Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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RANDY IS A LADY By MATT ZABITKA 11,9 only female amongsf fhousands of sea-going sail- ors aboard an aircraff carrier is fhe dire predicamenf which confronfs Randy, a young, zesfful, blossoming, bux- om bruneffe from San Francisco, California, who was shanghaied from her place of employmenf in early Janu- ary gf l945, fo go ouf fo sea wifh fhe greafesf Navy on fhis globe. Handsome Jack Salling, HAlc, of Cleveland, Ohio, who was a fraveling salesman in civilian life, selling fo- baccos and smoking pipes, was fhe brains behind fhe shanghai movemenf. Salling, from fhe very firsf momenf fhaf he laid his glgy-blue eyes on Randy in fhaf Frisco sfore, knew if was love af firsf sighf. Randy's sparkling, big brown eyes . . . her well-lined fhin lips . . . her long, dainfy fingernails . . . and fhe way she carried her body appealed fo Salling 59 much fhaf righf fhen and fhere, on fhe spof, he de- cided he would never leave fhe Sfafes minus Randy. Then he fhoughf, Whaf if fhe Navy doesn'f allow if! So whaf! This may be my lasf frip and I wanf fo gef as much fun and enioymenf ouf of life as possible while l am sfill alive. l'll fry anyfhing once! And wifh fhaf self-consolafion, Salling cunningly de- vised a plan. Due fo milifary regulafions concerning fhe movemenf of froops, ships, cargoes, efc .... we can'f reveal af fhis wrifing iusf whaf fhe plan was, or when and how if oc- curred. Anyway, Randy was soon smuggled aboard. As soon as Salling had led her pasf fhe 0.0.D. on fhe quarfer deck, under fhe veil of darkness, he quickly husfled her fo Sick Bay Counfry where he works, on fhe 3rd deck, aff parf of fhe ship. He didn'f know where fo hide his precious cargo. He fried several places . . . behind fhe sofa in fhe docfor's office . . . in fhe pharmacy . . . in fhe pea coaf locker .... Buf none of fhese places offered foo much securify for fhe only female aboard fhis man- loaded ship. Finally, Salling decided fo share his own personal sack wifh Randy. Randy obiecfed af firsf, buf finally gave in. The following day, fhe news broke ouf in Sick Bay Coun- fry fhaf a female had been smuggled aboard by Salling fhe nife before. The Corpsmen made a mad rush for Salling, who was nonchalanfly brushing his feefh in fhe head. They demanded a peek af fhe femme. Salling, realizing if was quife impossible fo keep il' a secref much longer, wenf fo fhe medical sforeroom and caufiously emerged wifh his valuable and precious sou- venir from fhe Sfafes. Affer a few seconds of minufe observafion, fhey all made a sudden dash for fhe beaufiful creafure. Randy became so frighfened fhaf she Ief ouf a ferrifying, spine- lingling yelp and made a head-on dash for securify un- derneafh a fable. Then fall, blond-headed Richard Mickelberg, PhM3c, of Aurora, Illinois, blurfed ouf, Suppose fhe Capfain finds ouf abouf her . . . fhen whaf7 All fhe ofher Corpsmen chimed in, Yeah, how abouf if? Sailing sfroked his chin, his eyes sfared deiecfedly af fhe deck. A few days lafer, pracfically everybody aboard ship knew of Randy's presence, including fhe capfain . . . who wanfed fo know . . . HOW COME? Explaining Randy's presence aboard, Sailing sfuffered ouf somefhing which ran like fhis. Well, uh, you see, sir, she iusf came aboard fo visif me while we were sfill in porf. Then I escorfed her off of fhe ship affer a couple of hours of sighf-seeing . . . and a funny fhing happened . . . iusf as our ship was pulling ouf, she musf have climbed back on via one of fhe exfended lines . . . or somehow . . . for I discovered her near my sack affer we had al- ready leff porf and were underway. And you wouldn'f wanf me fo fhrow her over fhe side now . . . would you? Thaf would be murder. So now Randy is doing sea dufy ouf in fhe Soufh Pacific aboard a hospifable carrier. On fhe firsf leg of her iourney fowards fhe baffle zone, Randy really gof sea sick. She afe hardly anyfhing. She could barely walk. Her legs wobbled, and affer faking a few sfeps she would flop down flaf on fhe deck. Buf she never griped. She seemed defermined fo acquire sea legs if if was fhe lasf fhing she would ever do. Affer a couple of weeks of sea duly, Randy gained her sea legs, plus all fhe zip and vifalify she had losf fhe pre- vious fwo weeks. She now walks around fhe decks in frue sailor fashion, no maffer how rough fhe sea. Randy had been selecfed by fhe Hospifal Corps Divi- sion aboard fhe ship as The girl we'd mosf like fo fake home wifh us. . . . and she has been made an HA2c, wifh promises of advancemenf if she shows her abilify fo do whaf is asked of her. She does dufy in fhe dispensary, and fhe sick-call line- up is fwice as greaf now fhan if was before she came aboard. Her G.O. sfafion is on fhe 3rd deck, forward parf of

