Oriskany (CV 34) - Naval Cruise Book

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T FIRST a bunch of guys ran around in shorts on Hangar Deck. They drippled a basketball on the steel plate, flipped the leather into a hoop, and whammed into each other like racing cars on turns. But then they began to play against teams from other ships. At Guantanamo Bay, the Oriskany five won 66 to -14. That was the first of 31 victories, no defeats. Led by Ensign Jim Osbourn, former Yale player, the team challenged every- body in the Med. But Coach LTJC Bob Howe, himself a player, never built up l w i Varsity Basketball Team, Left to Right, Front Row: Joseph R. Ruptak, SN7 Thomas S. Arnett, SA: Beniamin Elinotf, GM3p Joseph L. Foye, AEAN7 Joseph E. Hurley, AD3 .... Back Row: John W. Barlow, ADC-li LTJG Robert E. Howe: Billy G. Williams, SN: ENS James B. Osbournf Gerald M. Haas, AN: and Thaddeus F. Levandowski, HN3. any one star. It was as a team that the quintet captured ComSixtliFlt championship. Closest shave was an overtime game with the Coral Sea at Cannes. When the Hnal period ended the score was tied. ln overtime, ENS Osbourn threw the winning basket. The Salem disputed the Oriskanyas claim to the Med title until both teams met aboard the Coral Sea at La Spezia. Final score: 78 to 61. Admiral Cardner officially awarded the title to the unbeaten hve. Junior Varsity Basketball Team, Front row, Left to Right: D. E. Sagan, AB37 B. E. Pionko, CS37 L. V. Delling, LTJG: R. B. Rubenstein, ENS: Barker, PFC. . . . Back Row, Left to Right: C. N. Palermo, SAF J- Mflfhulikf ABAN7 M' -I' enemy, pre, s. P. Donnelly, sm W- R- li'-foose, AB3: B. w. Toth, CPL-

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Q' . I f' X L. ii .N , .. 5 f 4 ' ' 74' S - s I ' 1 , 1 , 1 ,. , ' ' ,f , 4 ..,,i.,',l1 Xe fa- . ff. X '5,,, .fu ff gff' ,, Varsity Baseball Team, Left to Right, Front Row: Chief Gunner R. K. Schardin, Jr., Manager: C. H. Bell, GM3: D. P. Sanchez, SA: R. P. Reviere, AN: W. D. Cherry, SN: AM3: W. B. Cadle, AD2: D. J. Medley, AN: A. F. Siberini, AA: and CSC A. Nagy, Assistant Manager. . . . Back Row: C. J. Billeck, AN: E. E. Henecke, AEAN: H. R. Dukes, FC3: T. R. Dwyer- AN: G. J. Hillyer, AGI: L. F. Hazell, Cpl.: W. R. Zicafoose, AD3: W. J. Proctor, AN: and P. Destefano, AN. The Oriskany baseball team ran up an impressive record of 17 victories, seven defeats, before the ship left the Med. Both coaches, Gunner Schardin and CHPCLK Nagy, claimed Sixth Fleet championship for the nine. Only one Navy team, the USS Stribling, had beaten them. Un the way to Quonset from Gibraltar, a telegram from ComSixthFlt an- nounced winners in each sport. Gunner Schardinis nine got a surprise. Gainard contests Oriskany claim to baseball championship and no opportunity presently seen for playoiff, Vice Admiral Gardner radioed. Declare Gainard and Oriskany co-champions baseball. A challenge went out. But weather conditions and the granting of leaves prevented a playoff at Quonset. Oriskany baseballers had to be content with tie for first. 'ilf we had only known earlier, they said. LCDR Bangs, who managed the team, rated his nine so high he entered them in inter-service competition. Flying as guests of the 86th Fighter Bomber Com- mand of Neubiberg Field, Munich, Germany, the nine bowed to the Neubiberg Raiders, European Air Force champs, and the Eighth Army Bullets, Army champs of Europe. They played Wheelus Air Force Base at Tripoli four times, losing all four. Wheelus then claimed the All-Europe championship. The Oriskany nine had fought hard. The July Fourth game at Tripoli, after a long flight from La Spezia in north Italy, went ten innings before the contest was decided. 4, N f , f ,Wow M K V .AW W. J. Sagehorne, l.CDR I.. l.. BANGS Athletic Officer Varsity Softball Team, Left to Right, Front Row: Kenneth W. Camden, FN: Chester A. Szot, SHSN: Herbert R. Wolfe, MMI: John A. Dietrich, AN: Eugene J. Iasiello, AN: and Paul J. Huston, ABI. . . . Back Row: William J. Morton, YN3: Samuel E. Walke, YN3: James L. Marshall, FA: Bill T. Sasser, FN: Walter J. Mazur, AB3: and Robert l.. Panos, AN.