Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 1 E 3 5 1 . N 1- Ui! 4 O 'S 10X lf 5 I .aw 1- -P ,, X N, ,, - 1 . . ,X 'Q ' the 65061181 X zz Q1 M ofthe To you Boots'1 listed below, we express the hope that, in years to come, when you are able to read your names herein, it will be with a feeling of pride and deep satisfaction in this evidence that your Father served in the Lunga Point during what may well turn out to be one of the most momen- tous years in the history of this world into which you have so recently come. Furthermore, it is our sincere hope that, by that time, civilization and Christianity will have progressed to such an extent that it will never be necessary for you to undergo what your Father has during the period which this book chronicles. c1Bluq'acl-netsw cc Waves Lance Ira Ray ........,...... 1 5 May 1944 Judith Ann Dolan ........ . . .27JU1'1C 1944 William Robert Smit, jr. ........ 8 June 1944 Barbara Palmer ...... . . .3o June 1944 Walker Dayton Martin ........ 29 june 1944 Karlee Karen Reber. .... 8 August 1944 Frank John Kramer, Jr. . . .... 1 3 July 1944 Linda Field Stowell. . . . . 1 5 August 1944 jose Pablo Sisneros ..... ...... 2 9 july 1944 Elvita Soliz Mejia .... ..... 1 9 August 1944 Daniel Lee Rocha ..... . . .2 5 August 1944 Beverly Kaye McBee ...... 6 September 1944 Sidney Jerry Starr .... .9 September 1944 Mary Nell Callicoatte ..... 9 September 1944 Kenneth Robert Grantz. . Richard Joseph LeBelle Roger Harrison ....... Daniel Eugene Wilkie. . . 2 5 September 27 September . . I7 October . . I9 October Santiago Guadalupe Longoria . .3o Oct. Kenneth Ray Tucker ..... 23 November Robert Allen Block ....... 26 November Howard joseph Leath ....., 5 December Frank Vickery Sutton ...... 6 December William Gerald Ballard, Jr. .... I9 Dec. Wayne Lewellyn Kingsbury. . I3 january Billy Raymond Wilbur ...... 30 january Alexander Miscichoski ........ 6 March Lynn Dean Robbs, Jr. ........ 7 March Norman Lawrence Runyon. . .20 March Raymond Russell Lynch ...... 30 March 1 944 1 944 1 944 1944 1 944 1 944 1 944 1 944 1944 1 944 1 945 1945 1 945 1 945 1 945 1945 Sharon Diane Botnen .... Jo Lee Black ....... Maria Theresa Baca. Connie Lou Eckert. . Mary Alice Herriman Sharon Ann Harris. . Pamela Sue Stevens. . Carol Ann Kush .... .22 September . .25 October 24 November 24 November 31 December . .6 February . 16 February .22 February Vickie Murray Linenweber .... 6 March Dianne Elise Larsen ........... 7 April Mary Louise Pettitt ...... ..... 4 May Jeanne Margaret Dolan ........ I3 May P. A. L. Charles Babbitt White, jr. ...... I5 May Offense: Over leave 24 hours. 1944 1944 1 944 1944 1944 1945 1 945 1945 1 945 1945 1945 1945 1945 155 B

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GUERILLAS ARE GOOD GUYS Written by Lt. Arthur W. Gilkey, USNR, in collaboration with Lt. William H. Kearns, USNR, Squadron Air Combat Intelligence Oflicer. fAuthor's Note.-This is written as a triliute to those bands typ fearless fghters, the Philzfzpine guerillas, who have contriliuted so much to the spectacular advance cj our ground forces in the the recent invasion cyf Luzon. Un-sung, ill-clad, and ill-armed, these stout-hearted champions of freedom have fought, harrassed and killed the jap conqueror behind his lines since December 1941. To their courage and frrendshzji, scores mf American airmen, like mysehf and my crew, owe their lives.j The South China Sea, spurred on by a 35 knot wind, was kicking up quite a fuss that afternoon of 1 1 January as we took off from our carrier, the banging Lungai' QU.S.S. Lunga Pointl, and headed toward Lingayen Gulf where two days before the Army had gone ashore as a prelude to the capture of Luzon and the prize plum of the Philippines-Manila. Our mission was to observe enemy activity ahead of the American lines along the broad, verdant plain stretching between Lingayen and Manila. Aboard my Grumman Avenger as a special observer was 2nd Lt. Charles A. Thal- man, 40th Infantry Division, U.S.A., of Floral Gity, Fla., also my regular air crewmen: turret gunner Eugene E. Glizczinski, aviation ma- chinist's mate Qnd class, of Toledo, Ohio, and radioman Ronald W. Kirkpatrick, aviation radioman 3rd class, of Washougal, Washington. Our ship, in company with other support carriers like her under the command of Rear Admiral Galvin T. Durgin, USN, had spear- headed a spectacular advance through the heart of the Philippines under the very noses of the Japs and had arrived off Lingayen Gulf several days in advance of the Gargantuan con- voys bearing the main invasion forces. We pilots had been bombing and strafing Jap shore installations, small craft, ammunition and fuel dumps, bridges, trucks, gun emplage- ments, troop concentrations and other targets of opportunity. We had flown through our own and enemy ack-ack, making low glide- bombing and strafing runs, so this particular uobservationv hop looked like it would be a pleasure jaunt by contrast. We would simply fly over roads, towns and hills where enemy 1