Shangri La (CVA 38) - Naval Cruise Book

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X IT IS NOT SIZE OR AGE THAT MAKES A SHIP GREAT . . . WHAT MAKES A SHIP GOOD AND GREAT IS THE MEN WHO MAN HER! Capt. Ralph Werner

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P M iw' 13 is L e 1

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t li ,A ' f v i 4 . tau 'i .1 L 541 1 5- ' 2 .i-t 4 i Jn HQ n' 'X N A 'x QS. it 'KG X !Ck .. 4, i 045, A-4-, Ns USS Hornet and struck Tokyo - a dll-'lit iitiiitlitvits tliuittlt-rt-ti off the deck Of the d t l n er runways on land bases This was in iw-iiigii'l-ttililv i'--.it lij. .itzipjv plaiics. accusloiiie 0 O g - th.. Q'JI'll,' .tit t of l.'.'-.itil Vtlir ll, on April 18, 1942, when Japan was thought to be out of range froiii .iXiiivi'ii'.iti .ltr .tttnig .lqipaii was stunned, the world was cheered, and the spirit of a ship was burn l'ni tr lt l ti- 'wvvii-vii 'who wanted to know from what base such heavy bombers were I uessl' - tltiwit, l'rt'.sitli-nt tmnkliii ltnoscvelt laughed and quipped, f'From Shangri-La, g the tiiystttxil iitiipiqi iii .lzititcs llilton in his book, Lost Horizon. lt-tl by mint-r.ii .izmiiiv Doolittle, the daring raid created a spark which was to forge thc grt-.it ttrrratt t-.- i mor. the VSS Sltmigri-La. In the ensuing six months, there began a uitissivv t'.tmp.itQn to raise money by public Subscription for a new Carrier. This was to be called thc Sf:-:'1g':-in Fund Drive for 53130 million. it liccamc every' .-1merican's dream ship. Women, children, and men gave dimes and dollars More than 5 miihmi sales people sold government savings bonds and stamps across retail counters. Here was a chance to be a part of something, to be proud . . . Vliristetiing ot the Shoitgri-Lo was to come February 24, 1944. At Norfolk Navy Yard, the l-fsscx-class carrier took shape as men swarmed over her structure with eager hands. She was going to be the iongest ship ever built in the United States. When the time for launching arrived. the wife ot Gen. James Doolittle performed the traditional honors. Also present were .-Xuthor James Hiiton and 100.000 other Americans whose hearts and lips roared bless- inns .ts their ship went down the ways into the Elizabeth River. The dream ship that em- bodied the spirit ot Americans everywhere had come true. Evetrtodav there is an air of pride and mystery wherever the Shcmgfri-La appears. But. it she was born of a myth, there is nothing mythical about the Shqmgri-La'S prowess. Her-tirst action against the enemy came seven months after commissioning. OI1 April 20. 1943. Air Group 85 lifted from the decks of Shangri-La and assumed air patrols overffask Force a8. On April 29 one of her pilots Hsplashedt' the first Jap encountered by the air group. A month later. after flying anti-submarine warfare and air combat patrol Shcmgfi- Lt: pilots downed ten Japanese planes over Okinawa. i A5 the battle Sitept tOv-'ard Japan, the words spoken in jest by President Roosevelt were fuhilled. On July 10. planes did take off from Shcmgri-La to make their first strike