Napa (APA 157) - Naval Cruise Book

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CHIEF S FRONT ROW, left to right: Bibla, J. A., CGM, Wilson, R. A., CMOMMQ Fitzgerald, P. W., CBM, Ward, J. H., CCM, Lynch, J. E., CRM, Rouse C. E., CBM, Simpson, G. M., CPHM. SECOND ROW, left to right: Talbert, CMM O'Niel, D. J., CMM, Perry, J. W., CPHMQ Jones A. H., CCS, Nolte, L. W., CMM, Forsmark CSKg Demmon, CEM. RE mrso i 1 M A fi ' ll: 1... if

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NOVEMBER 1944- 0848 Departed San Pedro 1413 moored berth 5 Port Hueneme Callfornla and commenced taking the Shlp s first payload aboard NOVEMBER 1944- 0500 Completed l o a d 1 n g cargo Seabees and c1v1l1an stevedores set the Nap a winch hatchmen a goal of prlsing to watch but a goal soon topped under tougher cond1t1ons NOVEMBER 1944- 0909 Departed Port Hue neme en route Pearl Harbor HaWa11 carrylng elements of the 30th Naval Constructlon Battalion Th1S outfit set high standard of cleanliness and discipline and estab- lished a precedence upon which subsequent units were judged. 5 . '- ' 1 20 23 1 easylefficiency which was sur- 25 n , l 'S K' U 1 my xii l f HM. ,..M............vY,,, 7lae Claiefaf We Chiefs of the Napa In hot water all day, From the crew to the oflicers Our work, we display. The same old routine From morning ,til night, Toils uSheriff'7 Chief Wilson, His badge shining bright. Concealing all dope ls HI wonit talkw Lynch. While eyeing his patient Says Perry, MA Cinch. The Australian dreamer, Could be O Nealg And Demmon shoots trouble At Jones? weevil cooked meal. Brown with a pencil Scratches all day, And Rouse, with a growl, Says, uThere'll come a dayl Talbert smells oil ln the bilges, and howl While Fitz has his sun bath Sprawled out on the bow. Chief Ward, uWood Butcherf' Can box up these ships, But Bibla still threatens Vi -o blow ,em to bits! Then out of a novel Chief Forsmark appears, To tell all chit holders G.S.K.'s closed for two years! So ends our story Of Napa's proud Chiefs, How in the world Did we stay off the reefs? ' 36 ,gg mm 99 'Y-Q-'s J Y E 1 F 43 5 S 4 S 4

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2 DECEMBER 1944 -- 0500 Landfall. Island of Oahu sighted broad on the starboard bow. From a dis- tance it met all expectations based on the tourist and movie version of Hawaii. Diamond Head was satisfac- torily impressive. Only a few disappointed at the absence of Hawaiian beauties in war canoes, carrying leis and singing tropical love songs. 1200 Moored starboard side to berth A-12, Pearl Harbor, to discharge cargo and pas- sengers, Gun crews secured when there was a noticeable absence of laps. 5 DECEMBER 1944 - 1606 shifted to berth X-7 in east lock, passing the sunken and overturned Battleship Utah on the way. It was our first glimpse of the results of Japanese treachery. Other remaining evidences of Pearl Harbor day bombing were passed frequently in ensuing days by liberty boats going to and from the fleet landing. if Hum Gam.: I ll Q ' WITH GRASSSKI . ' 1 l 4 1 Ude to tice Zend of leiA, Zuma! and Ulzvlelaao HAWAII . . . land of golden shores, palm trees, brown-eyed 44Wahines, and Waikiki. As we steamed past Diamond Head, many were the thoughts that went through our minds. Some of us thought of Waikiki, others thought of a band waiting to greet us on the dock with the plaintive strains of 6GAloha Oe,'7 and still others thought of lithe Hlfanakasw div- ing for pennies which we might throw them from the ship. And of course there were other thoughts, but 64 . . . we don't talk about that Iv But alas! Alack! And what have you? We were doomed to disap- pointment. Waikiki . '. . a quarter-mile stretch of crustacean- abounding sand perhaps 100 yards wide at its widest point, surrounded on one side by the Pacific Ocean disguised to resemble a sewage disposal canal, and on the other side by curio shops and shooting gal- leries where H . . . both mother and daughter- working for the Yankee Dollarf, And now let us see what the band played as we proceeded to put our lines out to the dock. Oh, yes, there was a band-a band of native yard workmen, waiting to put up the gangway, and that's about all. uAloha Oew? That probablyiwent out with the bustle. Which brings us to the Kanakas diving for our few paltry pennies. Those selfsame Kanakas that greeted the Matsonia, Mariposa, et al, are now em- ployed in the Navy Yard for 31.50 per hour. Who has time to dive for pennies? fAny similarity between this description and a Fitzpatrick Travelogue is purely maliciousj 38