Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 96 text:

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Page 95 text:

. ,-,.-1 Diiciis cimixx' xxwiis VP on. ifRoM sPL1NTi2Ri5n DEER A Wounded pilot hrings in his Halq-tlainagetl Pol: No. I3 for a erash landing. He inalies a good landing but the tail hoolq ineehanisin tloesn't work, the plane lunges on into the first harrier, noses over. The propeller slashes up some tleela hoartls and a ruptured tank spews out oil. Plane handlers rush. forward to help the wounded pilot out of the eoelspit. and tire lighters hring up and ready their equipment in ease of fire. Deck oliieer Prather dashes ahout and ainong the inen, using salty one- syllahle wordsg he urges his erew to more faster, faster. S5

Page 97 text:

1 Y 5 A .3 p A yftf lf' PRfX'I'HlIR VSIZS CQOLORITUL LANGUAGE-MFREELY Ensign V. A. Prather, USN, in charge of the flight deck crew, is a colorful officer: colorful on three counts, voice, language, and gesture. Nothing is ever done fast enough to suit him. Wlieil his overworked vocal cords go on strike, the rest of him becomes more vehement. The crew takes all this in its stride as it takes the weather and seems to recognize the merit of his intentions. He knows his Navy, knows his sailors, believes in Navy tradition, but he will tell any out- ranking officer Where to get off as quickly as he will bawl out a seainan. Today, he brings his explosive energy to the boiling point, bearing down on one and all, gets things that seem impossible done with incredible speed. S5