Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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great success. Practically all of the officers illifl their wives were present, and it allordedusueli a pleasant atmosphere for us to get 2lCC1ll2llllli'd in that we are convinced that that party played a definite role in making us work so well to- gether in the long months of combat that followed. Most of the couples remained at the Club for dinner following the party,'getti11g together in informal groups. Captain and Mrs. Washburn, Commander and lXIrs. East- wold and Lieutenant Commander Herriman, the Squadron Commander, occupied the 'fhead table. The only bad thing about the party is the fact that, as we sit here pounding out this story just off the shores of Okinawa, we can just taste those great big hunks of lobster that literally covered the Hors d'oevres platters, while all we have to look forward to for dinner tonight is more pork chops, because we've al- ready seen the apple sauce on the tables in the Wardroom. It was while operating off 'Dago that we learned about HTHE CHAIR.', Until this particular occasion, no one had paid any spec- ial attention to that high chair that occupied a good part of the space on the enclosed part of the bridge. It looked comfortable enough, and, no doubt, had been sat in by many an OOD during the long, dark hours of the Mid Watch, however, Lt. Tippett, our popular Second Division Officer, was found enjoying its comfort on the Forenoon Watch by our Skipper one day, and the Old Man told him off as follows to wit Quote Young Man, Ijll have you know that it took me twenty-five years to earn the privilege of sitting in that chair. That chair is the CAPTAIN'S CHAIR, and no one else is to sit in it. If I ever catch anyone else sitting in my chair he will enjoy the pri- vilege of counting rivets in his Stateroom for two weeks Unquote. The word spread rapidly about THE CHAIR,', and to this day, no one has been caught occupying the Captainis Chair, probably because the Captain, by this time, has sufiicient confidence in his OOD's not to bother about coming to the bridge during the Mid Watch. The only draw-back to our stay in the Dago area was nothing new in the life of a Navy man, it was not knowing when we were shoving off on our business trip, so that our wives could make train reservations home. Scuttlebutt had it that we would get underway about 1 5 Septem- ber, therefore, most of the Lunga Point wives crowded the ticket offices of the Santa Fe, liiiiuii l'z111ili1' gititl SUllillt'I'll l'at'ifir', hoping to get 1'ese1'x'11li1111s 5Ulllti'XX'llf'l't' iii the neighbgf. l111111lt1lill111l tlzxte. NNY- had 21 right good break i11 this respect. llUXNl'X'K'I'. It seerrls that some of the lllt'll Lllilll their wires had gotten rooms at the gh-I tI111'111'1111lt1 l'l11t1'l, z111'11111g' them being Cfaptziiii and Mrs. lN'z1sl1l1111'11. Along about 111 Septeiiiher, Mrs. W'z1sl1l111r11 casually rg- 1l'12'll'lit'Cl to Stlllit' of the wives that she had CHD- eellecl her 1'ese1'x'z1li1111s for Seattle for the 15th, By 11111111 the next clay the l't'Sl'I'YEifl0HS of allithe LIIIIKQII li'u1'11l wires had been ezincelled. Close tabiwas kept on Mrs. W'z.1sl1b1.11'11 thereafter, and, when she let it out that she had made res- ervations home for I7 October. the railroad ticket ofliees were again filled with the wives of our officers and men, inaking reservations for Hon or about the Vjlll. That time, Mrs. Wasliliurn did11't cancel her reservations, darn it, so, after fond farewells to wives and swectliearts, on Tojo, Here VVe Come! f'Monday, 16 October 1944: 12-16 Moored as before. 1231 Lighted off No. 3 boiler. I5I5 Made all preparations for getting underway. 1520 Pilot, H. N. Krog, came aboard. 1527 Got underway for Pearl Harbor in obedience to ComFairWestCoast dispatch o1o of 251702. Pilot at the conn. Captain, Executive Officer and Navigator on the bridge. Standard speed. Standing out of San Diego Harbor on various courses and speeds conforming to the channel. 1556 Pilot left the ship. Captain at the conn. 1559 Passed between Points Loma and Zuniga. Entered International watersf' We were finally en route to Pearl Harbor, and all of us felt pretty confident that our peri- od of indoctrination was rapidly coming to an end, and that we would soon bc showing those Sons of Heaven how the Lnnga Point could dish it outf' And there was good reason for that feeling, because we were, for the first time, cruising as a part of newly-formed CarDiv 29, with Rear Admiral C. T. c'Cal', Durgin, USN, in the capacity of ComCarDiv 29. The other ships in our Division were the U.S.S. Alakin Island CCVE 935, U.S.S. B2'.1mnrckSea CCVE 951, and the U.S.S. Salamaua CCVE 965, with our' Flag being in the fllakin Island. We felt very much at home, now, because we had come to know the officers and men of the other ships in our division just about as well as we knew each

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1125 All engines stopped. 1143 lX1oorecl star- board side to Quay F-3, Ford lSilll1Cl, Pearl Harbor, Oahu, T. H. Early liberty was granted at Pearl, because they still had an early curfew, but, despite this. all hands were able to see something of Hono- lulu during our very brief stop, since both Port and Starboard watches had a liberty each. Hawaii was nothing new to the Old Timers aboard, but, to those new to the Navy, it was a place of great interest. All were impressed with the natural beauty of the islands, Oahu in particular, however, the most interesting thing to those of us who had never been there before was the fact that we found Honolulu such a thriving, modern and hospitable city, very much the same as our own cities back home. In this connection we were much impressed, the one afternoon we had in Honolulu, by several truck loads of school children, riding down one of the main business streets, going to a football game, and singing their school song to the tune of c'The Oaissons G0 Rolling Along. In their haste to see as much as they could while they could Lunga Point men scat- tered in all directions immediately on getting ashore, some going to Waikiki Beach, some to tlie illllI'lL1Qt'l' Club, some just shopping the streets, and some had a very unique experience. lt seems that most ol tl1e barbers in Honolulu are llt'lllilll'N. Sonic of o11r men had the uniqug experience ol' lil2lX'lIlLQ their hair trimmed by these l.iltly Bill'liK'l'S,u which is not only the last llllll' they have been near 21 woman up to this writing, b11t it is also the last non-Reg hair- cut they have had. So, with a boat loadi' of Hula Skirts, Leis, Ukuleles, and pleasznit memories of this most hospitable outpost of the United States, on Mlaleclnesclay, 25 October 1944: 08-12 lN4oored as before. 0816 Underway from ldcr F-13, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Oahu, 'll.H. Pilot, Lt. ,lames Oillcn, USNR, at the conn. Captain, Executive Officer and Navigator on the bridge. Maneuvering as necessary to clear berth. 0822 Clear of berth. aye ahead 113. On course lx53OT, 1550 p.g.c., and 1400 p.s.c. 0904 Passed lighted buoy No. 6 abeam to starboard, 50 yards. Pilot left the ship. Captain at the conn. 0907 Exercised at General Qiiarteiss. afc ahead QX3. 0911 afe ahead standard. 0916 took departure from Pearl Harbor, 'lf'.H., on base course of 253011, 255Op.g.c., and 244Op.s.c.w Diamond Head as se en from our ship,