Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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' fh I hangar deck at .Vslo A Lunga I ' owl lovriy and her husband at dan . storia. ird ship al that is needed to adequately outfit and supply a Naval vessel, and there was e en more in the warehouses on the adjacent dock. All hands turned to with splendid cooperation, though, and we all worked long days, passing up many liberties in order to speed up our job. Manv of the OHicers and men had their wives with them; so that, on their liberty nights, they had someone to rub liniment into their sore muscles and joints, because both officers and men were doing heavy work in trying to finish up with a tough job as soon as possible. The housing situation in the Astoria area was about the same as in every other West Coast port, and Lunga Point wi es were scat- tered all up and down the Columbia River, some even staying in Portland, Oregon. Most of our couples, though, were able to find places in either Astoria, Gearhart or .Seaside; however, we feel that those who stayed at the Gearhart Hotel, Gearhart, Oregon, were the most fortu- nate of all, because the wartime shortage of labor had made it probably the C:ountr ' s most unique hotel. We were fortunate enough to ha e gotten rooms there, and it was at the Gearhart that we first operated a passenger elc ator, because the Ele ator Boy had gone to war. It was also here that we tipped the Bellboy for bringing our bags to our room on arrival, and he promptly drew himself up to his full height and told us with great dignity that it just -SO happened that he was the Man- ager and Co-owner of the hotel. The Gear- hart had its own switchboard in the office, but, when you called for ice to be brought to your room, almost invariably you heard the voice of the wife of another Officer saying. Go get it yourself. Dearie; it ' s in the pantry. Many a Navy wife learned to be a switchboard op erator at the Gearhart, and Room .Service is some- thing we just learned to do without from the erv first day. When a guest went to check out, he would nearly always find a Na y wife behind the counter, handling the books and cash register just as though she were regularly employed there. They just all pitched in and helped where they were needed, and it seems they were needed just about everywhere except in the kitchen and dining room and as maids. And speaking of the dining room, you were a total stranger if the waitresses didn ' t call you by your first name on your second day there, and, of course, they were always expected to join the Navy couples in the bar for a beer after dinner, and the bar tender was practically always a guest of the hotel. Mixing drinks, handling the cash register and cracking ice gave the guests invaluable training for jobs after the war. Probably due to insufficient ration points, they served no lunch at the Gearhart, but the Manager himself .ser ed coffee to the wi es every afternoon before the big stone fire- place in the lounge. We assume that he felt he simply must give the wives some rest from their daily chores about the hotel. Not only was the Gearhart Hotel unique, but it was a real pleasure to have been fortunate enough to stay there. There was a spirit of hospitality and congeniality there that has made us determined to go back for another isit after the war. It was a ery spacious and comfortable hotel and has long enjoyed an ex- cellent reputation as a resort hotel, being situated mid-wav between its own golf course

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had to face him at Mast to this date. We were ail impressed with his sincerity of purpose and felt that we had a Skipper who was going to be tough when necessary but fair always. Many of us. even at that early date, suspected that he Captain Earner cnngratulates Claplain Washburn at commission- ing was a Perfectionist, although he denies it at this writing, only admitdng to striving for perfection. In either case, being or ■ striving, at the conclusion of his remarks, we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we had a long road of indoctrination ahead of us before qualifying to strive for perfection. Following the Captain ' s talk, all hands turned to on fitting out and all that goes with it. The three weeks following our commission- ing were hectic ones. Without having gone through it, it is impossible for anyone to appre- ciate the tremendous amount of work in ol ed in putting a new ship in service. The hangar deck was piled high with what appeared to be mountains of stores, supplies and the usual ucar To y; Mrs. Washburn serves the Captain a slice of cake in ward- room followinc; commissioning exercises; center and bollom: en- listed men and guests enjoy commissioning party in forward crew mess. Ship ' s officers at ease during commissioning 25

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and the Pacific, and commanding an excellent view of each. There v erc so many Navy couples there, in connection with the C ' E commissionings, that we never lacked for con- genial companionship; consequently, we were never lacking for something to do. Another advantage in staying at either Gear- hart or Seaside was the beautiful drive in to Astoria, with the highway literally banked on both sides with Scotch Broom, its yellow blooms giving you a feeling of driving down a highway of spun gold, through the stately pines and fir of the Coast Range, with Saddle Mountain rising in the distance. This was, however, a much prettier drive at sunset than at sunrise as many an officer and man from the Liinga Point will agree. During our fitting out, we were constantly stumbling over shipyard workers who were putting the final touches to our ship, pointing up this and tightening up that. Despite the general confusion, however, we finished with our work in record time and were ready to put to sea. Consequently, the Crew was given a dance on the hangar deck on the evening of Saturday, 3 June, and it was a most enjoyable occasion. The forward half of the hangar deck had the various signal flags and pennants hang- ing from the bulkheads, forming a very appro- priate and pretty setting for the dance. The Astoria Naval .Station Orchestra played for the dance, and many a rug was ciu to smith- ereens ' by the Jitterbugs of the Liiiiga Point. Refreshments were served throughout the evening in both the C.P.O. and the Crew Mess to as lovely a group of ladies as ever graced the Lunga Point. ■Sunday, 4 June, found most of the Lunga Point wives en route home or preparing to leave, because Scuttlebutt, straight from the C;how Line, told us that we would soon be getting underway. anc:hors AWEIGH! Stand Na y down the field. Sail set to the sky ! We ' ll never change our course; ■So Army, you steer shy-y-y ! Roll up the score. Navy, Anchor ' s aweigh ! Sail Navy down the field And sink the Army; sink the Army Grey! Monday, 5 June 1944: 08-1 2 Moored as before. Set Condition Baker. 0820 Stationed all special sea details. Made all preparations for getting underway. 0857 Underway from Pier 2, Berth 4, U.S. Naval •Station, Astoria, Oregon, on various courses and speeds. Pilot, Lt. Cdr. Clark, at the conn. C aptain, Executive Officer and Navigator on the bridge. 0909 Pilot, Lt. Cdr. Hansen, USCG. relieved Pilot, Lt. Cdr. Clark, at the conn. 0944 Exercised at General Quarters. 0957 Sighted blimp; identified as K-87, U..S. Getting underway from .Astoria. 27