City, New York Eldon L, Enyart, Braddyville, Iowa Charles R. Smith, Sedalia, Missouri Joe S. Enriquez, Las Cruces, New Mexico William R. Watson, Wayne, Michigan Terry D. Mcintosh, Colorado Springs, Colorado John Pescino, Brooklyn, New York William C. Ellis, Laurens, Iowa (L OE DIVISION ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS CHRELE. JOHN I. BRAKE OE Division Officer Hayward, California Jean E. Adams, Boulder, Colo. Billy D. Jett, Union, Mo. Marcus R. Artman, Shamokin, Pa. Garold D. Jones, Glenwood Springs Colo. D. Dodson, Brownwood, Texas Salvatores Ferdico, Bronx, N. Y. Harry Johansen, Seattle, Wash. William C. Pearce, Bronx, N. Y. Roy T. Hay, Pensacola, Fla. Charles M. Polach, Granite Cily, 111 Ray D. Dykeman, Puyallup, Wash. Robert A. Evans, Muscatine, Iowa Robert T. Schumacher, Lexington, Ky Ronnie E. Stevens, Monterey, Calif. OS DIVISION SIGNALMEN James W. Finley, Flint, Michigan Dean A. Blcmdin, Hooker, Oklahoma Lewis E. White, Jefferson City, Mo. LT. WILLIAM P. BECKER OS Division and Combat Information Officer Racine, Wisconsin James F. Tyrrell, Kankakee, Illinois Frank R. Johnson, Prescott, Arizona Bob G. Colvert, Lincoln. Nebraska Monte L. Kauffman. Walla Walla, Wash. 15 AIR V r ' Of course, if it were not for the Air. Department (and the Airdales ) the Kenneth Whiting could not possibly func- tion as a seaplane tender. (A galling fact to our General Service shipmates; one which often causes wailing and gnashing of teeth.) Under the direction of Lieutenant Commander Charles T. Simmons, the primary mission of the department is to provide maintenance facilities and equipment for Ord- nance, Electronic, Electrical, Engineering and Structures; provide a sea drome; supply aviation fuel and lube oil in order to support any assigned aircraft. To accomplish these tasks there are the Air Officer, three division offi- cers and 100 enlisted men, divided into three divisions: V-l,V-2, andV-3. Primary duties of the V-1 division are that of handling aviation gasoline and lube oil, maintaining seadrome, manning boots, operating cranes, and sometimes swab- bing the seaplane deck. V-2 comes into the act when there are aircraft engines and structural maintenance to be ac- complished. Also, its men take care of all administrative work within the department, plus administer the training program. V-3 is composed of Aviation Electricians, Avia- tion Electronic Technicians, and Aviation Ordnancemen. Theirs is the responsibility of the many complex and delicate instruments and the communications system which allows safety in flying. This, plus the maintenance of the radar and navigation aids, and the keeping of all aircraft guns, ammo and torpedos up to snuff provide a sizeable task. And on top of all this, for the non-rated personnel, there is afforded an opportunity for three men, every couple of months, to gain first hand information and training in the field of Culinary Arts. This, along with all other jobs the Air Department personnel are called on to perform, is completed with the stamp: A job well done! 0 p X A ' u LCDR 4 ' CHARLES T. SIMMONS, JR. Air Officer Houston Texas ' VI DIVISION AVIATION BOATSWAINS MATES, AIRMEN β -β’ D. McCIuro ABC lineral Wells. Texas Elwiii f. Scharlau, Medina, N. Y. Michael O. Walker. La Canada. Co BernI Brunick. Jr., Vermillion, S. D. Ichn I. Lanna, Now Haven, Conn. ' MMACii β P. noUGHERTY 5ivision Officer ladelphia. Pa. Nathaniel H. Hawkins, Biniiingham, A Freddie H. Spradlin, Iowa Park, Texas William A. Hosmer, Southwick, Mass. Roberl W. Carlcr, Lawlcn. Okla. Bryce M. Tyler, Sania B.iii ara, Calil. Harold R. fCilpa ' iick, Jr., Kiikwccd. Mo on C. Banks. Eureka. Calif. Coykendall. Maiicn. Ohio ard D. Zimmemun, Cedar jpids, Iowa 1 W. Frantz, Sail Lake Cily, Ulal ' ph T, Monroe, Texarkana, Ark. ence R. Lee, Salem, Ore. aid K. Zahn, Pittsburgh, Pa. R. Faught, Covinqtcn, Tenn. Gastineau, Bakersiield, C ahl. !rl G. Guse, Stanchfield. Minn r J. Kerris. Boston. Mass. nso E. Moreno. San Francisco, m. E, Kumetat, Cripple Creek, Colo ert H. Anderson, Hackellstcwn. , J. lael L. Drumwriqht, Norfolk, Va. is Leo Lambert. Mount Carmel. es R. Woodman. Alton, 111. es D. Roy, Jennings, La, iiie D. Stevens, San Antonio, ;xas β , Roberts, Oklahoma City, Okla. H. Hunnicutt, Raleigh, N, C, , Y. Wong. San Francisco. Calif. ik D. Riddle, Bcrger, Texas ie M. Rube, Baton Rogue, La, aid E, Denton, Nashville, Tenn. iam L. De Bardeleben. Talladega la. ert J. Frame, West Berlin, N. Y. icis E. Soule. Centerville, Va. Y H. Potter, Wisconsin Dells, ' isc. 1 T. Muldoon, Aberdeen, S. D. ar D. Southerly, Mooresfield, r. V. es L. Harland, Kalona, Iowa rt Williams, Los Angeles, Calif. lord D, NicoUs, Wayne, Mich. es B. Jackson, Brighton. Tenn. V2 DIVISION VIATION MACHINISTS ' f METALSMITHS fpARACHUTE RIGGERS S0k I nS r i y m il W, :..i Charles E. lames R. Elmer A. V -v l Clark Evans Freeman K t AOC ADC ADC 1 % 1 Weir Birmingham New England B M M W. Va. Ala. N. D. β yfl LT. BERNARD L. SAMUELS Assl. Air Officer and V-2 Division Officer Portland, Maine Fred P. Cook, Wharton, Texas oe D. Wilson, Ritlman, Ohio Donald L. Howell, Albany, California Calvin L. Karr, Hugo, Oklahoma M m -n jk BilUe G. Smilh, Garden Grove, California Delberl L. Clanton, Yukon, Oklahoma Gene R. Hendon, Puente, California Eddy R. Pierson, Toyah, Texas Thomas C. Spates, Alexander City, Alabama Julian T. Hoke, Germantown, Ohio Russell L. Smith, Eaton, Ohio David W. Lott, Lufkin, Texas John W. McGraw, Empire, Alabama Dale G. Hcneycutt, Monterey, California Jack E. Frenette, San Diego, California Charles R. Ferguson. San Pablo, California Edward J. Call, Ogden, Utah George C. Harris. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Richard L. Maffett, Warren, Ohio Douglas B. Mauldin, Easley, South Carolina ., T ? ' ( ' IL ' ' b. Ji IN 1 L ; fl Clarence A. Borrello ATC Elizabeth N.J. V3 DIVISION AVIATION ELECTRICIANS TECHNICIANS ORDNANCEMEN, RADIOMEN CHGUN. HOWELL C. SIMMONS V-3 Division Officer Atlanta, Georgia Patrick Fallon, Hoboken, New Jersey Boyd D. Mason. Peoria, Illinois Thomas Tabaka, St. Louis, Missouri William F. Burnley, Indianapolis, Indiana Gordon A. Hampton, Long Beach. California Charles S. Ellington. Leaksville, North Caroline Robert B. Hanson, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Kenwood E. Rowert, Port Huron, Michigan Lester Grey, Long Island. New York Robert D. Carney, Granger, Iowa John D. McKindsey, Sacramento, California Richard A, Kays, Seattle, Washington Jerrold L, Miertschin, Dallas, Texas Johnny V. Vigil, Antonio, Colorado Bobby R. Flener, Morgantown, Kentucky Wilfred H. Van Hulst, Antigo, Wisconsin Donald E. Schlange, Filer, Idaho Harmon A, Nixon, Tyler, Texas William L. Sarver. Indianapolis, Indiana John R. Kelley, Chicago, Illinois Joseph J. Infantine, Fitchburgh, Mass. Nickolas P. Thomas, Houston, Texas Robert J. Copeland, Frederick, Oklahoma Fred L, Tarpein, Hayward, California Β§. f V t ' s u p p L Y t M LCDR. O. R. BLANTON Supply Officer Columbus. Ohio X Understandably so, this is one of the ship ' s largest and most important departments. Headed by Lieutenant Commander O. R. Blanton, the de- partment is made up of three additional officers and 67 enlisted men, whose duties and responsibilities encompass everything from procuring a can of orange juice, to that of paying the commanding officer and seaman Jones, or issuing an aircraft engine. Divided into two divisions β S-1 and S-2 β the organization has grouped such ratings as storekeepers, aviation storekeeper, disbursing clerks, commissarymen, ship ' s servicemen, stewards and stewardsmen. And with the exception of ordnance and medical supplies, these officers and men take care of all pro- curement, receipt, stowage, custody, issue, and accounting for all supplies and equipment required for the ship and her aircraft to successfully accomplish her mission. S-1 division takes in the operation of the ship ' s store, pay office, store rooms, plus the greater portion of the department ' s administrative duties; S-2 has the cooks, bakers, stewards and ship ' s servicemen. Their concern is the preparation and serv- ing of foods. And herein lies their closeness to all our hearts. For even under difficult circumstances the consensus of the Whiting crew is that our cooks, bakers and stewards put out some of the best chow in the fleet. And as for our store- keepers: Their motto states, The difficult is done now; the impossible takes a little longer. c V? 20 S-1 DIVISION STOREKEEPERS ENS. ROBERT A. YOUNG Payclerk and S-1 Division Officer Teaneck, New Jersey Louis D. Dumond Edward G. Ensling DKC FPC