La Salle (LPD 3) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 73 text:

.0 XX gk. Flight Deck Crewscutries to do their job. AIR DEPARTMENT I LCDR G. A. SCHUSSLER LTJG K. s. CHINA AIR OFFICER V DIVISION OFFICER 1 x 9 ,. -

Page 72 text:

I vw- :--H I- -. - v. . .,,.A..4--., ...A. , . f PRI-FLY Home of the Good Guys. . I V Division has 47 men, Department Head is LCDR Schussler, Division Officer is LT Chin, and Leading Petty Officer is Davis, ABF1. The Division consists of the Fuels Crew and the Flight Deck Crew. - The division earned an E and three hash marks and completed 5952 landings without an accident. While in the Med eight duty drivers from Air De- partment did all the driving for the ship while in port. ln most ports two duty drivers lived on the beach and drove every night from liberty call until two or three in the morning. During the day two drivers alternated driving on their duty days until relieved by the permanent drivers. Most of the runs were for mail, or taking officers on business, or taking the Chaplainfs working party to an orphanage. The airdales fielded seven out of the twelve players on the ship's basketball team which had an outstanding record of 15 wins and 2 losses, playing foreign nationals and other ships in each port. The airdales. left Norfolk, some looking forward to new and exciting experiences in the Mediterranean, others regretting having to leave their wives and families behind for five months. But all returned with a greater awareness of the people in foreign countries and also a greater appreciation of the life they left in the States. Most of Air Department would agree that the ports of France and Spain were the best ports hit in the Med with Naples, Italy running a close third, Kannas and Payne would probably put it first on the list while Gause tries not to think of it at all. An historic event that occured while in the Med was when Boswell, the division clown, received word that his wife gave birth to a baby girl. One of the major highlights of the cruise was the beach party at Navplion, Greece. The airdales probably stole and drank more beer than any other division on the beach. Some of the airdales went mountain climbing, notably Frawley, Kannas, Mock, Camden, Burgher, Payne, and .Hornick, and almost didn't return, others, Felix, Whitaker, Gregoire, Gamel, Kidd, Emery, and Bell played football, some went swimming as the day--wore on and the rest just sat around and drank beer. The greatest moment of all for the airdales was when the LaSalle left Rota and headed back for the States. All in all, the airdales would agree that the Med is a nice place to visit but we wouldn't want to live there.

Page 74 text:

'vnvvnwrw 1 V fr 'ew Y -J! 5 H '.f,1-5-1 -- -,,- K W M , , V A-I' Mi - ,,,- -V ' -I ,v-, V A K1 '3'qm : -' M ' M 1. , A,,rQ'i.x IT'S A co1..D HANDS DAY ,IN CASE OF FIRE - . . D ABF1 T. Davis ABF2 R. Whitaker ABHZ H. Yates ABI-13 J. Bell ABF3 B. Collins ABF3 D. Emery ABH3 M. Simmons ABH3 R. Stogner ADR3 T. Wetzel ABHAN T. Gamel ABFAN D. Robertson AN E. Adkison AN J. Avery AN L, Boswell ABHAN W. ChIi515i2-H AN J. Felix AN V. Fillmore AN A. Frawley AN G. Gause AN R. Gearhart AN D. Hancock