Pennsylvania Maritime Academy - Helm Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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To Graduate in June, 1945. . . up QM The month of February, 1944, was the turning point in the lives of us 80 young men, all from the State of Pennsylvania. From that time on all ambitions were turned toward one goal-that of becoming oflicers in the United States Maritime Service and United States Naval Reserve. Our careers as seamen had begun. Our indoctrination seemed long and hard, at times unbearable, we were not used to discipline. We tried our best, doing what we were told, as only boots can do, work- ing on deck and below, learning about both the deck and engine departments.iAll of us could have shipped out as mess-boys before one week had passed. Some things we appreciated more because we had to wait so long for them. This was especially so with the big things in a cadetls career-dress uniforms, liberty, and classes. We were pleased to see our textbooks arrive, for they seemed to represent our reason for coming to P. M. A. Classes started. Our indoctrination was over, we'd pulled through. The time had come for us to decide whether we were to become deck or engine cadets--to become Swabies or part of the Black Gang. The important part of our training-Naviga- tion, Seamanship, Signals, Rules of the Road, Electricity, Drawing, Math-became more than mere words. Those long hours formerly spent in study hall now became all too short. Work continued. At times the mixture of classes and work became unpleasant, but this, too, was part of our training. We helped repair the ship, we painted her from the truck to the keel. Our first experience on painters' stages were worthy of boots. Squar- ing up in the engine room wasn't too easy a job. We made an addition to the ship's institutions. In May was published the first issue of our monthly newspaper, the TARP. We awaited with sincere anticipation our first cruise. Rumors flew from the stem to the stern and had us going everywhere, but we sailed only as far as Reedy Point and back up the river to Trenton. Here we had our first taste of softball between the ship's teams. We also drilled on the ball field, but we didn't mind that too much, we were still on our first cruise. Soon our second cruise started 5 more softball games-this time in Queenstown-and our first liberty in Baltimore, with a trip to Washington on the side, are the high-lights of this cruise. By now we were old salts, for we had been to sea twice. And so goes the story, on and on: cruising, studying, working, waiting for inspec- tion and liberty, We realize that this is a record typical of P. M. A. class, but we, too, are proud of our memories. We who will graduate in june of 1945 promise to carry on. Good-bye, friends and shipmates. May good sailing always be yours. 4-I

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