Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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ITF' Q w .. W if The ship refurned fo NOB, Norfolk, on November I9 fwo days lafer. If was conducfed by Commander Fleef Air, Norfolk, and his sfaff. He gave us an okay. The nexf affernoon, November 22, we hauled anchor and headed for fhe Wesf Indies for shakedown. If had been easy fo fell everybody goodbye because we expecfed fo refurn in a few weeks. See you Chrisfmas, we had eifher said or wriffen 'fo our families. Liffle did we fhink fhaf almosf a year would go by and we would sail IO0,000 miles before seeing Norfolk again. The frip soufh was pleasanf, as soon as fhe weafher warmed up a liffle. We dropped fhe hook November 27 in fhe U.S. Naval Anchorage off Porf of Spain, Trinidad Brifish Wesf Indies. Excepf for fhose who dislike any kind of hof weafher, if wasn'f bad fhere in fhe Gulf of Paria wifh fhe blue wafer and fhe clouds and across 'Ihe Gulf fhe green mounfains of Soufh America. Some nighfs we looked up af a big yellow moon and wafched fhe Iighfs 'rwinkling along fhe shores of fhe island, and wished for fhe girls af home. We had some good beer parfies af a Trinidad beach. Many of us saw palm frees and coconufs for fhe firsf fime. We had Calypso singers on board. Buf if was no pleasure cruise. All day we Everybody scrubbed up for fhe on-reporfing inspecfion frainedz pushing planes, loading fhem wifh bombs, sfand- ing wafches on fhe bridge, in engine rooms, comm office, working on fhe forecasfle, in sick bay, in offices, sweep- ing fhe decks, cleaning brighfwork, firing fhe guns. The pace was infensive. We knew we were geffing ready for somefhing big in fhe war-for iusf whaf, we didn'f know. There was no reason fo gel' excifed ye'l'- We'd be back on fhe Easf Coasf soon and home for Chrisfmas. There was scuH'Iebu'H, however, 'Io 'rhe con- frary. Buf nobody believes scufflebuff. Oh, no? Repre- senfafives of ComFair, Norfolk, flew down and in- specfed us. Af fhaf fime we didn I' know fhey judged us ready for fhe Pacific. So we were full of quesfions Oh December I7 when we gof underway. Where fo? Aboul' mid-morning came fhe announcemenf over fhe P-A- sysfem. We were headed for fhe Panama Canal. Nafurally we were disappoinfed. Af one of his infor- mal falks fo us before movies on fhe hangar deck, CHP' fain Baker explained fhaf fhe Pacific Fleef needed car- riers and needed fhem in a hurry. Thaf's why we weren f going home. So we swallowed our feelings. Lafer, when we were able 'ro sfrike a blow againsf fhe enemy, we were glad we had ioined fhe fleef when if mosf needed U5- We were glad we had been fhe firsf big carrier nof TQ refurn fo fhe home yard for adiusfmenfs affer shake- down.

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