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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History of the USS Salem CA-I39 an March 27, I934, Congressman George Bafes rose before Congress To ask for an appropriafion of funds for The consTrucTion of a new uniT of The naTion's naval forces. IT was To be a heavy cruiser Type ship of The laTesT design, and named for The hisforically rich mariTime ciTy of Salem, Massachuseffs. Work progressed slowly on The new ship. IT was noT unTil July 4, l945, ThaT The keel was laid aT The Befhlehem Shipyards, Fore River, Massachuseffs. This was The IasT major warship To be builT in ThaT yard during The World War Two boom. As her hull Took shape in The ways, incorporafing The improvemenfs learned during four A '9339'-39 mf '33 s. years of war, iT soon became evidenf ThaT This was To be a worThy addifion To The Unifed STaTes Eleef. Launched in I947, iT was noT unTil Two years laTer, on May I4, I949, amidsT a um S1i!1,l!T!'ill '-4' 5.f. LaJY'f'lT i'i3fi'.' background of flying bunfing, speeches, and fanfare ThaT she was commissioned The U.S.S. SALEM CA-I39 aT The Soufh BosTon Naval Shipyard. On board for The oc- casion were many dignifaries, including Admiral Louis E. Denfield, Then Chief of Naval Operafions, The laTe Congressman George BaTes who had played such a key role in obfaining appropriafions for her complefion, and The Honorable Joseph B. T-larringfon, Then Mayor of Salem. The ship was The second cruiser To carry The name SALEM, in honor of The Town. The firsT was launched in July, l907 aT The Befhlehem Shipyard in Ouincy, Massachu- seTTs. She served during The Eirsf World War from April I6, I9I7 To November 'l I, l9I8. In November of l929 she was decommissioned, having served in The Tleef for over TwenTy-Two consecuTive years. Capfain John C. Daniels, The firsT Commanding Officer, Took The new vessel on her maiden voyage from Bosfon for a Three day'visiT To Salem over Independence Day of The year of her commissioning. The Twelffh of July found The ship on her firsT lengfhy cruise, her shakedown aT GuanTanamo Bay, Cuba. Upon TerminaTion of The Three monfh Training period in The Caribbean where porTs in l-laiTi, Jamaica, and The Panama Canal Zone were visiTed, she reTurned To The familiar surroundings of Bosfon. PosT-shakedown mainfenance work, speed Trials for The ships of The SALEM class, parTicipaTion in OperaTion PORTEX, her firsT change of command, and numerous Trips beTween BosTon and Guanfanamo Bay consumed The SALEM's firsT winTer of acTive duTy, IT was in January of ThaT period ThaT Capfain Edmund B. Taylor relieved Capfain Daniels as Commanding Officer. The recurrenT runs To Cuba in The early monThs of The ship's life earned her The firsT epiTheT, The GTmo Express. The day finally arrived laTe ThaT spring ThaT The newly developed crew had been awaifing. On May 3, l95O, The SALEM goT underway for The European area To relieve The U.S.S. NEWPORT NEWS as Flagship of The Sixfh FleeT. Success in The iniTial ATlanTic crossing found The ship in Lisbon, Porfugal where she Took on board The flag of Vice Admiral John J. Ballenfine Then Commander of The SixTh EleeT. AT lasT performing The Task for which The ship was de- signed The crew was kepT busy The nexT six monfhs parficipafing in various operafions including several wiTh The Allied naTions of France England ITaly and Greece Befween operafional periods The SALEM visiTed porTs in France lTaly Greece Turkey NorTh Africa and Lebanon IT was in The laTTer parT of Sepfember ThaT The new vessel by Then an inTegraTed and effechve uniT of The fleeT bade farewell To The MediTerranean and reTurned To The STaTes A shorT Three week sTay in Bosfon preceded parficipafion in maneuvers wiTh The ATlanTic fleeT The ChrlsTmas hola days were spenT in BosTon and whaT members of The crew ThaT could be spared were given leave On January 3 l95l The Gfmo Express sailed info The sformy NorTh ATlanTic bound for The Caribbean and her annual refresher cruise Her second change of command highlighTed This period as Capfain Taylor Turned over his command To Capfaln Donald C Varian March 2OTh loomed up and The SALEM made her second ATlanTuc crossing To reassume her duTies of flagship for The Sixfh Eleef As The SALEM and The NEWPORT NEWS moored Togefher genTly rode The waves aT Villefranche Vice Admiral Maffhias B Gardner Admiral BallenTine s relief Transferred his flag Once again came operafional periods in The waTers of The Tide less sea Once again The numerous porTs of call some for The flrsT Time some for The second The monThs passed quickly unTil The day ThaT her relief The U S S DES MOINES appeared on The horizon Upon reTurn To The STaTes The men discovered Thar The ship was scheduled for an exfensive overhaul Ocfober 4Th she enTered The Bosfon Naval Shipyard for a four monTh yard period CapTain William K Romoser assumed command of The SALEM on The 9Th of November relieving Capfain Varian January came The necessary mainTenance work was concluded and The reiuvenafed vessel headed souTh for anofher shakedown cruise off Cuba The ship which already had an impressive record aT The Training base in Guanfanamo improved upon IT vasTly during The nexT few monfhs Back in BosTon by early April preparafions were made for The Third Mediferranean cruise On The I9Th of April amidsf Tarewells of families and friends The gangways were Taken away The lines casT off and she was on her way once more To become a parT of The SixTh Eleef