Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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that the Diplomatic VVar, as well as the VVar of Combat, against our enemies was definitely nearing a successful conclusion. He had made great strides toward the achievement of World Peace, the San Francisco World Peace Gon- ference, in session at this writing, was just one of his achievements. Despite his un- questioned ability, however, no one man in the United States is indispensible to the welfare of our Nation, therefore, the very minute that Vice President Truman was sworn in as Presi- dent, all Americans everywhere silently assured him of their whole-hearted support and co- operation in the prosecution of the war along the lines already laid out by his predecessor. And it was with great admiration that we, on the Lzmga Point, recognized his deep sense of humility as President Truman took up the burden of his high office. At the time of President Roosevelt's death, momentous events were taking place all over the world. Gur Russian Allies were rolling into Berlin from the east, and our own Armed Forces, under the brilliant leadership of Gen- eral Eisenhower, were forging steadily ahead from the west. Berlin had, by this time, been completely occupied by Russian Troops, and every town of any consequence throughout Germany had been taken by one or the other of the Allied Armies. We received word that Hitler was dead, one report having it that he had died a hero, and another that he had died the ignominious death of a suicide. We chose to accept the latter cowardly cause of his death. Yes, Germany, the homeland of the 'cSuper Race was truly on the verge of surrender. Then, on Hour sidew of the world, British, Indian and American forces were routing the laps out of Burma, and Rangoon, the Gapital, had already been re-taken. That great soldier, Diplomat and Statesman, General Ghiang Kai- Shek, was giving the laps many a tough scrap in his vast land of Ghina. And last, but lnot least, we had the Japs thrown back on their Underground -lap hangars on Okinawa. flamoullaged airstripjust beyond highway.

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for Splashing those eight planes were Lt. Pettitt, Lt. Pleat, Lt. Cjgj Ingram, Lt. Homyak, Lt. Bazzell, Ens. Swanson, Ens. Prindle and Ens. Turner, wita Lt. Ingram accounting for two planes alone, one HZeke and one 'cVal.H These fine pilots had shown they could dish it out, and the eight additional Jap flags painted on our bridge the next day was their visible tribute to our Shipmate, Lt. Bazzell, who took his last long flight that day after personnally accounting for a Jap Zeke It was also during the Okinawa operationsw Sunday, 8 April-that Lt. Cjgj Cron and his air crewmen had an experience that was hair- raising to say the least. They were shot down behind the enemy lines, and the thrilling story of their experience will be found in the back of the book. Q FoUR THOUSANDTH LANDING We celebrated another event on II April when the four thousandth landing was made on our flight deck by Lt. Pettitt. That's an indication of a lot of flying, and is further evi- dence that we have come a long way since I4 May 1944. AVENGER TURNS FIGHTER On I2 April, Lt. Reilly performed the unusual feat of Usplashingw a Jap uVal,' over Okinawa Gunto while flying his Avenger Torpedo Bomber on a photographic mission. These powerful planes are not built to be used in a dog fight? On this particular day, Lt. Cjgj Reilly was Hying along the beach of Okina- wa Shima taking pictures of Jap installations when he suddenly spotted a HVal', crossing his path dead ahead. He couldn't let the oppor- tunity pass, so, imagining himself in one of our fighter planes, he lit out after him, and the last he saw of the rascal was in a funeral pyre on the beach. Lt. Reilly had brought the Ban- diti' down with his fixed guns, but, as he Hew low over the target, his Turret Gunner made the kill certain by strafing the 'fVal', with a stream of lead that left no doubt about that Jap being Uout of combatj' forever. FRANKLIN DELANO RoosEvELT The Okinawa operations were destined to be momentous in many ways, and it was with gen- uine sorrow and regret on the part of all hands that, on I3 April, we received a dispatch from Secretary F orrestal reading as follows: HI HAVE THE SAD DUTY OF ANNOUNC- ING TO THE NAVAL SERVICE THE DEATH OF FRANKLIN DELANO ROOS- EVELT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WHICH OCCURRED ON I2 APRIL X THE WORLD HAS LOST A CHAMPION OF DEMOCRACY WHO Val burning in Okinawa ravine after being shot down by Lt. Cjgj Reilly while on photo mission in TBM on I2 April. o CAN ILL BE SPARED BY OUR COUNTRY AND THE ALLIED CAUSE X THE NAVY WHICH HE SO DEARLY LOVED CAN PAY NO BETTER TRIBUTE TO HIS MEM- ORY THAN TO CARRY ON IN THE TRA- DITION OF WHICH HE WAS SO PROUD X COLORS SHALL BE DISPLAYED AT HALF MAST FOR go DAYS BEGINNING o8oo I3 APRIL WEST LONGITUDE DATE IN SO FAR AS WAR OPERATIONS PER- MIT X MEMORIAL SERVICE SHALL BE HELD ON THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER AT ALL YARDS AND STATIONS AND ON BOARD ALL VESSLES OF THE NAVY, WAR OP- ERATIONS PERMITTING X WEARING OF MOURNING BADGES AND FIRING OF SALUTES WILL BE DISPENSED WITH IN VIEW OF WAR CONDITIONS X77 Regardless of individual political sympathies, this message came as a distinct shock to all of us. We had lost a President who had been a real leader throughout the course of the war, and one who, no one can deny, had thoroughly sold himself to our Allied Leaders and had gained such harmonious relations with them

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haunches, licking their wounds, right in their own front yard. The American Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard were giving him more than hc could take, and, despite his fanatical resistance, his fienclish tactics, his in- human tendencies, it seemed to us who were knocking at his door that he would soon ruc the day that he had perpetrated that sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Yes, we do remember Pearl Harbor, but no one will remember it as long as the japanese Nation, because they are now paying a heavy price for any sense of guilty satisfaction they might have derived from their villainous act of 7 December 1941. And, with all the suffering the laps were now undergoing, we were glad that the Lwzga Point had been, and would continue to be, the cause of no little of their misery. But, the war is not over yet, even the Battle of Okinawa continues as we near the end of our first year in commission, and we, ourselves, have been in on it from the start-an operation that has lasted longer than any individual carrier operation in history. Wlien the powers that be consider that our job has been com- pleted, and we are ordered to some port for rest, we will have been constantly underway without let-up for a long, long time. The only thing that we have had to console us during this arduous campaign has been the fact that we As we entered Kerama Retto on 2 April. have had mail brought to us three or four times by destroyer. That, naturally, is in addition to the satisfaction of a job well done. Our fresh vegetables are gone. We are living on dehydrated Hspudsf, dehydrated carrots, de- hydrated onions, frozen pork chops, synthetic lemonjuice, frozen pork chops, powdered milk, frozen pork chops and frozen pork chops. We are tired, very tired. The average man aboard has considered himself fortunate if he has gotten six hours of sound sleep a day, and a good part of the sleep he has gotten has been in l mi In many instances supplies were dropped by parachulc to our forces on Okinawa.