Razorback (SS 394) - Naval Cruise Book

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MIDWAY ISLAND There are two things that one remembers longest about Midway, one is the blazing whiteness of the sand, the other, the antics of the Gooney birds. The entire group of islands, two in number, namely Eastern and Sand are made up of an almost pure white crushed coral rock. The brilliance of this sand is nearly blinding at times. A grove of trees on Sand Island is the only welcomed break in the glare. East- ern Island is entirely devoid of trees or bushes. No one who has ever seen a gooney bird, that dizzy member of the Albatros family, is likely to forget the antics of these soaring creatures. They bow to each other, dance around, clack their bills together, and then raise their beaks skyward and give forth with a racket which there is no describing. The young birds are very fluffy and soft, almost black in color and ex- ceedingly clumsy. Mature birds are white breasted with black wings, pretty clumsy looking when they start their takeoff into the wild blue yonder, but as soon as they are off the ground they are one of the most grace- ful birds there is. Midway might be called the garden spot of the world in the way of recreation facilities. There is a fine sandy beach equipped with lawn chairs, volley ball courts, rubber life boats, and several very fine rafts for diving. A large hand surfaced softball field is surrounded by tennis courts, handball courts, a bas- ketball court, parallel bars and space for playing with footballs or baseballs. The athletic clubhouse contains weight lifting, wrestling, boxing and instructions in Judo are given, For the less hardy souls Gooneyville Lodge offers ping pong and pool tables, as well as the beer hall and a large library. Ship's picnics are held at a picnic grove built among the tall shady trees. Here volley ball and softball or football can also be played. The ship's service at Midway is one of the finest outside the states. Almost anything can be purchased. ln this large building is a theatre, photo shop, and even a bowling alley. Special alleys were reserved for sub- mariners on certain days of the week. Deep sea fishing is a sport popular with all who stOp for a rest at Gooneyville, and many a swabby has hooked a man-sized battle while on one of the fishing parties that could be arranged on request. For a quiet vacation spent in soaking up sunshine, and reconditioning a flabby body, Midway can't be GUAM Guam, at the time we spent a rest period at Camp Dealy, had just been retaken from the Japs. There beaten. were many evidences of the struggle that had just ceased. Most of the ships were riding at anchor, a sure sign that the docks had been damaged beyond use. Mammoth bulldozers, dozens of trucks, graders, scrap- ers and gangs of Sea-Bees were carving roads and camps out of the jungle. The beach, where our forces had landed, was littered with wreckage. Stubs and battered stumps of cocoanut palms lined the beach like tattered scarecrows. Agana, the principal city of Guam, was torn to bits, Not many houses were left standing, and those that were, showed gaping holes from gun fire of all caliber. Everywhere people were rebuilding, patching, and trying to raise small gardens to supplement the food supply. Blasted and torn tho' they were, all of them had a smile and friendly greeting for any sailor, sol- dier, or marine who stopped to pass the time of day. Meager as was their supply of food, they extended an invitation to eat to all who stopped. Tuba, the sap from the cocoanut tree, is their main source for booze. After drawing the sap from the tree they distill it and produce a product that is strictly dynamite, Agie by name. Cool jugs of it were freely passed about. Most of the crew took advantage of their thumbs and 'saw quite a bit of the island. One of the most visited spots was the B-29 air field. Several of the local towns, which were not restricted, also held a high point in sight seeing. A number of the crew enjoyed fresh water swimming in several of the rivers. Perhaps the women who gathered to wash clothes had some- thing to do with that. Altogether it was a rather enjoyable place, and something entirely different from what we had here- tofore seen. TOKYO BAY From Yokosuka, as far out as the eye could see, were ships and more ships-the Occupation Force of Japan. To the left, when fog or rain permitted, we could see the smokestacks and buildings of Yokohama. On September second, we listened to the recording of the signing of the Treaty aboard the Missouri, and all morning huge formations of bombers roared over- head, All of our sightseeing was done through binocu- lars as our visit was a short one. Taking part in the surrender of Japan brought a triumphant end to our fifth war patrol. SAN DIEGO, CALIF. Probably the most adequate way to describe our return to the States was seeing the sign at the en,- trance to the harbor, Well Done-Welcome Home.

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THE MATING DANCE OF THE GOONEY BIRD A DUET IN G FLAT SUCH A LOVELY VOICE YOU HAVE!

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