Princeton (LPH 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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A www 0 P2555 W . . .WAX ...- NSU WN N NM MQNQNM ,K gf . .. I TOUR DE FARCE 1 CMC clears HMR-362 To the Far East, via San Diego, Honolulu, Yokohama, Oppama, Yokosuka, Tokyo, Okinawa, Borneo, Manila, Cavite, Cubi Pt., Numaxu, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Iwakuni, Misawa, Itazuke, Itami, Laos, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sasebo, and Futema. Climb to and maintain 500' over the terrain. Bon voyage and takusan happy landings. Thus was established the itinerary that would take the officers and men of the 362nd vertical-rising, all-weather, loose-wing, pursuit-interceptor squadron on a memorable fifteen- month tour of the exotic Orient. On a warm and sunny afternoon, a faintly exuberant group of bleary-eyed Marines is poured aboard the busses which are to carry them to their rendezvous with the USNS SHANKS in San Diego. Bob Norton sleeps too soundly and has strange dreams. One more for for the cruise at the Mexican Village and we board our MSTS luxury liner. It is 14 April 1959. The sun pulls away from the shore and our ship sinks slowly in the West. CONUS disappears over the horizon ...... and YOU are NOT there. Pollywogs unite!, echoed throughout the passageways of the USNS SHANKS, as the uninitiated made a valliant effort to withstand the ruthless tortures of King Neptune's wrath. The cause was hopeless, however, and those of us who had never crossed the 180th meridian were forced to suffer humiliation and degradation before the powerful Tribunal. The ordeal was soon over, and the Royal Domain of the Golden Dragon had many new and loyal members. This was the highlight of our trip across the Pacinc, although a dissenting vote or two might be cast in favor of our one-night stand in Hono- lulu. The hit-and-run tactics of our first oiiicial liberty established 'a precedent that was to be followed throughout our tour. In highespirits, we said, Aloha, to the swaying palms and grass skirts, and then cast our leis into the wake of the ship as she set sail for Yokahama. Morale, however, was somewhat deflated when We reached our destination, in spite of the WELCOME TO JAPAN sign andithe rain-soaked Air Force band that greeted us at North Piergand Whhyyyy NOT ?, with an ETD of July 1960. Our wet and dreary bus ride thr0ugh the indescribably ugly streets between Yokohama and Oppama did not improve our initial impression of our new home. After tossing our bags into our' living quarters at Oppama, our disappointment was slightly alleviated, how- ever, by a 30016 cab ride to the captivating heart of Yokosuka, the Alley de gazaimas. Wediscovered that you CAN buy happiness ...... for 18055 a bottle. We had fou d a h ' n e away from home. ADAPTABILITY became our maxim. And Sisters' Cisco's The Bljandk Cat, The Kanko, The Black Rose, and Mon Petite became ready replacements for The Jamaica Inn, The Village Inn, The Sandpiper, and Wood's Cove. Much too soon, we boarded the USS THETIS BAY CLPH-6 alias CVHA-15, pride of the U.S. Naval Services, and departed Japan for Exercise Saddle-Up, which was being staged in the Kota Belud training area of British North Borneo. On,our wa s th ' d d , . y ou , we inva e unsuspecting Okinawa. The 362 raiders, brilliantly led by big Ed, borrowed a few Samurai relics from that world-renowned museum of natural history, The Red Shoes. The treasured items, one 1nv1ncible turtle shell shield one hallowed three legged stool C2000 B C d , , , ' f . .D, an one genulne G011gh1S Khall headgflpper were presented to our glorious Emperor, Lt. Col. Hot Damn Dunn, with great pomp and ceremony. Sm KN S-kk M R NSR KKK

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,,4n?c, W, LTCOL E P DUNN COMMANDING OFFICER ,., ,X -f f T X Q 5 r , f y 1 ' 'E s . 5? f 'N ,ff ,f , 'f qw ' -- 'wg r x film xi, MAJ J E GIBSON EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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Borneo-bound with our spoils, We made preparations for our first big operation in the 1lf'J'ar.East. Saddle-UP 'i proved to be a huge success and our tour was off to an excellent eginning. Gathering our victory laurels about our shoulders, we struck out for Manila Bay. During our first liberty in several weeks we explored the subtle and sophisticated delights of the cultural center of the Philippeans, beautiful Cavite. All of us made our individual con- tributions to the native folklore and are confident that many weird and wonderful tales of Dunn's Derelicts, the Four Horsemen, and the Mad Dog of Cavite will be handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. With the innate homing-sense of carrier pigeons, we returned to our nests in Japan. We didn't bother to unpack our bags, however, because in two weeks Hot Damn's Vaga- bonds were to return to the subterrainian catacombs of the TEDDY BEAR for operations in the Fuji training area. The highlight of this particular excursion proved to be our week of R 8z R in the Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto area. We had our first opportunity to view some of the outstanding Japanese cultural achievements. Many of us visited the famed Takarazuka Opera House and took the tour to legendary Kyoto. Others among us investigated the art and architecture of New Japan, e.g., the cultural beauty of the Club Oriental, The Kitano Club, and the Trocadero. In both cases, we departed Kobe with a greater insight into the historical traditions of this talented people. We returned to Numazu for two more short exercises. The weather was typically Japa- nese-wet and overcast. Major Wydner lost his radio altimeter, but being a staunch Marine, he courageously continued his mission. During this same period he also took the lead in the race for the Far Eastern Radio Discipline Award, which was subsequently won by his persistent efforts. Inspired by such sterling leadership, we returned to Oppama and made our triumphant entry into the city. Shortly thereafter, we began deploying small expeditionary forces to investigate the yet unexplored mysteries of the Pearl of the Orient, Hong Kong. Our Marco Polos returned with fabulous tales of treasures hitherto unheard of. We were just beginning to get our feet on the ground and to enjoy some of the pleasures of Japan when we were rudely alerted to help extinguish the political crisis in Southeast Asia. Within forty-eight hours, the squadron was divided into various echelons and spread all over the Far East. Who among the fortunate shall ever forget our luxurious living conditions aboard the THETIS BAY? The meals were a gastronomical delight that would tickle the palate of even the most discerning gourmet. Our living quarters rivalled the sumptuous boudoirs of Cleopatra and Marie Antoinette. On one of the rare evenings when the air-conditioning was malfunctioning, the kindly ship's Exec permitted us to sleep in the gun tubs and on the fiight deck. This arrangement was such a happy success that we were not allowed to do it anymore. And who will forget the unparalleled joy that we derived from the ship's symphonic whistles, bells, gongs, and sirens? And if you listen ever so carefully, you can still hear the Captain's golden-throated announcement: This is the Captain speaking ...... and that's all I know, we remained undaunted, however, true to the finest traditions of the Corps, because we had unwaivering faith that sooner or later THETIS BAY would most certainly launch the white helos! We spent six weeks in the searing sub-tropical heat of the South China Sea. ' It was tedium incarnate. At 5 kts., the THETIS BAY cruised patiently in ever-decreasing con- - Y