Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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' PORTHOLE No one seems to know too much about Port- hole, the Captain ' s cat. About all we do know is that Mrs. Washburn brought her aboard the day we sailed from the States on this cruise. Knowing that the Captain must keep pretty well to himself aboard ship, even ha ' ing to dine alone while at sea. Mrs. Washburn un- doubtedly felt that he would be very lonely at times; so she decided to get him a pet for com- pany. Porthole was just a tiny kitten when she first rt ported aboard, but she has grown on through the Debutante stage, and is now a dignified and sedate Spinster. She is the only one. besides the Captain, that has complete freedom in the Captain ' s cabin, and our opinion is that she just about rules the roost in there. We do know that she occupies the Captain ' s comfort- able upholstered leather chair as if it were brought aboard solely for her use. W ' e dare say, too, that, while underway, she coils up and sleeps on the Captain ' s comfortable Beau- tyrest Mattress, while he tries to get in his cat nap ' in his Sea Cabin up in the island structure. While Porthole is the Captain ' s pet, she has meant much to the entire Ship ' s Company in that she has added an atmosphere of home to the ship, and all hands enjoy seeing .Scotty and Porthole romping up and down the Captain ' s passageway, with Scotty usually running from those vicious slaps that Porthole gives him. Then, too, for those on watch topside during the mid-watch, Porthole has put on many a show as she chases a piece of paper or cotton up and down the flight deck during the wee small hoiu ' s of the morning, and otherwise ca orts to her heart ' s delight while Scotty snores away down in the C.P.O. quarters. All things considered, Porthole has been a good shipmate to us all, as well as to the Cap- tain, 177

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SC.OTTV Having given up our search for Chang, and knowing that it is very bad kick to go to sea without a dog for a mascot, we set about to get another Ship ' s Dog. We visited the dog pounds in Dago, Coronado, and National City, as well as the S.P.C.A. kennels in those places, but could not find a dog suitable for the Liinga Poinl. Finally, a Sergeant of the Coronado Police, whom we had enlisted in our futile search for Chang, felt so sorry for us that he gave us his own dog, a pedigreed Scotty, whom we ac- cepted so readily that we even forgot to ask his name. What we wanted was a dog, and we wanted him now, ' because wc were getting underway that afternoon on our business trip. Just thirty minutes before we got underway, Scotty reported aboard for duty, promptly making love to one of Bos n Luck ' s beauti- fully decorated posts on the Quarter Deck, and eyeing his new surroundings with doubtful misgivings. Such a sudden change of sur- roundings in the life of a gentleman dog ! Scotty was not the sailor that Chang was, because, for the first two weeks, he could not take food or water. How he li ed we do not know. He was without doubt the most un- happy looking creature we have ever seen on four legs. He simply could not comprehend all the strange noises on the ship, nor could he understand or appreciate the constant roll of the Lunga Point. He soon accjuired the nick- name Sad-.Sack, bccau.se it fitted him per- fectly. Every time he saw the officer who brought him aboard, he would look at him as if to say, There ' s that man that did that thing to me. Gradually, however, he became accustomed to his new life and began to eat and drink oc- casionally. The most succes.sful person in making him eat was Chief Hamilton; so Scotty joined the C.P.O. Mess, where he knew he would get the best chow on board, and Chief Hamilton, thereafter, became his master. •Scotty immediately perked up, and has seemed fairly content ever since. As a matter of fact, he has only left the ship twice since i6 October •Scotty is making us a good mascot, though. Up to this writing, however, he has never learned to climb the ladders about the ship. He just waits at the ladder for someone to take him up or down, because his short legs weren ' t built for our ladders. He has a G.Q,. .Station somewhere, but no one knows where. Ever ' time that gong rings .Scottv ' disappears and is not seen until well after we have secured from General Quarters. While he seems reason- ably happy, we do feel that he spends a good part of his time dreaming of the cool shade under the trees beside the Police .Station in Coronado. California.

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' •Kiel I I HI.I.I.S l;iiul .ill is Weill Lyrics l)v 1,1. jii( k 11. (i;m(lt. L ' . .S. .Navy, (( hirf I ' ,ni;inccr, L ' ..S..S. l.uni a ' oiiil), and l ' ,(luin |. Hill. Music l)y Don (icori c and Joliniiy . ()l lc. 11 V li.ilni Id llic htlls lluit ring at rarille As l iiy announce Ihr timr of day: MV symbol i-f the sound into a melody, And this is what they seem to say. ' •Eight Bells ' ' and all is well With our Savy personnel. ' ' ' Eight Bells ' ' there ' s no pretense, ]lVrc the first line of defense. Eight Bells for freedom ring To our memories will cling. While our ships fiatrol the seas To fnotect our liberties. -Eight Bells and all m uyII. li ' hen time arrives to fight We trill fight ivith all our might To keep our sea lanes clear .And defend this hemisphere. ' ' Eight Bells and all is well For our ships and personnel. To command our liberties .And the freedom of the . ;eas, Eight Bells and all is well. SIIJI ' MAII. or MINI- can still ur you there. Bombs bursting in air. You were fighting with one thought in view. To keep Old Hlory flying, : nd there ' s no denying, } ' ou gave all for the lied. While and Blue. Shifimate Of .Mine, You have sailed beyond the seas; .Shifimate Of .Mine, You are in my memories. HV sailed the seas together. With f ride in . avy Blue. There ' ll never be another, Never a Pal like you. Shipmate Of Aline Tou did not fight in vain, Because you were fighting For democracy to reign. Hoiv you loved the . avy, too, ril alicays bear in mind. And carry on for you, ' ■Shifmiatf Of Mine. The above poem is dedicated to the .American Blue Jacket, and was written by Lt. J. H. Garrett, U.SN, Chief EnRineer of the U.S.S. Lunga Polnl, as a memorial to Chief Boatswain Edwin (. Hill, USN, who was killed in action at the Battle of Pearl Harbor. 7 December 1941. and was- posthumously awarded the Ojn es- sional Medal of Honor for his heroic action, when, having been blown overboard by the explosion of a Jap bomb, he swam back to his battleship and personally supervised unmooring his ship, thereby .saving her from a disastrous fate, but losing his own life. Copyright, 1942. Miller Music Corporation, New York, N. ' . Lunga Point from air at sunset. 178