Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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GASSINC; PLANES!

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rise to any occasion in the fight for those liber- ties we hold so dear. VV ' c had all undergone frightful experiences we shall not soon forget, and, having undergone them together, our bonds of friendship are even further strength- ened. Wc shall miss our Squadron far more than they will ever know, but we are happy to see them return to the States for that happy re-union with their loved ones for which they have worked so hard. They have done a grand job; we are proud to have called them ■ .Shipmates, and we shall ever be interested in their welfare, because, after all, to us, they shall always be a living and breathing part of the Lunga Paint. ' Tw. s A Ye. r Ago Tod.w VV e arrived in Guam just in time to celebrate our first anniversary. It was on 14 May 1944 that we were commissioned way back in As- toria, Oregon, and, now, on 14 May 1945, we found ourselves a long ways from home. Re- gardless of where we were, we had c ' ery reason to celebrate, because we knew in our own hearts that we had done a good job. So that night, our Anniversary party took place on the hangar deck. The program started with the officer in charge of arrangements introducing the Executive Officer, who, in turn, introduced the Old Man. The Captain made us a very appropriate talk, briefly reviewing our pro- gress during our first year, and sincerely thank- ing us for the backing we had given him. Nat- urally, we had e ery reason to be proud of his recognition. Likewise, the applause he got at the end of his talk was bound to have given him much personal satisfaction. Following the .Skipper ' s talk, we had a program of enter- tainment put on entirely by our enlisted per- sonnel. Our old standby, Talavera, .Sic, played his guitar and sang several of his ever popular Mexican songs. Johnson, Y3C, ac- companied by Merryman, RM3C, was again well received with his Irish songs. Then, the LuNG. Point Four, composed of Clark, Smalls, Hale and McLaughlin, all StMic, with Dale, .Std3c, as Manager. ga ' e us several se- . ' ' first . nnivcrsary the Skipper and Exec seem satisfied but apprehensive. 109

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lections of old time spirituals, which were very much enjoyed by all present. Last, but not least, our old favorite, Sieradzinski, Mic, en- tertained us with several snappy numbers on his piano accordian. At the conclusion of this part of the program wc saw an unusually enter- taining movie, Arsenic and Old Lace, fol- lowing which all hands were served ice cream and cookies. Then, all hands turned in their bunks ready to start out on our second leg. Unknown to us, however, there was another party going on that night, also celebrating the first anni ersary of the Lunga Point, but it was a long ways from us; way back in San Diego, C alifornia, Uncle Sugar. Mrs. Eastwold had gotten a group of our Officer ' s wives together at her home, and they chatted away a whole evening in celebration of the great event. It was most thoughtful of them, and, while wc don ' t know too much about the details of the party, we do know who was there, there being, in addition to Mrs. Eastwold, the hostess, Mrs. J.H. Garrett, Mrs. H.C. Howard, Mrs. N.C. Walton, Mrs. James DeAngelis, Mrs. E.G. Osborn, Mrs. VV.A. James, Mrs. LE. Mc- Dougal, Mrs. LL Smith, and Mrs. J.E. DuflS ' alo. It must have been a nice party, the only thing wrong with it being that we couldn ' t be there, too. Now, as we ride at anchor here in Guam, we pause to reflect on all that has transpired during the past twehe months. We ha e come a long ways — 74,746 nautical miles to be e.xact, but mileage is not all we are thinking of in retro- spect. We are thinking more of the things we ha e done; what has happened to us, individ- ually and collectively; the contribution we have made to the war effort. We are thinking of the many exciting experiences, the narrow es- capes we have had in our ship, and how every man has fought her with all his might and main. We are thinking of those friendships we have made on board; friendships which we hope to preserve and maintain down through the years to come. We are thinking of our- selves and the progress we ha e made. Some ha e progressed rapidly and some not so rap- idly, but all hands have progre.s.sed in relation to the best they have in them, because all hands have given their best. There is not a man on hoard who is not a little more sure of himself than a year ago. Therefore, the Lunga Pomt is a better ship, and we are better men as a re- sult of having just been together during the past twehe months. We seem to recall that, during his talk to the Ship ' s Company on the afternoon of 14 May 1944, the Claptain told us that he was determined that the Lungo Point should be the best Clombat CA ' E in the Fleet. With pardonable pride, we believe we have the best Combat CVE in the Fleet. It is no wonder, then, that we are proud to have served in the Lunga Point. Yes, we have had an outstanding record, so our superiors tell us. Be that as it may, no one man is entirely responsible for that record. It is the result of the combined efforts of every man on board, from the Skipper on down. There has been an excellent spirit of .coopera- tion throughout every Division and every De- partment since the day we went in commission, and the results speak for themselves. In every Naval Vessel, however, there has to be leader- ship; there has to be an established policy. If there is any one man who is directly respon- sible for carrying us safely and successfully through our first year, it is our Commanding Officer. There is not a man on board who ques- tions his ability as an aviator or a Mariner. He has been a stern disciplinarian. He bawls us out when we err, but he is equally as quick to recognize merit. He plays no favorites; yet he is fair to all. He is somewhat a perfec- tionist ; he stri es for 4.0, but, in so doing, he is constantly bearing in mind his responsibility for the lives of a thousand men and the job that lies ahead. He has never been known to turn down a rea.sonablc recjuest that would add to the comfort, happiness and welfare of his men. He sweats our planes on and off the flight deck as if each pilot were his own son. In short, he is a man in whom we have implicit confi- dence, and, for getting us safely and success- fully through this first year, to him, our Cap- tain, we give our humble thanks. As for the policy of a ship, the Captain estab- lishes it, and the Executive Officer sees that it is carried out. The mere fact that we have come through this first year successfully is suf- ficient proof unto itself that the Exec has done a good job. While we may not always agree w ith him, or he with us, he ne ' er fails to talk to us straight from the shoulder, and he gets re- sidts. He has always shown a keen interest in the welfare of our officers and men, and thereby he has accomplished the execution of the Cap- tain ' s policy in a manner that, we believe, has been satisfying to the Captain. He has kept himself unusually well posted on conditions existing in the various Departments of the ship,