Anderson New London Indiana Conneclicut Donald L. Leilheil, Big Rock, Illinois Harry D. Bishop, Columbia, South Carolina Edward D. Bollmoyer, Hinton, Iowa Donald H, Kupferschmidt. Jamestown, North Dakotc; James M. Tucker, Fayetteville, Tennessee Roy W. Gibson, Newport, Arkansas Donald B. Lanier, Moultrie, Georgia Philip E. Brooks, Denver, Colorado Fred R. Schroeckenthaler, Milwaukee, Wisconsii Billy C. Evans. Tupelo, Missouri Ger ild E. Smith, Oliver Springs. Tennessee Lance D. Pee, Ccltewah, Tennessee Carl G. Howski. Chicago, Illinois Charles B. Turner, Rapid City, South Dakota jmes E, Logan, Buffalo, New York Carl R, Elander, Worcester, Massachusetts Leo L. Guyelle, Scuthbudge, Massachusets Larry K, Black, Ncrris, Tennessee George N. Bossen, Denver, Colorado John S. Sauvan, Newburyport, Massachusetts Gerald L. May, Salem, Oregon Wayne L. Leiding, Orchard, Nebraska j S HM m. -S ' ' S-2 niVICinM COOKS, BAKERS, III V I J I U N SHIPSERVICE MEN STEWARDS Billy J. Minor, Alberiviile. Aia. Peter A. Nieves, Slaten Island, N. Harold L. Blazer, Wray, Colo. CHPCLK. THOMAS P. DELANtY S-2 Division Officer Hudson, New York 1 1 f ' W y y neseaa, aiilornia Robert W. Pickett, Jr., Montgomery, Ala. Paul F. Metes, McAllister, Okla. Eugene Fleming, Stockton, Calif. French P. Blevins, Independence, Va. James K. Penman, Punxsutawney, Penna. Mickey F. Wygal, Childress, Texas Engracio B. Pagunsan, Philippine Is. Warren M. Adams. Jr.. San Jose, Calif. Herbert J. Curtis, San Diego, Calif. Ray W. Connor, Austin, Texas Donald K. Birr, Wausau, Wise, ames E. Burns, Dallas, Texas George L. Downing, Seward, Neb. George H. Andrews, Alma, Ga. Harold D. Thomas, Irving, Ky. John D. Jones, Dothan, Ala, Willie E. Murphy, Cookeville, Tenn. Volian A. Howell, Detroit, Mich. Everett L. Holmes, Olympia, Wash. Richard L. Hartwell, Las Vegas, Nev. John W. Dickerson, Terre Haute, Ind. Billy J. Haag, Son Antonio, Texas George Vanko, Duryea, Penna. John H. Scott, Nashville, Tenn. John W. Cromer, Washington, D.C. Thomas V. Tamoria, Philippine Is. John W. Graham, North Carolina Jesus Tailano, Guam Gecrge E. Baxter, Columbia, S. C. Petrcnilo Maramba, Philippine Is. Moses Brown, Fort Valley, Ga. Benjamin Hortizuela, Philippine Is. Otis C. Harris, Campaballc, S. C. Admiral S. Walker, Hawaii N. Y. McGee, Shrevepert, La. Artemes Brown, Dallas, Texas Santiago Fernandez. Philippine Is. Constante V. Damasco, Philippine Is. Robert A. Dacapias, Los Angeles, Calif. Alfredo Fontimayor, Philippine Is. Billy L. Parton, Dayton, Ohio ohn W. Rclcik, Sutton, Alaska nion, Howell and Curtis llell I right) lay it on. And on the | liting there ' s plenty ol it. LCDR. RAYMOND G. NEAL Navigation Officer Los Angeles, California t ' - ' i ' N A Y I G A T I .N LCDR. KENNETH L. BASS : {L Former Navigation Officer 1 March 1954 to August 1955 J ' ( A5 p . g- If ever you decide to take a ship through the island speckeled waters of the Formosa Straits, or negotiate the inland sea of Japan, sound senses would dictate that you have a navigator and a few quartermasters aboard that know what they ' re do- ing. Even if you don ' t wish to attempt these hazard- ous waters, and just head out across some 20,000 square miles of open seas, best you have a man shooting the stars that knows the difference be- tween the North Star and the Moon, else instead of ending up where you set out to go, perhaps Hong Kong, you ' ll probably be towed into some port in Australia. But on the Kenneth Whiting we worry little about such a mishap. We all go to bed every night certain that our Navigator, Lieutenant Commander Raymond G. Neal, and his crew of sailors at the helm know to the gnat ' s eye-lash where we will be at breakfast time. And Ihey won ' t take us over the top of It ' sei-Bitshi Shima getting us there, either. Made up of the Navigator and 8 enlisted men, this department ' s responsibilities are tremendous and around the clock. In their hands is the safety of the complete crew. But we feel quite comfortable in the knowledge that they will get us anywhere the Captain chooses for the ship to go. Frank G. Steinat, Woshinqtcn. D.C. Jack R. Driscoll, Cedar Rarids, Iowa Kevin E. Brcdehl. Oakland. California, Jerry F. Vctaw, Pcniand, Indiana Harold W. Gann, Blylheville. Arkansas Eilif F. K, Andersen, Sania Barbara, Califirni Darcl D, Walker, Altany, Missouri Thomas O. Harv. ' ccd. Glendale, California 23 ENGINEERING f fy k K S f { LT. A. D. WHILDEN, JR. Damage Control Officer Wheeling, West Virginia LCDR. GEORGE R. BECKER Engineering Officer Louisville, Kentucky β’o- UnmL a0 w M Anyone curious about the heat in Dante ' s Inferno could easily find out by asking some of the boys in this department, especially during our stop-overs in and near the Pescadores. There, the fireroom temperature hung close to the 140 mark, on a cool night, that is. One of the most important groups aboard any ship, their responsibility is wide and never ending. The department is charged primarily with operation and main- tenance of all propulsion and auxiliary machinery, repair of hull an d appendages, the control of damage, maintenance of boat machinery. To get the job done the Engineering Officer, Lieutenant Commander George R. Becker, has a staff of five officers and 120-odd enlisted men, divided into 5 divisions. Made up of electricians, ship-fitters, damage control techni- cians, metalsmiths, machinists, and boilermen, this depart- ment ' s influence spreads from stem to stern. And on our ship, like all the others, these men are called many names (in friendly barbs) by other rates: Snipes, Blackshoes, Moles, etc. But most of the engineers will tell you: It matters little what they call us ... so long as they call us for chow. They ' ve but little time for gabbin ' , they have a job to do. . . o AA 24 Edwaid E. Mai tin Leo L. Dckey MEC DCC Los Angeles Kalamazco California Michigan R DIVISION METALSMITHS SHIPFITTERS CARPENTERS CHCARP. Q , - 1 JAMES C, THOMAS V R Division Ollicer I , Son Diego. Caliiornia [ h George L. Oliver, Newlon, Iowa John L. French, La Grande. Oregon Auslin S. Willis, BelmcnI. North Carolina James W. Ransom. Atlanta. Georgia William A. Townsend. Caseyville, Illinc Tommy E. Miller, Butler. Missouri Ronald K. Weller. Fort Wayne, India: X Men ol the R Division | manning anchor wind- lass. John R. Smith, Johnstown, Pennsylvania Max L. Buland. Tulsa. Oklahoma Bobby H. Huntley, Bishopville, South Caro Hurcel N. McCutchen, Tulsa, Oklahoma Ronald G. Wojan, Charlevoix, Michigan Jules B. Kaplan, Chicago, Illinois Richard E. Gillis. Phoenix. Arizona Delbert L. Kilpalrick, Chandler, Oklahoma Blanlcn H. Hill. Jr.. Seminole. Oklahoma Ronald K. Jewkes, Price, Utah Rcbert E. McCray, Pendelton. Oregon John L. Sinanno. Falconer, New York Oliver repairs a broken steam line. Worthwhile endeavor . . . Tow send and Kaplin study shi] diagrams in damage control I 25 M DIVISION MACHINIST MATES Harry H. Coulter Den L. DeBcc ETC MMC East Grand Forks Everett Minnesota Washington Donald W. Peacock, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania James E. Fulmer, Bonham, Texas LTJG. GLENN A. HUNTER B and M Division Officer Wellsville, DJiio Frederick J. Bell, Portland, Indiana Donald H. Dunlap. Columbus, Ohio Paul L. Whitehead, Jr., Indianapolis. Indiana Donald D, McNeal, Riverside, California James H. Petersen, Connell, Washington James O. Colbert, Fort Braqg. Calilcrnia Fred M. Bunge, Zion, Illinois Martin L. Vandergriff, Chillicothe, Ohio Donald F. Vivis. Johnstown, Pennsylvania Guy C. Johnson. Shawneetown, Illinois B DIVISION BOILERMEN Donald C. Gardner, Baywcod Park, California Lee J. Westendorf, Saginav . Michigan William R. Springer, Effingham. Illinois William H, Cavanaugh, Chicago, Illinois Leo A. Sfrcddo, Stafford Springs, Ccnnecticui Ray P, Lephart, Muncie. Indiana Phillip D. Swiger. Elyrin. Orio Hugh D. Chandler, Marietta, Georgia illy R. Stewart, Gary, Indiana ' envil E. Shrewsberry, Mataka, West Virginia Lephart and Shrewsberry check h the water on main boilers. E DIVISION ELECTRICIANS ;hllec. stanlly c. bkovvn E Division Oliicer National City. California - ' harles I. Ramsey Lawrence W. Gordon EMC ICC Aberdeen Churubusco Washington Indiana Leroy L. Mecher, Muskegon Heights, Mici: Charles D. Richardson, Phoenix. Arizona James L. Wilcox, Evansville. Wyoming Manuel R, Trevino, Pearsall, Texas William H. Cross, Monlicello. Kentucky Anthony R, DiDonna, Sacramento, Californiu Donald C. Anderson, Bcrger. Texas Edgar L. Pitts, Mayilower, Arkansas Robert D. Swicter, Latimer. Iowa B. W. Beckham, Galveston. Texas Michael J. Law, Sherwcod. North Dakota John H, Browning, Baton