Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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came fhe big day. The Leading Chief came aboard wifh fhe resf of fhe crew. The ship shoved off on her shake down. Things looked preffy black for awhile buf fhe experf 'fechnical knowledge of Gunner Reade pulled us fhrough. Wifh long hours of hard work fhe division developed info efficienf, smoofh working feams. During fhe firsf week of April, we sfarfed a 57 day operafion, which found mosf ordnancemen working a 25 hour day . . . Wifh one day's resf ouf of five, during which, we replenished from an ammo ship . Due fo fransfers and advancemenfs, we found our- selves long on firsf class AOM's and shorf on chiefs, so Buck Rogers Branum and Jackie Liffle Napoleon La- Vine gof fhe call. The chiefs are sfill shorf. One of fhe general service chiefs, affer seeing Cufie LaVine, wav- ing his curly locks, said, This ioinf looks more like high school every day . The raids on Tokyo and Okinawa, plus a 30 day sfay in Leyfe, we survived, buf fhis peace wifh cleaningup, painfing, passengers, wafer rafioning, inspecfions . . . well, peace, if's wonderful. BOMB SUPPLY DUDS Two decks below fhe hanger deck, in fhe forward parf of fhe ship, was Chief Gunner Reade's mob, beffer known as Bomb Suply. Tom Egan, a Vermonf boy was firsf class in charge. His liflle assisfanf, who did mosf of fhe whip cracking, was Bob Ulrich from Lebanon, Pa. Also from Lebanon was Bob Hiesey known for fhe way he conserved his energy fill mail call and fhen broke all exisfing frack rec- ords. Jerry Honey Boy Janik also a mail hound, de- vofed all of his energy fo wrifinq. We're all beffing Jeanne gave plenfy fo fhe scrap paper drive. Mosf of fhe noise in Bomb Supply originafed from Jose The Voice Alvarez, buf when if came fo real qualify of fhe vocal cords, we furned fo Russell B. Kelley who is a definife fhreaf fo Rudy Vallee. Every division on every ship or sfafion of fhe U. S. Navy seems fo have af leasf one man who comes from Brooklyn and Bomb Supply is no excepfion. This man's fheme song is My Blue Heaven and his name is Paul Weenie Wiener. Our champion rockef liffer is Frank Sfrong Man Ambrose buf he excels in his hobby which is african golf . Vernon Nyby who spenf his early days in Bomb Supply looking for an armor piercing bomb has earned fhe fifle of No Favor Man . Along fhe same line is our fufure polifician, Roberf Sfub Sfubler. He has decided fo become a congressman before fhe nexf war and says, By gym, we'll draff fhe married men firsf nexf fime . He fold Mark Horizonfal Gibbon all abouf if while Gibbon was in sick bay having fhe maffress cuf off his back. We pause now for a requesf from Carl Nose Bradford. He asks fhaf fhe girls call him Brad , if sounds more romanfic. lncidenfly, fhis boy is fhe only man who can fake a shower and smoke a cigareffe af fhe same fime. From Texas we have Sidney Cookie Cook and R. W. Tex Crider. They are bofh horsemen from way 'Si

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back buf unforfunafely fhey were forced fo give up fheir six shoofers for .50 cal. machine guns.' When fhey de- cided fo refire from acfive dul'y, fhey fransferred fo Bomb Supply. If you are a lover of mounfain music, look for Eff Forresfer. His rendifions will live forever in fhe hearfs of his shipmafes. Nick Bama Boy Nichols, referred fo as fhe sweel' liffle boy on liberfy, fhinks, lf a man is old enough lo ligh+ for his counfry, he's old enough 'ro buy beer . Willie Double Ches+ed Layporl' sfill sweafs when he fhinks of 'rhe bomb he dropped down No. 2 bomb elevafor. Johnny Johnson lswede, huh7l yearns for fhe day when fhe regulars will again reign in fhe navy. Bus+er Keafon U.S.N.R. yearns for fhaf day foo. Low poinfs, Busfer? TORPEDO GANG Chief Torpedoman C. E. Mann losf liffle fime in shap- ing his Torpedo Gang . Clarence's Boys , proved 'Themselves in fhe record books, when fhey made fheir exercise shofs al' Trinidad during fhe shakedown cruise. We did have quife a few confrasfing personalifies. Our crap oul' arfisf Squirrel Yselfon and Make-mine- shrimp Kelly made a 'leam in spife of differences. Talk- afive Abe Henderson always found Middy Middle- 'ron a good lisfener. Toas'ry Lakeman and lpse Hayes always managed fo make liberfy in Toas+y's clofhes. When fhings gol' foo dull Radar Hillebrand and Don Hodge would fell of fheir Kansas Cify haunfs. Weasel Dean ran fhe dafe bureau in Norfolk wifh Chief Flem- ing's enfhusiasfic supporf. Corky Cordell's argumenfs were always hofly con- lesfed by McNelly wifh his heavy down easl' accenl '. SNAFU Longcor confinued fo mainfain a crew's lounge in fhe sfabilizer sfowage fhroughouf fhe cruise. Two lif- fle men boarded fhe Randy one refueling day and gave us cause fo lower lhe shaving mirror considerably. The new arrivals were Bendix Pierson and LiHle Alvie Debauche. Chief Mergl leff us in Frisco affer 26 years in fhe service, and Chief Ramsey leff us in fhe Philippines. lf was aboul' fhis fime fhaf Ens. Efhridge became Torpedo Officer. The gang didn'l' always work on Fish . Our rockefeer spenf many mornings arming planes for fhose raids on Tokyo and Okinawa. ll' wasn'l' all work, every- one pul' in some fime around fhe ice pol' fanning 'rhe breeze. MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHERS Everyone loves a Phofographerf' To prove fhis, iusl' wafch wha? happens when any individual poinfs a camera al' some nondescripf gizmo for pure amusemenf, or pos- sibly sfricfly business. There is always af leasf one by- sfander ready fo help oul' by adding his cherubic kisser fo fhe already unfavorable composifion. Brofher, fry and sfop 'eml The purpose of fhese pages is fo show wifhoul' fear, favor, or folderol, fhe Randolph phofographic corps af work, al' play or iusl' generally furfhering fhe cause of cumshaw. ll' isn'+ fhe purpose of 'lhis skefch fo make heroes of our lads-in frufh we're iusl' a commonplace