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io +he incinera1'ors. There is also a Pay Call, Church Call, a Call for Movies, and every oiher ac+ivi+y fhaf fakes place aboard ship. And so if goes, fhroughoui' fhe day. A+ 0800 i+s QUARTERS FOR MUSTER! Air Deparimenl, fligh+ deck parade. All oiher deparfmenis, hangar deck pa- rade, or ii' may be TURN TO! +o s+ar+ fhe day's work. While cruising wifh desfroyers you heard 'rhe familiar call +o GO TO YOUR STATIONS ALL DESTROYER FUEL- ING DETAIL! Now 'lhe Sixih Division man ihe provi- sional whip on fhe 'fanfail +o receive desfroyer along por+ quar'l'er. ln combai' areas, every four hours, if was NOW RE- LIEVE THE WATCH! On deck 'Phe Four+h Sec'l'ion. Con- difion Two. Relieve The wheel and 'rhe lookoufs, lhe ready gun crews of The walch, and ihe wa'l'ch 'l'o mus+er! TWO imporlanl' calls Thai sen? a vibrani' 'l'ingle of exciiemenf +hrough 'Phe hear+s of our fighiing men will always be fe' membered, TORPEDO DEFENSE! Man all iorpedo de- fense s+a'rions! which was offen closely 'Followed bY- HGENERAL QUARTERS! GENERAL QUARTERS! All hands man your baHle s'l'a1'ions! Affer an exciiing day or a roufine day, The 'lime comes +o +urn in and ca+ch up on much needed resr, for on War Cruising ihe days were long and The nigl1'lS were shor'l'. The bugle sounds TAPS . . . Now 'l'urn info y0U bunks . . . Keep silence abou? fhe decks . . . fhe smOlKi09 lamp is ou+ in all berihing spaces.

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ihe ship, wi+h ihe No. 2 Damage Confrol Par+y. She keeps cool and relaxed ihrough every GQ alarm. In irying 'io delve info Randy's pas? his+ory, noi' much could be dug up . . . excepi' for ihe following 'few facis. Randy had lived all her life in San Francisco, Cal., up '+il +he iime she was shanghaied . . . she doesn'+ know her moiher or 'faiher from Adam and Eve . . . and she's a cross beiween a bull dog and a 'Fox ferrier. Yep . . . Randy is a clog .... Bui' . . . Randy is a lady! She has been made an honorary member of ihe crew of ihe USS Randolph lCV-l5l, an Essex-class carrier. She has a heal'I'h record on file, a dog lag around her collar and a sick call card in ihe Sick Bay files. The following informalion is coniained in Randy's per- sonal U. S. Navy Healih Record which is in 'fhe files al' 'ihe clerical office aboard 'ihe Randolph , along wi+h +he records of fhe resl' of +he crew .... Full name: Randy Flaiiop . . . birihplacez San Francisco, Cal .... service number: lO0,000,000 . . . Ra'ring: Phar- macisi' Mascoi' . . . Daie of shanghai: Jan. I, i945 . . . nexi' of kin: Jack Neal Salling, HAlc, Cleveland, Ohio . . . naiionaliiyz Dog . . . complexion: dark . . . hair: brown . . . general appearance: good . . . head and face: normal . . . ears: large . . . eyes: brown . . . color precepiionz good . . . vision: 20f20 . . . weighi: 6 lbs., 8 oz .... pulse before exercise: 60 . . . aifer exercise: 70 . . . afier res+: 65 . . . blood pressure: sysiolic-I I0 . . . diasiolic-70 . . . urinalysis: albumen-neg .... sugar-neg .... nervous sys- fem: normal, excepl' occasionally urinaies on ihe deck .... The aioremeniioned exam resulis were 'ihe iindings of fhe Senior Medical Officer aboard ihe ship. The record of Randy's iirsi denial examinaiion, made by a Lieuienani' of 'ihe Denial Corps, s+a+es she has de- ciduous deniiiion preseni, and is denfally qualified for aviaiion and submarine duiy. Randy's blood 'iype has been classified as Type k-9. Her Kahn iesl' proved negafive, and she has already been inoculaied for rabies. JJ 1 ff bc-1. R K .vs gi--7 The following no+e is carried in Randy's Healfh Record on ihe page devoied for her medical hisforyz USS Randolph QCV-l5l . . . I4 Feb., i945 . . . EX- amined +his dale and found physically qualified and aero- nauiically adapied 'For du'I'y involving riding as a p6S' senger bui' noi' for dufy involving ihe acfual confrol of aircrafi' . . . signed by 'ihe Flighi' Surgeon. Randy herself had io aHend sick call 'I'wice 'ihus far. and bo+h iimes for sea sickness. The firsi' fime, 'l'he docf0l' advised complefe res'I' and liquid diei' . . . and The second +ime, ihe 'ireaimeni prescribed was 'io eai crackers and cheese, +ake a good shower and forgei' 'ihe ihing.