Rogue, Lcuisianc Robert V, Turner, Denver, Colorado David E, Ryan, Los Angeles, California Roll E. Olsen MMC Tacoma Washington A DIVISION ENGINEMEN William G. Tennison, Nashville, Tennesset Dominador Doloiras, Cavile, Luzon, P.l. CHMACH, THOMAS W. STEWART A Division Officer San Diego, California Edward H. Hawkins, Portland, Oregon William R. Strub, Erie, Pennsylvania William C, Streib, Marion, Indiana Richard D. Albrecht, Sealle, Washington James E. Liiion, Fairfield, Icwa Ernest D. Frey, Sharon Springs, New Richard L. Wells. Columbus, Ohio Frank B. Caso, Santa Cruz, California Melvin H. Larson, Michigan, North Dakot Wilbur W. Wright, Jr., Kalamazoo, Mich. Lenoel A. Martin, Peoria, Illinois John H. Leib, Kila, Montana Leroy M. Gage. Minneapolis, Minnes Charles N. Barrel!. Chaires, Florida DECK DEPT. LCDR. CHARLES L. TEEVAN First Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer New York, N, Y. V Aboard the Kenneth Whitmg two big departments β Gunnery and Deck β are combined to make up tlie one β Deck. Headed by the First Lieutenant, this organization is the largest en the ship. And with the aid of two Division Officers, and an assistant Gunnery Officer, the department head ' s duties and responsibihties are many and never ending. All deck seamanship, loading and unloading operations, and the upkeep of the ship ' s exter- ior β its cleanliness, preservati --- r. ' -.H r-tinting β are an around-the-clock job. If this wasn ' t enough, ;β’ n, maintenance, and repair of shin ' Q rirfiament β guns ar.c ;.β_β plus their care; handling and explosives also are in its charge. And to insure that the ;. .. .. _ something to do, the operation and upkeep of the ship ' s half-dozen boats are tossed in to cap the day. In this department we have many tradesmen β Gunners, Boatswain Mates, Cox- swains, Painters, Sweepers, Swabbers, not to mention a few of the best darn Sea-Lawyers who ever chipped paint on a well- deck. And everyone will agree that this department ' s officers, petty officers, and men are highly important to the accom- plishment of the ship ' s mission. In fact, without such people, there is no way under the sun by which the Kenneth Whiting or any other ship could ever knife the first swell. X 28 FIRST DIVISION BOATSWAIN MATES AND SEAMEN LT. CARL YEAGLE Assislani FirsI Lieutenant Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Kenneth W. Keeton, Glendale. Arizona Ray Rodriguez, Tompoc, California Wayne J. Shonahan, Faribault, Minnesol A. J. Hamlin, Lubbock, Texas George M. Cromwell, Greeley. Colorado Lee G. Freeman, Vallery, Nebraska Franklin D. Salsbury, Portsmouth, Ohio Oscar H. D. McGhee, Knoxville, Tennessee Jaydene H. Watt, Dundee, Iowa Derrald D. Nelson, Kansas City, Missouri Thomas A. Miller. Flint, Michigan Noel McMiller, Shreveport, Louisiana Isaac L. Wright, Georgia George E. Brundage, Price, Utah Charles L. Greene. Knoxville, Tennessee Gene L. McPhee. Des Moines, Iowa Charles E. Hansen, Chicago. Illinois Robert L. Jchnson, Houston. Texas James A. Hackworth, Knoxville, Tennessee Norbert A. Schmitt, Meeteetse, Wyoming George E. Head, Spring Valley, California Gerald J. Tumbleson. Yakima. Washington George L. Friedley. Memphis. Tennessee William O. Thomas, Clinton, Indiana Delroy Fambrough, Kilgore, Texas Gilberto C. Gonzalez, Brownsville. Texas Ray A. Wade, Bonifay, Florida Orville E. Roberts, Henegar, Alabama Robert Pavich, San Diego. California Billy Beene, Texas City, Texas Woodie E. Arthur, Roxbury, Massachuseit Cecil J. Dalton. Beeville. Texas Eugene R. Lampe. Mattoon, lUincis Jack L. Nolan, Phoenix City. Alabama Clyde W. Brewer. Greenville. North Carol Johnny V. Rodriguez, Houston. Texas i , _β __ ,. ji Archer in his ' den. The Bo SECOND DIVISION BOATSWAIN MATES AND SEAMEN CHBOSN. GEORGE L. MEDCAL Boat Officer Mount Vernon, Indiana John E. Tuchardt, Eugene, Oregon Luther E. Dearing, Frest, Mississippi Edmond J. Suggs, Cullman, Alabama Norman A. Lind, Mobile, Alabama John F. Browning, Birmingham, Alabama Charlie E. Fincher, La Grange, Georgia Gerald G. Mclntyre. Hoketcn, Maine William C. Welcher, Alexander City, Alabama Edgar J. McGee, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Richard L. McKee, Cleveland, Ohio Stanley Cornelio, Honolulu. Hawaii Robert J. Scruggs, Holts Summits, Missouri John L. Hodge, Te%vksbury. Massachusetts Johnny B. Jefferies, Indianapolis. Indiana Herlin G. Crabtree, Gamaliel, Kentucky John M. Clark, Chico. California Charles E. Little. Thcmasville, Alabama Emilio S. Silguero. Brownsville. Texas Gilbert R. Rcdarte. Albuquerque. New Mexico Lindell D. McClanahan. Herculancun, Missouri Floyd K. lermyn. Biloxi. Missouri Daniel A. Sproul. Defiance. Ohio Theodore Cisnercs. Chino. California Charles J. Bcllmg. Mobile, Alabama James W. Adams, San Diego. Califcrnia Bobby C. Arrington. Bruce, Missouri Lloyd J. Higgs. Riverton. Wyoming Kenneth D. Gundrum. Mishawaka. Indiana Billy J. Epperson, Loraine, Texas John M. Simpson. San Pedro. California Dell E. Peterson, Sioux City. Iowa Norman J. Rydzeski, Grand Rapids, Michigan Richard L. Burbank, Denver, Colorado Roland A. Burbank, Denver. Colorado ames C. Oliver. Knoxville, Tennessee Wilfred D. Naone, Kaimuki, Hawaii Willey and Mclntyre and full ol that inevitable SOFT TOUCH James D. Brock, Grant Falls. Oregon Billy M. Cain, Glendale, Arizona Walter J. Harris, Milledgeville. Georgia Tommy K. Huff, Atlanta, Georgia Kenneth S. Price, Goinsville, Texas Clarence E. McCutcheon, Nashville, Tennessee James H. Bishop, Amarillo, Texas Morris Branscum, Somerset, Kentucky Charles A. Scudder, Malder, Arkansas Dewey G, Willis, Alexandria, Louisiana George Landers FTC Chula Vista, California John W. Kessler, Hammond, Indiana Richard Betuski, Johnston City, Illinois James F. Vogel, Nezperce. Idaho Gary K. Huthmacher, Caldwell, New Jersey George D. Sowersby, Houston, Missouri Manuel Angel, Hanford, California Bill E. Beeler, De Moines, Iowa Jack Love, Arlee, Montana Paul Gutierrez, Chama, New Mexico Donald E. Camel, Reno, Nevada Murray L. Wright, San Diego, California Glenn D. Kadletz,Twin Lakes, Michigan Otto Stuber, Martin. New Mexico Titu J. Vasilescu. Qeveland, Ohio George F. Slattery, Judsonia, Arkansas Jerry L. Antle, Stewardsville, Missouri FOX DIVISION GUNNERSMATES AND FIRE CONTROLMEN k .t MEDICAL LT. JAMES C. STRICKLER, UC Medical Officer New York, New York Now you talk about pains . . . these people take the case. Second only to the Chaplain with shoulders broad enough for crying towels, there is no group of people more important and comforting to have aboard than our Docs. Under the direction of Lieutenant J. C. Strickler, the Medical Department is responsible for maintaining the health of the ship ' s personnel. And in places like the disease-ridden Far East such a task requires a never ending vigil, much medicine, many needles, plus a sizeable wealth of professional know- how. In the endeavor of conserving the physical power to fight the ship, the department maintains a constant check with respect to hygiene and sanitary conditions, plus instructs the crew on first-aid and personal hygiene. So whether it ' s administering an APC or performing an emergency operation the doctor and his hospitalmen have, and will, come through with flying colors. Claude E. Meyers HMC Belleville, Illinois Β§ ' β¬ ' 1 t i| Hllll v: mm 1 fllHMHHillHHl aM Bill E. Richmann, San Diego, California Donald L. Skiles. Debnair, California Arthur J. Mertens, St. Charles, Missouri Dean B. Kauffroalh, Sacramento, California E. W. Cozier, Afton. Wyoming Leon B. Viado, Naic, Cavite, P.I. Peter W. Germain, Fresno, California Kenneth D. Lucas. Addison, Maine 32 DENTAL 1 - .c COMMANDER GEORGE STURM, JR. Dental Officer Pittsburgh, Pa. β .fjpi P 2 ' ( ( ' V ann J. Reed Irving, Texas You think taking care of your own 32 molars is a pain. What would you do if you had to worry about 16,000 or so, plus a few falsies thrown in? Well, that ' s the first concern of our dentist and his tech- nician. And some of us know how important they are, too, especially after that demolition crewman started lighting off dynamite sticks under our star- board bicuspid. Headed by Commander George Sturm, Jr., it is by a large margin the smallest department on the ship. The department ' s primary mission is to provide den- tal care for all personnel of the ship, plus preventing and controlling dental disease. Considering the prox- imity by which the crew of a ship has to live, this is a job that demands constant attention and a high degree of professional skill. And by golly, we ' re all glad to have these two fellows aboard. HOSPITALMEN DENTAL TECHNICIANS Commander Sturm: Don ' t Sweat It! This will hurl me more than it does you. f Cazier, Kauffroath Take Inventory THE CRUISE WITH MIXED EMOTIONS WE SHOVED OFF For six days we followed the sun westward. . . Our thoughts were still with those we left behind. And as the long, weary days and sleepless nights passed into yesterday we regained our sea-legs and began to look forward to the coming liberty port. K ! WWfBiMW Miil ' lllllir Iflllii ni ' Finally, we turned into that coral-edged channel and entered Pearl Harbor. Attention to Port was sounded, and our proud ranks saluted the barely- awash deck of the ARIZONA, the tomb of eleven hundred men of her valiant crew. As we eased alongside the pier many of our Officers and Senior Petty Officers shuffled anxiously. They had been here many times during the Pacific War, and already they could hear the melodious strains of Hawaiian guitars. And as the night closed about us we went ashore and watched the beautiful, brown girls wiggle their hula-welcome. . . H W 35 SAND AND SURF... Waikiki β known the world over . . . and for these few days we made it our own;Royal Hawaiian, Moana, Banyan Tree, Trader Vic ' s, Waikiki Tavern, Don the Beachcomber. . , But endurance and money can ' t last forever. . . .