Lanier (APA 125) - Naval Cruise Book

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71 MAKING SMOK E 'f I

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THE LOG - Continued For the next 8 days, crew and troops took advantage of Ulithi's large recreation center, where several thousand can be accommodat- ed at the various facilities offered. The usual two cans of beer or two bottles of coke per man is Ulithi's chief recreation, aside from playing softball. Bands play daily in a band- stand in the center of the island's sports area. Of all the Pacific Isles LANIER men visited, Ulithi, perhaps more than any other, fits into the preconceived idea of a tropical isle- C x I I 3 I I -4 I Boat clear with its towering cocoanut palms, sandy beach and thatched houses. A favorite sport at the Officers' Club is throwing rocks at the cocoanuts in an effort to knock them down. Occasionally somebody willchallenge, dare or bet a shipmate he can't climb the tree and there's always one man in every crowd who'll take a bet. Needless to say, they don't re- Caves along the Bishi Gawa fRiver1 Okinawa mind one of natives scrambling up a tree like monkeys, but rather like caterpillars climbing a greased flagpole. With the GRIMES as O. T. C., a 46-ship con- voy left Ulithi on 20 July. Included were the LANIER, WINDSOR, LEGION VICTORY, DENI- SON VICTORY, CAPE LOPEZ, KITTSON, OCONTO, CAPE STEPHERES, PAN AMERI- CAN VICTORY, CAPE CATOCHE, OKANO- GAN, HARRIS, ROCKBRIDGE, ELKHART, CEPHUS, HYDE, LAURENS, PRESIDENT POLK, MELLETTE, SHARON VICTORY, GRIMES, NAVARRO, ACONCAGUA, WAKE FORREST VICTORY, CAPITOL VICTORY, SALAMAUA, HEYWOOD, BRAXTON, TOLOVANA, VIR- GINIA CITY VICTORY, NESHOBA, WARREN, ENOREE, SARANAC, ST. JOHN VICTORY, MERIWETHER, SAMUEL CHASE, SEA BLENNY, WEST LYNN VICTORY, BATES VICTORY and the escorts CHARLES D. HUGHES, AYLWIN, BEGOR, TRIPPE, PATTERSON and H. S. CLARK. The SALAMAUA LCVEI stayed with the con- voy until I643, supplying comforting air cov- erage. Shrine entrance, Naha, Okinawa

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THE LOG - Continued .The convoy, known as TransDiv 60, pulled into port at Okinawa Shima on 24 July, I945, the LANIER anchoring in Machinato Bay. By evening the LANIER had debarked all its Army personnel. The next day Navy passengers were discharged and the unloading of cargo began. Call to battle stations was sounded several times a day land nightl for the dura- tion of the stay at Okinawa. By 28 July all cargo had been unloaded. On 3I July the ship shifted anchorage to Berth H-I44, Ha- gushi anchorage. Reports of a typhoon heading toward Okinawa forced the ships in the harbor to put out to sea to ride out the storm. Task Unit 95.5.2I2 was formed comprising the LANIER, HARRIS, HYDE, ELKHART, MERI- WETHER, MELLETTE, OKANOGAN, WINDSOR, OCONTO, NAVARRO and escorts. The group left Okinawa on I August. Two days later the unit returned to Okinawa. The LANIER, on 5 August, commenced embarking passengers: Army, 78 officers, 570 enlisted men, Marine Corps, 4 officers, I46 men. Many of the Army group were members of the famous New York Fighting 69th and were high- point men who had served more than 3 years overseas without seeing the Golden Gate. On 6 August, Convoy OKU No. I7, TransDiv 60 got underway for Ulithi, including the fol- lowing ships: GRIMES IO. T. C.l, KITTSON, BRAXTON, FLORENCE NIOI-ITINOALE, wAu- KESI-IA, SAMUEL CHASE, WARREN, SEMI- NOLE, HEYWOOD, ROCKBRIDGE, OKANO- GAN, ENOREE, SARANAC, SEA DEVIL, PARK VICTORY, DOUGLAS VICTORY, ESCANABA, ELKI-IART, NAVARRO, MERIwETI-IER, OCON- TO, TOLOVANA, ACONAGUE, ANACOS- TIA, WINDSOR, PRESIDENT POLK, CEPHEUS, LANIER and OZARK, as well as the escorts DEwEY, MacDONOUGH, CAVALLERO, PRES- LEY, RAYMOND, DALE, FARRAGUT, SILVER- STEIN, HILARY P. JONES, CROSS and LEWIS.