Salem (CA 139) - Naval Cruise Book

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FOREWCRD The American boy is nof raised and frained fo a milifary life. Yef wifhin fhe firsf half of fhe Twenfiefh Cenfury fhere have been few men in our nafion who have nof served in.fhe milifary ranks of fheir counfry for some reason, pafriofic, professional, or of necessify. Men come fo fhe Navy from all walks of life and in a hosf of ways. Each is a sfory wifhin ifself: fhe kid 'rhaf had a fighf wifh his girl, joined fhe Navy, and refurned fo marry her: 'rhe I8 year old whose singular purpose is fo see fhe world: fhe veferan who's seen fhe lean and fhe good years come and go: and fhe reserve who leff wife and family fo do a iob fhaf someone had 'ro do. Educafed almosf universally in civilian insfifufions, a man's firsf impression of fhe Navy is usually confused, Accusfomed 'ro fhe convenience, comforf and freedom of fhe mosf advanced civilizafion man has ever known, fhe change fhaf is necessary in becoming a parf of our counfry's naval forces is immeasurable. Boof camp . . . life ou+ of a seabag . . . uniformify and high sfandards . . . a yeoman wifh a fypewrifer and quesfions . . . 'rhe firsf uniform wifh ifs sfrange feeling and awkward fif . . . and a corpsman wifh a needle and nof much fime. The world of fhose days is a sfrange combinafion of newness where each evolufion merely adds fo fhe complexify. Why is so much repeafed emphasis given fo maffers which are seemingly so small? The conveniences and individualify of civilian life are soon leff behind in a fransformafion as complefe as a man ever experiences, lf is a fribufe fo fhe ingenuify and'adapfabilil'y of our people fhaf such a radical change in fhe way of life can be accomplished so easily and wifh such rapidify. Wifhouf fail fhe day arrives when a man's name is enfered info fhe log of his firsf ship. Life again becomes a mixfure of sfrange faces, uncerfainfy, and fofal unfamiliarify wifh fhe large number of passageways and decks of a modern warship. Drills and roufines . . . fhe sacrifices and irrifafions of a life where hundreds of men live wifhin inches of each ofher . . . rninufes and hours fhaf drag by in endless waifing and monfhs fhaf race away . . . a 'ropsy-furvy -world af fimes in which only fhe mosf necessary acfion can be accomplished . . . and fhe fraining over and over again unfil every acf is seemingly a nafural reflex, Time, fhe greaf benefacfor, and experience, a greaf confribufor, bring a slow undersfanding fo life af sea. The meaning and significance of maffers which were so difficulf 'ro undersfand in fhe beginning becomes obvious and clear. If is as fhe monfhs roll info years and sfafion is added fo sfafion fhaf a man gains fhe confidence and abilify of a naval veferan, Perhaps fhe mosf heralded incidenf in fhe early hisfory of fhe American Navy was fhe vicfory over fhe Barbary Coasf pirafes abouf I800. From fhaf day fo fhe presenf fime our counfry has senf or mainfained a fleef in Mediferranean wafers whenever if was deemed necessary fo fhe well being and profecfion of fhe Nafion. Today 'rhe Unifed Sfafes Sixfh Fleef under fhe command of Vice Admiral John H. Cassady mainfains our firsf line of defense in fhaf area. Dufy on foreign sfafion as parf of such a fleef is a memorable parf of fhe naval career of fhe men who par- ficipafe. The opporfunify 'ro see 'rhe lands and people of fhe Old World is an inferesfing experience. Afhens, lsfanbul, Rome, Paris, places fo which some of fhe noblesf civilizafions of fhe world may be fraced. The cusfoms, life, and living condifions of almosf every counfry on fhe Tideless Sea may be wifnessed firsf hand: 'rhe sfimulafing effecfs of fhe sun seffing on 'rhe sharply defined hills of soufhern France or ifs unevenfful rise over fhe quief of Suda Bay, Crefe. Time wears 'rhe novelfy away. There are no fourisf agencies 'ro provide privafe accommodafions or arrange a personal ifinerary. A heavy operafing schedule and a iob 'rhaf musf be done are given fhe fop priorify. A slow longing arises as fhe days pass for a refurn fo fhe Sfafes and one's own people, If is perhaps wifh some small regref buf eager anficipafion fhaf a man looks forward fo fhe day 'rhe relief ship comes alongside. Somehow fhrough if all, fhe good and fhe bad, fhe frying and 'rhe enioyable, a man seems 'ro refain only fhe beffer parfs of his dufy in 'rhe Navy. This book is fhe sfory of six monfhs in fhe life of a ship, fhe U.S.S. SALEM. and her crew, fhe places fhey visifed, and 'rhe mosf memorable fhings 'rhey did.

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