-w-:- ' - m WE SAW... The grace, charm and beauty of the Hawaiian girl is best expressed in the dance which has become famous the world the hula! ftifc : ivSir- AND TOURED We toured the green island of Oahu, seeing the tall palms, the mighty thrust of Diamond Head, and miles and miles of sand and sea. . . We ate exotic food and sipped drinks no less powerful than their name implies β Fog-cutters, H-Bombs, Ban- yan Punch, Black Widow . . . OKINAWA THE KEYSTONE OF THE PACIFIC A TYPICAL VILLAGE , . . Like many en ihe southern nji: ci number lo Americans. Fifty years hence it will not have changed. Our first sight of Okinawa was prob- ably the same as those who proceeded us and saw the island for the first time. And like them β not knowing what to ex- pect β we were pleasantly surprised by a hilly, green coastline. It looked mighty good after ten days of nothing but sky and water. Okinawa β a word that has become a regular part of the American vocabu- lary β was unknown to most of us in the Western World until the spring of 1945. Prior to that time it was only a dot on the map β a lonely, sub-tropical island no one cared about, that is, until the Japanese converted it into a mighty bastion guard- ing the approaches to their homeland. Today it ' s a different story. We have come to recognize Okinawa as the Key- stone of the Pacific. It is no longer the Reck, the bleak and lonely island that lacked any of the comforts of home. For the military it now has facilities that com- pare favorably with those found at U. S. installations. Between our in again, out again stays in Buckner Bay, we all soon missed the wide open spaces of America. There just wasn ' t enough room to move around in on an island 7 miles long and 3 to 12 miles wide! Everything we saw β the farms, the houses, the people β were smaller. And we noticed that the 600,000 Ryukyuans of Okinawa had, through necessity, terraced and were tilling every inch of land. There were no hundred-acre pastures lying dormant. The size of the people was the most noticeable. At first most of us had the feeling of being in a country peopled by no one larger than young American teen- agers. But we remembered that it also took the Ryukyuans a while to get used to the size of the Americans that now are so prevalent in their homeland. The Ryukyuans are a devout people, though their religion is entirely different from anything we have known. The faith which most influenced the religious life of the people on Okinawa is Taoism. 38 WE TOURED Taoism, introduced through the Chinese, places emphasis on ancestor worship. This still is a central tenet of Okinawan faith today. Taoism teaches that, after seven generations, ancestors become div- ine; therefore, the ancestor must be hon- ored and humored. This is the reason for the thousands of pretentious tombs we saw all over the island, to which offer- ings of food and paper spirit money are taken for use of the dead. Buddhism, coming from India by way of China, and Shintoism from Japan, were important in the island at various times, but their influence today has waned to insignificance. And now there are ap- proximately 5,000 natives on Okinawa who have been converted to the Catholic and Protestant faiths. There are 17 native pastors on Okinawa. The island terrain varies greatly be- tween north and south. Southern Okinawa consists of rolling hills. Many inviting sandy beaches, comparable to the ones in Florida and Southern California, can be found along the coastline. In the north- ern part, the country is much more rugged and beautiful. There the hills raise to more than a thousand feet, with Yonaha Take (1650 feet) the highest point. Naha, the capital and largest city, was a big surprise to most of us as far as our idea of cities was concerned. We under- stand that before the war it had the mod- ern look we ' re used to β now it looks about the same as the towns and villages we saw in other parts of the island. But we had to remember that every city and village in the southern half of the island were completely destroyed in World War II. No wonder Okinawa seemed, in sharp contrast to the life we know, like one of the backward areas of the world. Occasionally, in a brave attempt at masculine superiority, we American men bleat There ' s a place for women! Well, in Okinawa the men practice it, not hide and crow about it. There, traditionally, women stay in the background. They have always been considered inferior BUCKNER BAY FROM WHITE BEACH . . . Here we spenl more lime than any other stop in the Far East. Hot and humid OS it was, it was considered cooler and more com- fortable than the Pescadores, Hong Konq or the Philippines. THE INEVITABLE RICE PATTIE . . . Although there are thousands such as this throughout the islands, they are relatively newcomers, and sweet potatoes lake precedence as the native ' s stable food. THE NEW AND THE OLD ... On streets of Ihe larger villages a few modern vehicles, mostly buses and taxis, may be seen. The principal mode, however, is Ihe horsedrav n carls such as this. The mevitable change cf shoes. Two Whiting sailors prepare to depart the celebrated Tea House cf the August Moon in Naha. 39 WE RELAXED... ISHAKAWA BEACH . . One of the lovely beaches on Okinawa, this one is reserved exclusively for U. S. Armed Forces personnel and their families. The patio ci the Enlisted Club at White Beach proved to be a popular spot for cooling off and an occasional sea story. Here Honeycut, Howell, Zimmerman and Hendon swap a few. i Like most American sailors away from home. Chief Wilson and Smitly have time on their hands, and are pondering what to do now. Attempting to beat the afternoon heat, some of our men eased over to the Enlisted Men ' s Club at While Beach and had a cool one. WENT SHOPPING... and, in many cases, little more than ser- vants. They have two jobs: (1) to serve the master in the home, and (2) to bear chil- dren β preferably sons. Today when an Okinawan Papasan, the size of a 12-Year- old American boy, sees a 6-foot, 200- pound Western man yes-dearing his wife, the Okinawan bends double with convulsive laughter. Woman suffrage? Why, he couldn ' t even spell the words! When we were ready to leave Okinawa many of us took an accounting of what it had cost. We have paid dearly. Fiolcik and Parton get helpful information on the best buy of the hundreds of patterns available in Chinese and Japanese chinaware. Perhaps a present foi Mem. Almond and Blevins browse through the Army Post Exchange looking for gifts. AND HAD A BALL f ' T And lo prove he ' ll chance Connor ' s cake (far right) he accepts the iirsi hunk. Captain Stevens starts the ball rolling while the Executive Officer and members of the crew look on. The Battle of Okinawa was the last and fierciest of the Pacific Campaign. Nearly 13,000 American men were killed in the bloody 90-day battle. And on le Shima, one of the 108 islands in the chain, we remembered that Ernie Pyle β the fam- ous World War II correspondent β was killed only three months before the end of hostilities. But evaluating Okinawa ' s worth to the free world today, most folks will agree that none of these men died in vain. On peering back to watch the Key- stone ' s hilly, green coastline sink into the sea, we all agreed: It was good that we came. We learned much. But