Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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adjoins Toyko, was even more modern in its architecture than Tokyo, however, both cities are about go per cent destroyed in their bus- iness and industrial areas. Shopping was much better in both of these cities, however, if a 4 A Tokyo debutante waiting for a street car. than in Wakanoura, because the stores that were left were modern and you could usually find someone in them who had lived or been educated in the States and who could speak very good English. In fact, some even spoke American. Actually, there were few blocks left in the business section of Tokyo with more than one building standing. Consequently, the crowded streets were even more congested by make-shift shops set up along the edge of the sidewalks where buildings had been burned or bombed out. In any event, just visiting Tokyo as we did was well worth while. The most important thing that happened to us while in Tokyo Bay, though, was getting our orders transferring us from the 5th Fleet to Magic Carpet duty, meaning that thencefor- ward we were a transport CVE. Cur orders further told us to start loading passengers and, when loaded, to proceed to Pearl Harbor and Uncle Sugar. It didn't take us long to start looking for passengers, however, for several days, it seemed like we werenit going to get any, they came aboard in such small numbers. Nleanwhile, we had seen in the Stars and Strzpes that the Army was giving ajap rifie and bayonet to every soldier going back home on orders and we saw no reason why our Blue. jackets shouldn't get such a souvenir also, Consequently, we sent a working party up tg Yokohama and talked the 8th Army into giving us rifles and bayonets. Therefore, every officer and man in the shipjs company and Squadron has at least one good souvenir to Htake home from the warsf' While we were waiting for suflicient passen- gers Admiral Durgin again demonstrated his desire to show the men under him how much he appreciated their efforts, this time in the form of a letter, of which we are very proud, and which we quote as follows: UTo the Officers and Men of the U.S.S. Lunga Point: Prior to your departure for the States I want to tell you once more that I am most pleased with the excellent work done by the crew of the LUNGA POINT. We started out together a little over a year ago and have gone through Youngslvr eats his lunch amid ruins of Toky0-

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Mawr if , ,V - Welcome Home sign, as we entered San Diego Harbor. many interesting and trying moments during the strenuous campaigns of Leyte, Luzon, Iwo, Okinawa and the East China Sea. We have learned from the Officers and men of your gallant ship that, when the need arises, there is no limit to the endurance, the will-to-do, the , fighting spirit and the courage of our sailor men. I speak not only for my staff but for all the Escort Carriers when I say the LUNGA POINT is an outstanding ship and we are happy to have had the with take Ship more privilege of serving have every reason to achievements of your part, which was much it. All of you pride in the and for your than most of you realize, in our overwhelming victory. I am proud to have been one of you and will miss the LUNGA-We all felt safer by our side. Goodbye and good luck other ship more deserves LSD C. T. Rear Admiral, Commander Escort good old when she was to you all. No a nWell Done.n Durgin U. S. Nav Carrier Force Y n 3 Finally, we managed to get our passenger capacity aboard and we set sail for Pearl Harbor on 28 October at 0749, flying a Home- ward Bound pennant 604 feet long and with 38 stars, a foot for every enlisted man and a star for every officer on board who has been away from the States a year or more. To say that we were happy to see that pennant streaming out over our fantail assisted by the buoyancy of several aerological balloons is not only putting it mildly but is absolutely superfluous. What would otherwise have been such 21 pleasant cruise, however, was fraught with many things to make it almost unpleasant. We had rough weather all the way to PC2111 Harbor, the longest stretch of rough weathcf we have had in our history .It was so rough that not too much sleep was gotten en route? it was almost impossible to stay in one's bunk at night. Add to that the matter of low 1'3- tions, most of them dehydrated, and then add a serious water shortage that made it necessary for us to institute water hours and the SUIT! total wasnat too pleasant. If it had not bCCT1 8