Lowry (DD 770) - Naval Cruise Book

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slarled. all direclly from a guy who knows . FNB . 1 5 'Q-1 X s V' gs N. at Q Remember lhe ferry +ha+ plied belween Pedro and 'rhe Long Beach side? Whal a mad dash il' was +o cal'ch l'he one lhal would gel' you back 'lo 'rhe ship before liberly expired. Of course a morning never passed bul whal some unlucky soul missed The boar and ended up having a hear'r ro hear'l ' lalk wilh l'he man al Caplain's masl. The Torecaslle was usually prelly crowded lor 1 Afler commissioning, we spenl' a lil l'le fime around San Pedro, compensaring +he compass, making speed runs, slruclural liring and ofher lesls. I+ was usually a bleary-ey-ed gang l'ha'l gol' underway in lhe mornings, bul by I600 The spiril was willing again. This is 'lhe San Pedro side of fhe channel, lhe scene ol many a gay old lime. rhose lillle gel-logelhers. However, we had begun 'lo gel The feel of 'l'he ship by now. Al' leasl we' could all lind our way around wilhoul loo much Trouble. We had all been logelher 'for some lime. so knowing each olher was no problem. ll' waS ge+'ring used +o 'rhe walches, elrling back on lime. and iusl gelring used ro shiptlaoard life in general 'rhal caused lhe mosl lrouble. And, as on all ships. lhe scuHle-bull slarred. When we were going on shakedown, where we were going, and so on. ll never fails. Ser a bunch of Navy men 'logelllel' and 'rhe mosl lanraslic slories imaginable will gel all began 'ro brag aboul being lin can sall0fS and 'lo curse +he shore s'la'rion bo , or everybfle else in 'lhe Navy who wasn l on a deslroyer. And way back in lhe minds of The new guys were suspicions lhal lhis ship had been buill 'lo 'll9hl and soon loo. The oldlimers began lo gel 'lhe feeling This is where l came in . There was nolll- ing unusual aboul lhis, il was always This way When a lin can goes in commission. ll' shows The mffl have spiril and a keen inleresl' in 'lheir new SNP' Friendships slarled lo spring up, many of which will lasl a lilelime.

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And so if began. July 23, IQ44, flue Lowry was commissioned a sluip of flue Unifed Sfafes Navy. I+ was a luof, dusfy day and we were all in our blues . All flue new crew and officers fell in on flue fanfail, wives and admiring parenfs, friends, and besf girls were on flue doclx nearby. Tlue band played and flue ceremony began. u l Commander L. H. Marlin read luis orders fo puf flue Lowry in commission. Wluen lue finislued, 'flle colors and flue commission pennanf were luoisfed, flue band played flue Sfar Spangled Ban- ner and we were officially a man of war of flue U. S. Navy. CBM Rupnilc piped On declc flue firsf secfion, sef flue wafclu and flue roufine luad begun. Tlue families and friends wandered abouf flue sluip asking quesfions, mosf of which wenf unanswered, as we were nearly as green as fluey were. Capfain Carsfarpluen, USN, did flue luonors. He spoke briefly of flue Navy and flue sluips and men wluo serve in fluem. He fluen bid us good luunf- ing buf abouf flue only fluing we wanfed fo luunf af flue fime was a cool place and a long, fall drink. Commander L. H. Marfin, USN, accepfed flue ship for flue Navy.

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We were off for San Diego and shakedown. This isa glimpse we had of San Pedro. If shows Befhle- hem Sfeel Yard, where we were builf. The shake- down seemed like a sorf of vacafion and a chance 'fo save up a liH'le money for our refurn. This shoi' of Chapman and fhe bridge boys slrug- gling in+o lheir gear was snapped a+ a pracrice firing. H seemed iusf a li++le hard +o really gel inlo lhe swing of +hings af firsf. lr seemed impos- sible 'ro keep frack of your life iacke+, gas mask and helme+ and have fhem ready when fhe bell rang. Bur +ime and pracfice brough+ abouf many changes. Here's 'fhe crew of 43 'rossing fhem out Our shooiing was preHy poor and we were mosfly willing and liHle else on +he firsf runs. ln fad we all had one heck of a lime when Mouni' No. 3 lrained around and lei go. A nice quie'r spo+ in fhe magazine looked like fhe besl' deal.