Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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everyday, where the highlight ol' their liberty was the privilege ol' actually talking to real, live and attractive .Xnierican girls who were on duty there with the Red Cross. 'l'hen, too, they got their usual ration ol' two cans ol' beer per man, which added lots to the singing as they gathered around the piano while one of the Red Cross girls or 'l'alavera, Sic, played. There was also an Ullicerls Club and a Chief Petty Qllicer's Club there, and the Oflicers and Chiefs had two barbecues at the Chief's Club during our stay, which were most enjoyable as they always are. Inasmuch as all the villages of Guam were uout of bounds to military personnel, we saw very little outside of our own military installa- tions and the recreation areas. VVe did have to go up to CinCPac,s Headquarters one day, which, incidentally, is beautifully located up in the mountains. 011 this trip, we also passed through what used io be the village of Agana. Now, it is nothing but ruins, and we understand , L, W, ' ,W , 4 'rgmwf M1-fvry 4 , , ff, ,, 4 , i that it was demolished by our own Naval gun- fire during the invasion, rctaking the island. As we rode along the coastal highway we would, occasionally, see a demolished Jap tank out in a lield or a stranded American MAlli- gator out on the coral reefs. Whilcf wc rode i i i 'luffx Silas Green lap dancing as a member of .Xpollo Oracles 'l'np: VC-85 prepares to depart ship, below: VC-85 departs ship on at Guanig 1f'l1lf'l.' l?wanl4ie Sinatra sings: bf'!UZI'.' XVave orders to return to the States for leave and reassigmnenl. 'losephine tlisch, Sac, dances.

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engine ahead 1,f'3. 1218 Port engine ahead 2 axe stopped. 1223 Maneuvering to take station in Berth 562. 1231 Anchored in Berth 562, Apra Harbor, Guam, in IQ fathoms of water, 75 fathoms of chain out to the star- board anchor, on the following bearings: Range 112OT, Beacon AM 188OT, Beacon HBH 142.8OT, Beacon MDN IOOOT, Beacon UG o99OT. 1243 Secured main enginesf' GUAM Few men on board had ever been to Guam before, and it was, therefore quite a treat to us to have the opportunity of visiting this impor- tant outpost of the United States. As a matter of fact, we would have appreciated an oppor- tunity to set foot on land almost anywhere at that time, because everyone on board was ut- terly exhausted from having been underway on the Okinawa operation for Hfty-one days without stop. In this connection, with the exception of ten days in Ulithi between the Iwo Jima and Gkinawa operations, we had, by this time, been underway on combat operations for exactly ninety days, and that's a long time in anybody's language. Small wonder, then, that we were ready for a rest at this port that was bustling with the business of winning the war. Although, our forces had re-taken Guam from the japs only about nine months before we got there, from the looks of things, you could well imagine that the japs had never been there, because there was little outward evidence of their long oc- cupation of this beautiful, mountainous island. The Army, Navy and Marine activities there were doing a man-sized job in logistics and otherwise preparing our forces for the advance to the Empire. Our installations were tremen- dous and far-Hung. Even Admiral Nimitz had already established his Advance Headquarters there, so that he would be just that much nearer the fighting front. We found that they already had just about every facility necessary for ser- vicing the Fleet, and we found the authorities most cooperative in every respect. The Old Man and the Exec, realizing that we were tired, gave us all the liberty they could. As a matter of fact, during the time we were in dry clock there, when all hands are normally supposed to be over the side, cleaning, scraping and painting the shipis bottom, they let our liberty parties go ashore on schedule just as if we weren't in dry dock. To show their appreci- ation for this uninterrupted liberty, our men scraped, cleaned and painted our bottom in the record time of thirty-two hours. The real treat of our stay in Guam occurred however, when a representative of GomAirPac came aboard and offered to let groups of fifty men and Hve officers at a time spend a 48 hour liberty at a rest camp over in the hills. The rest camp was one that they maintain for the rehabilitation of Squadrons just returning from combat, and you can bet your life we were quick to accept their most gracious invitation. Consequently, a large number of the Ship's Company were able to enjoy the facilities of the rest camp, where they could sleep as late as they wanted and not have to lift their hands, because everything was done for them. turned to on our hull so eagerly that they had Except for the ones who were fortunate enough to go to the rest camp, the rest of us didn't get to see much of Guam. Our liberty parties went to the Gab Gab Recreation Area 72111: Exec bids squadron farewellg below: Squadron c0mmaHdCI' responds to Exec.

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, E N ilfinuf' Xi' b 'Nvnof NH f After years of loyal service Chief Gunners lN4ate XfVagner is piped over the side to a well earned rest. along the highway, there was always the possi- bility that a Jap might be peeping at us from behind a tree, because they still bring in Jap prisoners almost daily, although, comparatively speaking, there are few left there now. That, of course, is another reason we were so re- stricted as to where we were allowed to go. OUR SQUADRON LEAVES Us It was as if we had lost an integral part of our ship when, on II May, the day of our arrival in Guam, our Squadron left us on orders to return to the States for further assignment. They had reported aboard for duty on 16 Au- gust 1944, and had been a part of us ever since. They came aboard as strangers and they left us as friends. They came aboard as inex- perienced in actual combat as were most of us, but they left us as seasoned veterans of many an offensive strike against the enemy. They came aboard with a youthful outlook and in high spirits, but they left us as more mature men, men who had, for the first time, in many cases, faced the stark realities of life. They left with the same high spirits with which they came, but they were definitely more sober in thought and manner. They had proven that, as a cross-section of American youth, they could lfimile of Apollo Ol'HC'lt'S.i, 108 S 4 , l