oh! how wonderful to leave. The Pescadores await Our Combo (left to right) . . . Lcdr. Stan Krolczyk, Bob Scruggs, Jerry Smith and Chief Freeman. A good bunch to have aboard, they have brought home considerably closer many an evening with our favorite tunes. Okey, I ' ll chance it, says Commander West. TJHn|H ife Pf M K ' I a|L A m The KW ' s en the spot glee club with their rendition of Roll Out the Barrel. Caught in the act, Lcdr. Neal refreshments, to three of the men. The men limber up rusty dance steps with local hostesses furnished by the service clubs. THE PESCADORES A PLACE IN THE SUN . . .Sand and rock dwellings along the barren and rugged shoreline oi Anyplace. Pescadores. This young woman has trod this road many times . . . oiid in all proba- bility, will never walk down it so far in one direction she can ' t make it back before sundown. A hot, humid and windy land of contrast and quietness, the Pescadores. And ahhough we were all aware that this trip was necessary, and our job there was important, before our five-week oper- ation ended at Boko Ko, 583 American officers and bluejackets ached all the way down to their proverbials. . . The first travel agency to produce a brochure on the Pescadores will write about numerous sandy beaches ringing a torquoise bay, but they are un- healthy for swimming; about airplanes arriving and leaving daily, but the island ' s only means of travel is ox-cart; about a population of 80,000 apathetic souls in incessant motion, but the stillness is stifling; and about a human characteristic that would ap- pear to most Wcotornorn difficult to understand: the many people ti liope . . . but seemingly none who dreo:. .phlet will have to tell that the Pescadores i... l; n.r.id where many wish they could go elsewhere, but few ever do. And it will go on to mention that within an environment of unend- ing contrast, there looms one formidable and com- mon malady: most of the 80,000 stomachs lack suf- cient food. And therein lies the inhabitants ' chief concern. By stretching the most apt imagination, one could not visualize them a vacation site, although many of the qualifications are present. But unlike some island paradises doting the Pacific, in these lonely outposts nothing goes together. Throw together the sugar and spice and the results are likened to wear- ing a tuxedo to a nudist camp. ' Tain ' t right. The majority of the islanders are stay-putters. In the house of their births they will live a life span, and there they will die. Family ties are strong and few break away. They have lived long in the islands, especially the present generation, and their main- land makeup has all but disappeared; they have become a distinct breed β Taiwanese. 42 A STRANGE LAND OLCiEST CITIZENS . , . These two Papasans are brclhers and repre- sent 170 years, all cf them in the Pescadores. Having served under fcur flags β Dutch, Spanish, Japanese and Nationalist China β they kinda ' like their homeland and have made no plans at the present to move. Lcdr. Neal takes note cl a typical farm girl in t.1a Kun.: THE BANYAN TREE . . . This huge tree covers some 4000 square feet. Three hundred years old, it is a landmark in the Pescadores. The branches, if allowed to hang to the ground, will soon take root and will continue to spread. A favciile lingering spot for the villagers because of its protection frcm ihe scorching sun, here they rest, sleep and play β especially the very old and the refreshing young i.!A KUNG ' S SUPER-i ' vlAHKtr . . . Here you can purchase almost everything from soup to nuts, but it ' s Pescadores soup and nuts, and it ' s doubtful indeed if any Westerner could identify any plant or item in the place. Sturdevant and Mussetler posing beside villager ' s fishing scow. Decorations of boat bow will keep evil spirits away. Of the 68 islands, only a half-dozen are inhabited; the remainder being only white craggy toad stool- like coral reefs rearing ugly heads out of the sea. The group ' s complete worthwhileness is con- centrated on the two larger islands, Ma Kung and Bai Sha Tao. On these most of the citizens live, work, and from them will pass on to the land of Buddha. The largest and capital city. Ma Kung, is located on the big island of the same name. It is the site for 70 percent of all industry. Here 35,000 people live in an area comparable to a U. S. community of 5,000. The typical home is 1 and 2 rooms, and houses a 4 to 10-member family. Most shopkeepers and their families live within their 1-room shops. The island of Bai Sha Tao is rural, sprinkled with small, sti ll villages. These are located near the water so the residents may tie their boats near home during high tide. Their farms are carved out of the high ground. The men sail the blue island waters in quest for fish; the women and children do the farming. No small number of American Navy men think this a splendid arrangement. But again, no smaller number of their ladies back home would think it strictly for the birds, so the motion would never get a vote. Bai Sha Too is no comfortable location in which to live. Here 25,000 farmers and shopkeepers fight a prevailing wind from, August until May. During that period a 30-knot gale tears their crops with incessant and unmerciful fury. The chief crop is Kai Liang (Guy Lee Ong). Similar in appearance to sugar cane, it contains very littte food value. Some goes for animal food, and the re- mainder is chopped and distilled into a 160-proof whiskey that is reputed to have curled the toe nails of the esteemed Buddha himself. The islands are a far-cry from self-sufficient. They have to import all their rice from Formosa. In this temple this follower is washing the altar, which is always cleansed after each prayer. Often times a Taiwanese will kneel and pray for many hours without rising. Inside one of the temples two Westerners examine some of the tools cf the trade. Captain David Lavigne, American liaison officer, and Doug Mauldin look over the Prayer Blocks. While the islander intones prayer he drops these blocks until they land flat side down. It might take all day, but he ' ll pray and keep dropping until they come to rest in the right position. 44 CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES OF THE PESCADORES . . . Saint Mary ' s chapel has been estab- lished in Ma Kung lor the past 60 years. Along with two Pro- testant missionaries, these chris- ' ! β :.β β β ' β I ' -i in con- V. : ' β ,β β :,. β β ].e 80,000 ivi 1 [β . 1 ii.i: ' ; ' !,-β Christian ALTAR OF A TYPICAL BUD- DHIST TEMPLE . . . Buddha and 1:1;-- nnny lioutenants. Each fish- . -, its own temple, ; ' .ar Buddha, The lithing and the ; β’,:::, in : : t incense. A TRAVELING OPERETTA COM- PANY , , . In this scene a vile old fuedal master has died and his serfs are deliriously happy over the news. EAST MEETS WEST , . . Captain Laviqne has a smiling conversa- tion with one of Ma Kung ' s soda jerketts, Although having adopted the Western dress, she, like all the other islanders (except- ing a couple dozen), has a long v ay lo go before adopting the American lingo. A smile, however, seemingly makes for nice con- versation all over the world. CHANGE OF COMMAND CHANGE OF COMMAND . . . Captain Stevens takes over command of KENNETH WHITING from Captain W, W. Hollister, 17 June, at Boko Ko, Pescadores Islands, Here Captain Stevens holds his first personnel inspection aboard the KW, )l: i k till ttihr SB ! g During u respite from the sun, Kelley, Intantmc, and Chiel Clark take it easy under this crude, but effective shed the Nationalist soldiers ererled fcr cur ccmfcrt. The model airplane bug v. ' as in the Pescadores, too. Ellington (with plane) displays his model to (left to right) Scharlau, Roby, MacKay, Hunnicutt and Rube before sending it aloft over Sand Island. On one of their occasional get-togethers Nationalist Chinese soldiers get a taste of American beer, cigarettes and nonsense from these members of the Whiting crew on the seawall at Gyoo-Too. .