Leyte (CVA 32) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 49 text:

CATANIA is one of the -most thriving of Sicilian cities. Situated at the foot of the 10,8711 foot giant, Mount Etna, the city has suffered repeatedly from volcanic eruptions and vio- lent earthquakes. In 1669, the terrible Etna seethed with rage, send- ing down tons of molten lava upon the city, causing the destruction of a great many of her antiquities. The city had only begun to recover from the erup- tion of Etna when, in 1693, a violent earthquake killed more than 18,000 of her people. CATANIA has had a long and distin- guished history. Foun- ded long before the birth of Christ, she has played a major part in many of the struggles of Europe. The city was head- quarters of the Athen- ian troops during the war between Athens and Syracuse in 432 B. C. The Cathedral of Catania, founded in 1091 by Count Roger, is a fine building and is worthy of the at- tention of all who visit the city. CATANIA is nowre- viving with gre at splendor and has much more the fea- tures of a metropolis than Palermo. The principle streets are wide and well-paved with lava. Most of the edifices have an air of magnificance un- known in other parts of the island, and the town has a title to rank with the ele- gant citiesof Europe.

Page 48 text:

G UCUST Rising high above the clouds of Sicily, the majestic Mount Etna poses an everlasting threat to the lives of inhabitants of nearby communities. GATEWAY to Sicilian culture and history, the seaport town of Augusta proved to be a very interesting and typical native town. I This large Italian naval base is strategically located at an extreme tip of Sicily, the largest, most fertile, and most populous island of the 'Mediterranean Triangular in shape, Sicily is separated from the mainland of Italy by the Strait of Messina. More than two-thirds of Italy's wine is produced here, a great portion of the vineyards being located near Augusta. i Containing the most fertile farm land in Sicily, Augusta produces a large portion of the wine of Italy. r -,..-.- -.-....i.,.,., ,, . ., nl,-ff-nfnnm.-Q, nwmlu ' f v f .mm-m..f-vu.. f I 'nw 1 W-v .in.f:un1-'mf-,m. ,. ,.-, ff m v Q 1 -an wfu.-emu. . .Quant x - I . m ws smssmxfs sw ww x

Page 50 text:

-.L fm nv -. r' ,- LIU- HSOUR GRAPES ANGEL means little to some individuals, but to pilots or persons in distress those words are filled with significance. Those' are the call words for HU-2, detachment three, the helicopter unit which is administratively attached to, but not an actual part of the Air Dept. of the LEYTE. Under their Oflicer-in-Charge, LT TfVhittal4er, and his fellow-pilot LT VVilson, with crew Chief Nicastro, this unit has had an e-X- ceptional operational availability, 99.99fk, for the entire cruise, and each of the pilots and his crewmen has the rescue of a downed pilot to his credit while in the Med. Although their primary function is that of plane guard, the detachment also functions as a personnel transfer plane, ambulance plane, photo plane, guard mail plane, anti-submarine patrol, and as the taxi cab of the Heetf' Upper Left: Ordonez, E., AN, keeping up with the house cleaning. Upper Right: Reading left to right, Qstandingj LT. D. L. Vklhittakerg Nicastro, J., ADC, LT. B. L. VVilsong flower rowj Dooley, G. L., Jr. AD3g Jacobsen, A. C., ADS, Zonsa, M., ADANQ Ordonez, E., AN. Lower Left: The Helicopter detachment, with its LSO Donner, C, RU AN fextreme leftj basks in the sun, awaiting the next flight while anchored off Izmir, Turkey. Lower Right: Zonsa, M., ADAN, and Jacobsen, A. C., AD3, inspect the details of the rotor head and finish with a thorough wipe-down. 1 wwawm , . . .. .. . .. . . , W. wmwvmkmwp :f' .:. wnmamnm nuwaiuuw