Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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3 . 1 il -i 5 I i if 5 Y 3. .. .1m.mu.,....... l l 35 i N 1 . 1 s il Nl 1 l routines: the excitement and strain of prolonged combat action, then during the rest of the night cleaning up and getting things shipshape again. Many of our planes are damaged, crumpled by the great whipping bounces following the explosion. Some of them, damaged beyond the repair facilities of the ship, are stripped of in- struments, wheels, tires and all detachable equipment . . . then dumped . . . given the deep six. The reports of all that happened during the night begin to take shape. We learn that Iapanese aviation threw everything they had at us. Over fifty twin-engined Mitsubishi bombers gave the task force a working over for more than seven hours, scored one hit. The dead, the missing and the wounded are counted. Two dead . . . seven missing . . . thirty-five wounded. The stern of the ship suffered the worst of the damage, took most of the punishment. Two of the men at their battle stations on the fantail were killed instantly, others seriously wounded. As soon as we are beyond the range of enemy aircraft the Captain and the ship's chief medical officers go below to visit the wounded in sick bay. We find Chief Baker sitting up in his bunk, looking for all the world like a noble statue of some Roman Senator. His voice is a raw hoarse whisper, the result of the prolonged inhaling of freon gas and smoke bomb fumes. He enumerates the changes that he believes should be made in the set-up of the emergency gear and gives graphic descriptions of what happened. Our general lighting had been disrupted, the telephone booth had collapsed, the action cutout switchboard had been turned over backwards' the housing on the brake motor was a shamble and things were sprung in general our motors had shifted some on their bases in other words things were all out of line He describes the work courage and endurance of the men in there with him It was the talk of a longtime sailor to another longtime sailor his skipper 138 X' ' , Q I 1 . il D il I T il :lg X3 1? Q2 it.

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Page 151 text:

144464 M644 We bury our dead. When the hour is set for the burial, the Captain tells the Exec to pass around the word that anyone off duty may come up on deck for the service. And they came . . . they came pouring out on deck shaved and scrubbed, each man in fresh clean dungarees. A burial at sea is a solemn impressive ceremony. The outside plane elevator brings the flag- covered bodies up to the flight deck. The Chaplain reads the burial service. The Captain says a few Words. Then a choking silence .... A squad of Marines fires the last salute. The stretchers are tilted toward the sea, from under the flags slide the White canvas-Wrapped bodies into the great anonymous impersonal sea. The buglers blow taps. The faces of the men standing by reflect their thinking and wondering . . . it might have been ' ' h h b en me next time it may be any one of us. you...1tm1gtavee Back home a mother will soon receive a telegram she will never forget. A message she will never quite adjust herself to. I Want to reach out to the fathers and mothers of all these boys, put my arms around them and ' f l b' Whisper of the lineness in their sons. ln a sense they are also my boys. I love them . . . ee a itter . . . f h burning ache for the loss of those Whose bodies we have just committed to the Waters o t e sea. Q, C139 we if ,