-Jjiia Island O-Club. Built by the Naticr,:;- Forces as l. token of good-will, it was lacking in plush furniture, running water, ice and air-conditioning, but it was on the beach, and oft-times that is enough for any Navy man. There is little culture among the Taiwanese as their education standards are low, averaging 4 to 5 years of schooling. And their arts and crafts, have a rugged aspect. There is none of the del- icate and exquisite taste of the mainland Chinese, nor are there any intricate wood and ivory carv- ings. Their jewelry is fashioned predominantly of sea shells and a rare, highly polished wunstone. Reputed to be mined only in the Pescadores and Sicily, the wunstone ' s rarity deems it somewhat of a collector ' s item. The people are devoutly religious, with 99 per- cent being avid Buddhist, and a sprinkling of Christians tossed in. Both Catholic and Protestant groups have found it near impossible to convert the people to the christian faiths. After 60 years of persistent teaching by the Catholic mission- aries, 300 converts make up the complete flock at Saint Mary ' s in Ma Kung. The Protestants have enjoyed even less success. To the American Navy man aboard ship at Boko Ko, the most pronounced aspect about these incomprehensible people and their homeland is the languid quietness. Watching them day after day, and throughout the night, he sees sampans moving to and fro like uncountable water beetles negotiating a mill pond. He can never quite man- age to get in close proximity; he can find no way of communication β no avenue from which to ef- fect a merger. So eventually he shrugs it off in typical American nonchalance and quits sweating it. As far as he can discern, the native ' s only goal is existing. And their chief concern? Enough work to survive; many hours of rest and sleep; increas- ing the Pescadores population. And the American that could talk to them learned that they seem- ingly have 10,600 years in which they can ac- complish these things β or anything else they might happen to desire. We learned, though, that they were our friends, and glad that we were there. And we were glad that they were glad . . . AND AWAY WE GO... HONG β nsmx Our visit to Hong Kong was first an experience, then as we learned more and more about this phenomenal Pearl of the Orient, it turned into a fascinating ad- venture. We found that like a promiscuous vamp it has many moods and faces. And although we stayed only twelve short days, an education was instilled into all. Watching a sunrise from Hong Kong harbor is a spectacle. We marveled at the shimmering shafts of light as they danced and richocheted off the tall, gleam- ing architecture that clings to the hillsides; and above. Mount Victoria loomed tall and erect with a sprinklmg of clouds crowning her head. With each new dawn this esteemed lady would smile down and bid us hello. Moments later the harbor would come alive with the intriguing water people beginning their performance. And a major production it is, too, as they play a major role in Hong Kong ' s daily success story. Their existence is an enigma to all Westerners. Not a few of them are born, live their whole lives and die in their boat homes. The population of the Colony ' s junk city is estimated 47 On entering the mouth l i;.c vi..-....,c, are intrigued by the colorful lunks. men crowd the rail and - β β eJi gsf β¦--β PEARL OF THE ORIENT β Victoria (loreground) and Kowloon (across the bay). These two make up Hong Kong, Red China is just 35 miles across the first mountain range. to be 125,000. These floating dwellings include not only big ocean-going junks but tiny sam- pans as well. Most of the genuine boat-people belong to one of two races β the Cantonese (or Tanka) and the Hokla, a tribe of sea-gypsies originating in the China province of Fukien. The Hoklo live almost entirely in sampans, which scurry like water beetles unafraid through the busy harbor. To watch them nego- tiate the traffic among the ocean liners, in what appears to be complete abandon, is often hair- raising indeed. The New York Harbor Commis- sioner would perhaps go amuck watching such nonchalance. But Hong Kong is one of the busiest harbors in the world, and with 70,000 fishermen within the Colony, they can ' t let any- thing like a few dozen ocean liners deter their haste toward a livelihood. Hong Kong ' s fishing fleet is probably the largest in the world. It is made up almost en- tirely of owner-operated wooden junks, mostly propelled by sail β and most colorful they are. The principal fishing harbors are at Aber- deen and Shau Ki Wan on Hong Kong island and on the outlying island of Cheung Chau. Aberdeen is a popular tourist attraction, its floating restaurants, in which the diner selects his own fish and has it cooked while he waits, affording a new gastronomic thrill. Hong Kong is quite homogeneous. Of the two and a half million residence, the over- whelming majority are Chinese. Semi-perma- nent Europeans and Americans, mainly British, total some 14,500. Temporary resident foreign- ers account for 2700 more, with a sprinkling of Portuguese, Indian and Eurasians. This 99 percent Chinese population are main- ly farmers and fishermen. There are 500,000 refugees in every sense of the word; 300,000 constituting a squatter problem. This means over-population. Only twenty years ago the figure was 800,000. More than a million have flocked in since the war. More are coming every day. ABERDEEN β Home of thousands of fishing junks. Junk City was one of the major attractions of the Whiting sailors. Thu celebrated junk. On vessels such ab lliiii, vviicle iair.i cire born and die, never knowing any other home. 48 WE WENT SHOPPING Most ot the boys purchased qiits heie. Inere is no haqglmy over puces, liko in most shops, as this is an approved merchandise mart. The courteous, helpful and effi- cient policeman. They are reput- ed to be scmo of the v orld ' s best. He not only puts you in jail, he ' s also the prosecuting at- torney . . . and he seldom loses β :i case. . ' . ' ALUABLE SERVICEβ These voluntary workers, directed Dy Father Gilligan, steer a V hitmg sailor on the right and inexpensive track while in Hong Kcng AND LOOKED THE PLACE OVER , JPy ' M PEDDLERS β The women do the rowing and the men collect the money. THE T ' A ' O-DECKER TRAivi β You may iiae either first or second class ... no one seems to know the difference between the tv. ' o. tn i « STREET SCENE β Black paiumas and the split dress are popular ladies ' at- tire. All Orientals are camera-shy. Note lady covering face. Selling mostly souvenirs. On arrival cf an American ship, dozens of such sam- pans surround ship. REFUGEE HAVENβ Thousands of squatters live in these shacks dotting the hillside. They arrive by the hundreds every day, mostly from Communist China. Four of cur men and a friendly resident look over the city from Mount Victcria. On asking a typically Western question: How will the city care for any more new- comers? an English businessman of 25 years in China explained: The Chinese have a deep loyalty for each other β family ties are forever binding. Another hundred thousand or so will make little difference. The ones that are here will take them in and no one will be the wiser. And in summing up, he shrugged his shoulders and gestured: Hong Kong is like a lady with a big bosom. She can care for many more if the need arises. Whether overcrowded or not, wherever we walked new vistas of scenic loveliness or gran- deur were met at every turn. And here in one respect at least man has improved on the beauties of nature. For the lakes that lie folded in the valleys of the island did not exist one hundred years ago. They are man-made reser- voirs, built to supply water to the crowded cities. Hong Kong has few antiquities β the Pirate ' s Nest of 1841 could hardly be expected to rival the glories of Imperial Cathay in a hundred years! But its monasteries are authentic enough and the walled villages such as Kam Tin are microcosms of the life in vast areas of South China. Nor is Hong Kong without its own legends and traditions. Jardine ' s noonday gun, immor- talized by Noel Coward, is probably regarded by the majority as a much more reliable time- keeper than Radio Hong Kong ' s electrically actuated system. And there are few residents of the Colony but will point with pride to the rubbed and shiny paws of the bronze lions out- side the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank . . . rubbed smooth by countless thousands of Chi- nese who believe that to touch the lion ' s paws is a certain β well, almost certain β passport to prosperity. Exploring one of the many tombs that catecomb the hills outside Kcwlcon. .loyinq .j food at tlie plush Repulso Buy H. 50 THE GROTESQUE, YET BEAUTIFUL, TIGER EALI4 GARDENSβ Tiie li er paqoda (right lop) built for deccraticn only, cost $250,000. This fabulous garden, statues mostly, represent some figures in history, both fact and fictitious. The name came from the animal ' s fat, prepared in a balm. This wonderful panacea, so the Chinese believe, is a sure cure for gough, colds, headache, rheuma tism, neuralgia, gout, sciatica, lumbago, sore