Picking (DD 685) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 27 text:

3 f ' A NAMA F 4 . . . where we arrived early on the morning of 7 April. The lush greens of the tropic iungles steamed gently under thefearly morning sun as we made our entry into the channel to- ward the famous Panama Canal. Although it was hot outside the Canal, it was like an inferno inside the locks where we were hauled through by steam engines that seemed to climb straight up in the air. Gatun Lake offered the opportunity for a fresh water wash down of the ship and eventually, of course, the entire crew. We were glad to tie up that night for some liberty in Balboa, C. Z.lThe next morning we left for San Diego for our last stateside liberty before arriving in ....

Page 26 text:

i-IISTOIY OF Ti-I.-'E CRUISE On 1 April, we waved goodbye to our wives and sweefhearts and pulled away from the pier at Fall River, Massachusetts. Underway on The first leg of our cruise, bound for .... A l Hmm, -wxn v Wmyfrwf , X in, Ewqff -wkwff--'-Li,

Page 28 text:

'EA 'L i-IARBF R p, I , ' HHS T i . . . where we pitched our last big liberty under the Stars 81 Stripes Busy from reveille to taps at loading stores, fuel, ammunition, making repairs, and routine upkeep, we worked hard and played hard, too. The beaches of Oahu are among the finest in the world The ' h t sig ts o Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, Koko Head, Trader Vic's, The Beachcomber's, Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Queens Surf, Singapore Sam's, the tatoo artists of King Street I Kamehameha Drive, the gates to Hickam Field were all familiar ones as wei steamed out of Pearl Harbor on our way to ....