Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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C:aptain ' s •ho.isrhold. A -2 noon-hour pastime. Some answering sugar rcporis, some reading, and some just doping off. Our ' baby at . A practice. A little relaxation when day is done, and there are no Japs around.

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Orchestra rehearsal. Frying eggs is a side line. Barbecuing a pig is his specialty. In the ' -2 enlisted mens conipaiiment after a hard day.

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CHANG He was just a six weeks old Boot when he re- ported aboard for duty on 14 May 1944. but he rapidly ad anced himself in rate to the point that he was rated Kg 3c before we got under- way from Astoria on 5 June 1944. In spite of tiie fact that he was one fourth German Police and three fourths Chow, he carried himself with the pride and dignity that would do justice to the snootiest canine in the American Kennel CHub registry. C:hang was a sailor from the start. He rapidly mastered the technique of climbing the many ladders around the ship; was the first one to get to the flight deck when General Quarters was sounded, and the first at the head of the chow line when chow was piped down. Furthermore, the roll of the ship never bothered Chang, even on that long Shakedown Cruise. When in port, Chang never left the vicinity of the after gangway, which was his Sentry Post; that is, he didn ' t at first. Finally, as he grew rapidly, and the call of the wild beck- oned to him. he juinpcd ship at North Island one day in August 1 944, but when we returned from a ten dav cruise. Clhang was waiting for us at the dock from which we had departed. He went to C:aptain ' s Mast, and was given ten days in the brig on cake and wine, and the punishment, at first, seemed to ha e the proper cfi ' ect. Howe er. about two weeks before we de- parted on our business trip, he jumped ship again at North Island. Undoubtedly, he had a girl friend near there, becau.se he hid himself so well that the results of six different searching parties from the ship, looking high and low aroimd Dago, Coronado, and North Island, were to no avail. It was, therefore, with a genuine feeling of sorro v throughout the ship that we had to give up the search for our first mascot, Chang, a Plank Owner, and a Shell- back. Chang had gone completely A.W.O.L. We have a feeling, however, that Chang re- grets his action, now, because a number of the crew have received letters with the information that Chang is still at North Island, waiting for the Lunga Point to return. When he does re- turn, he will get more cake and wine, but we will all welcome him back, because he is still our Mascot.