throat, toothache, asthma, scorpion and other insect bites and slings, cuts, cramps, and all chest complaints. Founder cf the garden, Mr. Aw Boon Haw. a millicnaire philanthropist, selected and erected all statues so as to purify his countrymen from sin. The gardens cover eight acres and cost $3,000,000. Even if a visitor to Hong Kong never ventuied beyond the city streets, he would find much of interest. The shops display almost everything that mortal man could desire . . . from a pair of nylons to a refrigerator; from a priceless jeweled clasp to a suite of blackwood furniture. But like all things, our stay had to end. And as night fell, and Hong Kong put on its diadem of lights, it transformed the already beautiful into a veritable fairyland of colored lights; and there were few of us but felt a stirring of the emotions. For here was not only beauty, but a symbol of what man can achieve if he has the will to create. The next morning Mount Victoria smiled down and bade goodbye . . . We peered back and bade goodbye. Rounding the bend in the river we all went back to cur individual jobs and began to think cf cur next pcrt-o-call . . . Formosa. β P y 0;viS :;Β« β’ ' HONG KONG AT h ' IGHT β A veniai ie iairyiand ol colored lights. _.ft.i.d FORMOSA A 30-lcol statue ct Generalissimc Chiang FCcii-Shck dctnir.jtes the drenched city square in the heart of Taipe From the air or from the sea, Formosa looks as peaceful as paradise. Opalescent waters edge her shore and break on her beaches m ivory foam. Water-covered rice fields flash their facets in the sun. Silvery riv- ' - β -β’ ' β’- β’ - roa and southward to the limit :: . jh mountains wrapped in gr-. : . :nty heads cloud-covered. This was Taiwan yesterday, is today, and will be tomorrow. An island 230 miles long and about 90 miles wide, it is situated about 100 miles off the South China coast. Shaped like a tobacco leaf it is flanked by the Formosa Straits in the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east, and is located halfway between the Philippines and the Ryukyus and is a short distance from Hong Kong and the Portuguese colony of Macao. We aboard the Kenneth Whiting discovered 11 had a lovely landscape and the most miser- able climate imaginable. The name Formosa is Portuguese for pretty or beautiful, and was given the island by Portuguese sailors who, m the sixteenth century, were the first Europeans to visit it. While the world has known the island of Formosa ever since, it has never been accepted officially by the Formos- ans themselves; they and the Chinese call it Taiwan. 52 WE TOURED (when not raining) What little tune we were aitorded to tour the island we saw that it is a strange mixture of modern and the aboriginal. The major cities β Toipeh, Keelung, Kaohsiung β are an overlay of modern western architecture on simple and frequently shoddy buildings of Chinese and Japanese design. But, except for electricity, the modernity is confined to the coastal plains and the foothills of the high and rugged mountains, many as high as 13,000 feet, that form the physical backbone of the island. Here, in the interior, the aboriginal natives of Formosa still live much as they have for centuries. The only difference is that they no longer engage in headhunting. Many of us looked for the oppor- tunity to travel high in the mountains to photo- graph these unusual and colorful people, but the time afforded during our three trips deemed this impossible. The one of the many don ' ts imposed on us by regulations that was the most noticed, yet the most justified, was that we were not allowed to eat or drink food and water in native establishments. A few of the restaurants have excellent food and have been approved by the U. S. Medics as a safe place to eat. To these the Whiting sailors flocked in droves, for the Chinese are the best cooks in the Orient. Native Formosan food is rather unimagina- tive. Their ideas of hygiene are a far cry from our own. It is easier, they believe, to do the entire day ' s cooking in the morning, and then serve it as required. Imagine how the Formosan flies can make a morning-fried egg look by evening. Undoubtedly Formosa β especially around the major cities β is the noisiest place on the globe. Many of us thought this of Hong Kong, but after one hour in Keelung or Taipeh, Hong Kong seemed I by comparison likened to a mon- astery for Chinese mutes. It matters not whether any accessory works on the thousands of autos β mostly taxis β so long as the horn will beep. And beep it does, too, 24 hours every day. We found that a single ride in a taxi was sufficient to render us to complete exhaustion and near .. ' z -β SUPREl.lL :.... . ,:,,β .. -.lERS BUILDING β Located in the hocrl cl Taipei, it is ihe seal ol the Chinese Nationalist Government. gg fSBBtb Port Control Building guarding the narrow channel entrance oi Kao-Hsiung. Wilson takes a tour of the sprawling Kao-Hsiun j Stonecutters hewing granite bloclcs outside of Keelung. Seeing Kao-Hsiung the hard way. !S: CHANGE OF COMMAND ON 3 AUGUST 1955 CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONIES WERE HELD ABOARD THE USS KENNETH WHITING (AV-14), IN KEELUNG HAR- BOR. REAR ADMIRAL G. W. ANDERSON, USN, RELIEVED REAR ADMIRAL F. N. KIVETTE, USN, AS COMMANDER FORMOSA PATROL FORCE , COMMANDER FLEET AIR WING-ONE. DISTINGUISHED GUESTS INCLUDED VICE AD- MIRAL A. M. PRIDE, USN, COMMANDER SEVENTH FLEET, CAPTAIN G. R. DONAHO, CHIEF-OF-STAFF, COMMANDER SEVENTH FLEET, AND MANY SEN- IOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN OFFICIALS ON FORMOSA. Admiral Kivette bids gcod- bye. Officers seated (left to right); Lt. J. E. Williams; Cap- tain L. M. Stevens, USN, Com- manding Officer USS Kenneth Whiting, AV-14; Captain G. R. Dcnaho, USN, Chief-of-Staff, Commander Seventh Fleet; Vice Admiral A. M. Pride. USN, Commander Seventh Fleet; Rear Admiral G. W. Anderson, USN, New Com- mander Formosa Patrol Force, Comander Fleet Air Wing-One; Captain L. H. Mc- Alpine, Chief-of-Staff, Com- mander Formosa Patrol Force, Commander Fleet Air Wing-One. Rear Admiral Anderson reads his orders and says hello. Vice Admiral Pride gives pnn_ipal address. The Kenneth Whitmg crew and visiting guests (seated). w One of the few gates and Confucius Temple nervous collapse, so most of us played it safe and hoofed it. Of course, the real reason for the incessant horn-blowing is the law. It mat- ters little how many pedestrians you run over so long as you sound the horn first. However, this applies to people only. After leaving this strange land and its greatly overcrowded people, it is difficult to appreciate the opalescent waters, silvery rivers, and maj- estic green mountains. Somehow the oozing mud of the city streets, the filth from over-popu- lation, the poverty from not enough land, con- tinued to be the indelible stigma. But with all this we learned that it is a free land, and as little as it is, it ' s all these people have. And being aware of the great problems that face them, as we moved out of sight into the For- mosa Straits we could not help but wonder how they will eventually resolve them. tjBi . . .ki Nixon and guide peer down on patio that has been site for many an execution. f tl Uc Seventeenth century deer Tabaka, Miertschin and Nixcn inspect Long Terns cf 300 years ago. INSIDE THE WALLED CITY H INSIDE THE WALLED CITY β Located in Tainan, it is the oldest city on Formosa. Built by the Dutch in 1650, Fort Providenlia served as the political center and bastion of defense. The bespattered walls depict age and many wars. AND BOY, WHAT A SHOW THEY GAVE US THE PHILIPPINES Entrance to the old Walled City located just outside the business district of Manila. Odds have it that when that fellow, Magel- lan, threaded his way through the passages of the 7000 islands that make up the Philippine Archipelago in his search for a prize package for Spain, his fondest dream failed to stretch so far as to visualize that some 400 years hence this strange land would become one of the strongest and proudest nations in Asia. Nor could he visualize that the big island, Luzon, would be the site for a capital city of well over a million people. This is Manila today. On go ing ashore for a fast look, the first noticeable aspect was its contrasting features. The whole city is an agglomeration of the new and modern and the very old; of the bringing together a group of villages to form one city. A mixture of western and oriental, it is huge and unplanned, and sprawls along the coastal lowlands of the bay and the sluggish Pasig River. Unlike in the western nations, there is little or no zoning. There are factories next to large, elaborate homes with extensive landscaped gardens. Clusters of nipa or corrugated iron huts lean against air-conditioned offices and public buildings, moving picture houses and night clubs. And although the population is well over a million, one ' s surroundings give the 57 The new and ultra-modern University of Manila. The B_. - . - . .;;:ppines. Rare. War ii, 11 iius Leeri completely restoieu impression of living in a small town. Social habits and dress are sophisticated, society is cosmopolitan. Filipinos in Manila wear western clothes almost exclusively and almost all speak English. Although evidences of the heavy destruction of World War II are everywhere visible, the city is for the most part reconstructed. There is, however, a severe housing shortage. Shacks and lean-to ' s (barong barong) without plumbing serve as shelters for vast numbers of people. But Filipinos have the highest standard of liv- ing and the highest rate of literacy in the Orient. A land where sobriety is a virtue, most of the people lead a simple agricultural life. Only a small percentage is employed in industry. Class distinctions are very marked, with the great masses of farmers belonging to the lower class. The middle class is small and is com- posed of government workers, teachers and professional workers. The upper class is com- prised of large landowners and wealthy mer- chants. As an expedient though, seemingly everyone has pitched in on the job of rebuilding the war- torn damage, and in most quarters the barriers of class distinction has been lowered some- what. Downtown Manila, trees have recently been planted along Dewey Boulevard, and it will eventually be a shady bayside drive. But the one outstanding attractive feature of the city is Manila Bay. Rimmed by low hills and islands flooded with frequent flambuoyant sun- sets, it spreads from the horizons of the Bay across the city to the eastern hills. Although we had only a six-day stay, many of us made friends there. And getting to know these friendly but fiery people, it isn ' t difficult to understand their almost neurotic zest for House of Parliament β This was headquarters for the General Staff during the Japanese occupation. There are still many horse-drawn taxis on the streets of Manila. WE TOURED THE CITY A stone gate-house guard- ing one of the entrances to dungeons. Typical Filipino lass. AND MET THE PEOPLE A place out of the sun. SCENES INSIDE THE WALLED CITY ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL OF MANILA β First built in 1582, it has withstood typhoons, lire and earthquake β not to mention wars. The center of the cross atop the front entrance is the reference point of all astronomical longitudes of the archipelago. freedom. The Portuguese navigator, Magellan, attempted to pick a prize plumb, but one of the island leaders, Lapulapu, amputated his giz- zard in short order. And during the three-year occupation by the Japanese during World War II, small bands of guerillas fought them to a standstill. When the North Korean Communists attacked South Korea, the Philippines was among the first of the member nations to ans- wer the call of the United Nations in repelling the invading forces. So when we moved out of the Bay and set our bearings for a second visit to Hong Kong, we said farewell to many good friends and staunch ally. And it ' s a safe bet that that proud, infant nation will grow into a powerful giant amongst its Oriental brothers. And it won ' t be long . . . ' cause the Filipinos are in a hurry. COMMANDER BAKE LCDR. TEEVAN AROUND THE SHIP AND THEN WE HAD A BEAUTY CONTEST MISS KENNETH WHITING Miss Sylvia Bauben Burbank, Caliiomia ALTERNATES Miss Carol Laverty Long Beach, California Miss Florence Pickett Montgomery, Alabama Miss Mary Peters Sedalia, Missouri MRS. KENNETH WHITING Mrs. Bobby R. Flener Morgentown, Kentucky ALTERNATES AND ON TO Mrs. Robert A. Burbank Denver, Colorado Mrs. G. A. Hampton Long Beach, California Mrs. James D. Roy Jennings, Louisiana 65 JAPAN GREAT BUDDHA ;:ia statue and temple was constructed, but ioreafter. In 1252 the present bronze statue .structod by Ono Goroemon. During 1495 a tidal wave swept away the temple buildings. Since then the Buddha has been ex- posed in an open-air patio. The weight: 94 tons. Height: 43 feet. It is th e second largest statue in Japan, and is considered to be the best statue in the Orient. (Photo by T Sgt. William J. Colton, USAF) Founded m 1238, a w was destroyed by a typh of the Great Buddha was 66 FACE OF JAPAN VIEWS OF JAPAN Imperial Palace IMPERIAL MOAT β Enclosing the Impeiial Palace grounds in Tokyo. The inner walls of Ihe moat are low and in many cases landscaped. Before Ihe Meiii resloration (1868) ihey were sheer faces of forbidding rock rising perpendicularly to a height of almost 100 feel. LANDING AT KURIHAMA β Reenacted every year, Com- modore Perry, escorted by two bodyguards and preceded by two boys bearing the letter from President Fillmore to the Japanese Empercr. march to the meeting pla ce in Kurihama en 14 July 1855. 69 OUR LAST DAY THE LONG TRIP HOME For ten dragging days and ten endless nights we kept our bow into the rising sun. Finally we again entered Pearl Harbor and visited Honolulu for three days. This time though, it was a little different somehow . . . still lovely and real nice, mind you . . . but a bit different. Anxiety was electric. The men wanted to get home. Captain Stevens gave the word and we were off. Six more weary days were in store. But nothing mattered now. Next stop was San Diego! The night of October 31st few slept. And on the advent of the dawn the men were lining the life-lines, searching for the first glimpse of Point Loma. Finally, through the overcast it was sighted! We stand down the harbor at a snail ' s pace and then a thrilling spectacle emerges from around the bend. There they were . . . our people, a band, beautiful majorettes, scores of romp- ing children and above all, the brilliant colors of the gay dresses of our wives and sweethearts. . . We blink and grin kinda silly. And on this warm morning we all darn near froze to death. After a Well Done by COMAIRPAC, the gangways were lowered and wives, children, friends, and sweethearts scrambled aboard. . . HOME... Man, oh man FIRST TO COME ABOARD β Front row (left to right): Vice Admiral H. M. Martin, commander Air Forces Pacific: Mrs. L. M. Stevens: Mrs. J, N. West, and children. Rear row: Mr. Davies and Rear Admiral J. M. Carscn, Chief-of-Staff. 72 Commander Air Forces Pacific. WELCOME ABOARD!!b Now can you beat that? . . . Grown men actin ' like small boys just home after a campin ' trip. But what are men anyv ay? . . . The ladies can tell you; Just small boys grown tall, that ' s all. . . A MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN TO THE CREW... 31 October 1955 This IS the last day that we will all be together as the ship ' s company of the Kenneth Whiting. Many of you will be leaving β some on a transfer and others on a separation from the Naval Service. To all these men, I say: So long, and the best of luck and happiness in your careers. To those of you who will remain with the ship, I will be counting on you to train our new men and keep the Kenneth Whiting the fine ship that she is. The cruise has been an exceptionally interesting one and you have been places which few Navy men and fewer civilians have ever seen. You have sweated out the Pescadores, had liberty in the strange ports of Formosa, sailed the Inland Sea of Japan by day and night, and been brushed by typhoons Kate and Nora. And m all these travels and labors you have established one of the outstanding reputations in the Fleet. You have every right to be proud and I am proud of you. I told you when relieving com- mand that I was looking forward to being shipmates with you. Now I say it has been a fine experience and a privilege to have been shipmates with a great ship ' s company. L. M. STEVENS Captain, USN %o I HONG KONG V FOBM V PUILIPPINE ISLANDS v w J N r -vI ' Β«i . -tv. ' - (!7 A-0 GREAT FALLS ,tP MISSOULA β’r O O SPOICANfc SFATTLt RAPID CITY aECRL HARBOR. WAWAIIAfJ ISLANDS CRUISE BOOK STAFF Captain L. M. STEVENS. COMMANDING OFFICER Commander J. N. WEST. EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lieut. Ilg) H. I. NORDEEN. OFFICER-INCH ARGE Douglas B. MAULDIN. AMI, WRITER Walter S. CLAYTON, RDSN, ILLUSTRATOR Charles I. BECKER. PHI, PHOTOGRAPHER David B. WILSON, PH3, PHOTOGRAPHER Thomas F. WALTEMATH, PHAN, PHOTOGRAPHER VIIKRO-GRAPHIC
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