Shea (DM 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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verdant shrubbery, the gorgeous flowers and the gay qtmos- phere. Do you still have that lottery ticket or remember the hundreds of peddlers? The posted Tips on how to behave on liberty and where to go posted on the 'midship's bulle- tin board. That was a masterpiece. It was a novelty-, for here it was almost Christmas and we were strolling around in whites perspiring quite freely, Our escort duties were renewed now with the safe- guarding of the RANDOLPH, another large carrier. Com- menced now one of the most lonesome and bluest weeks ever experienced. Many sad hearts and lonely men were sailing on the SHEA on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Understanding shipmates never question red eyes or damp- ened pillows at a time like this. However, everything was done to further the renewal of our spirits- a swell Christmas dinner, the group sing of the Christm-as Carols, gift cigarettes for all and a stalwart at- tempt by each individual to make everyone's A Merry C'hristmas . It was on December 26 that a man was lost overboard from the RANDOLPH and though a thorough search was made, we were una-ble to recover him. Every day was a busy one and time passed swiftly. Exhiler-ating news!! We were to arrive in San Fran- cisco in time to join in the celebration of New Year's Eve. We did. fPeriod.l Somehow l believe that it had some- thing to do with the end of the war. Why? Nearly every per- son in Frisco joined in a sincere bottoms-up toast which usually included these words: Here's to the end of the war this year. We knew this, definitely, side liberty for Lord knows how long and said our goodby to the good old U.S.A. that New Year's Eve on Market Street, the hospitality of the Pepsi-Cola center, the intriguing ulaissez faire of the International Settlement and the respect we developed for the people of this Frisco area because of their was our last State- open arms reception and the courteous welcome they gave to us, Here was a tingling recollection of our great country, exemplified by one of its great cities, which was to lend us courage and fortitude in troublesome days which came soon after. But our happy days on the beach in Frisco were short lived and on the 4th of january, 1945, at ll:45 a.m. we passed under the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge and steamed out into the great Pacific on our way to our great adventure. A short distance from the Calif-ornia coast we held rendez- vous with the USS, MARATHON and the U.S.S. MENARD and took over our duties as ocean escort to these vessels. We were on our way to Pearl Harbor. The voyage to Pearl was uneventful. However, we con- tinued our daily practice drills. A fighting ship must keep its lfighting edge and must be prepared for any and all unforeseen events, Most of us were awaiting anxiously our first glimpse of those beautiful pearls of the Pacific-the Hawaiian Islands, In our minds we held the fascinating picture created by songs, story and those multi-colored travel folders expounding the many wonderful features of these romantic isles. We were anxious also to see the scene of the lapanese perfidy. We arrived -on january l0th. Our first views of Diamond Head and the island of Oahu held much promise in the fulfillment of our fondest hopes. ln the har- bor of Pearl Harbor we could still see the remnants of ships that had been smashed on that fateful d-ay of December 7, l'9l4l. fl l We wondered what was in store for us now. How long would we stay in Pearl? How much chance would we have to enjoy the scenic beauties of the islands? We began to get an insight into the terrific might of Uncle Sam's mighty naval arm, There were hundreds of ships anchored here, ranging in size from small landing craft to huge dread- naughts. Here we saw the mightiest arsenal in the Pacific, which had been created in the few short months since the infamous Iapanese sneak attack. Never a group of sailors were more anxious for liberty than were the men aboard the SHEA. It materialized eventually fand we don't mean those 1600 to 1800 streamlined jobsj into a chance to see s-ome of the natural wonders of the islanfd of Oahu, Busses were provided for the men and we certainly enjoyed our first glimpses. None will soon forget the majestic grandeur of the Blow Hole, the mighty cliffs where the great battle for t'he possession of the island was fought, the awesome beauty and simplicity of design of the internationally famed Mormon temple which sat in among the foothills. Who can forget the first impressions created by the Hula dancers with their swaying rhythm and the langorous beat of the Hawaiian ukuleles. Waikiki Beach with its long stretches of glistening white sand, its fascinating surfboard riders, delightful swim- ming facilities, the n-ative fishermen who waded out into the water with seines and nets to make their catch, set in a background of clear cloudless skies is a memory we will long cherish, Many of us swore we would return some day as civilians to reside in luxury at the Royal Hawaiian hotel. Most of us were amazed at modern features of the transportation ser- vice and it was here we really found out that Uncle Sam takes care of his boys overseas. All our liberties were afternoon sessions because of the dimout. We did manage though to become acquainted with quite a few place to go. You will recall the Alexander Young Hotel, Trader Vic's, the Pearl City Cafe, and the many other little interesting spots we managed to discover. We did do pretty well on those abbreviated liberties, In retrospect, we would like to pay our tribute to one of the best org-anized Naval Supply Depots in existence, for they really gave us service in Pearl. The Ship's Service facilities there were very interesting places to visit inasmuch as they offered a fine variety of souvenirs and merchandise-the best we've seen yet, Our stay here was a fairly long one, but the days passed swiftly for we were busy making all final altera- tions and adjustments in preparation for our moving into the forward area . Most of the crew were sent to various schools on Oahu for a last minute brush-up to bring them to peak efficiency in their particular ratings. lt was here we depermed the ship for the long voyage ahead. It was here also we underwent our final session in night illumina- tion and night spotting, tracking drills, radar jamming exer- cises, shore bombardment by day and by night, and went through innumerable hours of night battle practice which was to stand us in good measure later on. We expended th-ousands of rounds of ammunition and the deadliness of our fire was becoming a source of great satisfaction to our Captain. Someiof us growled and griped at the pressure we were put under in the constant repetition of drills, firing and practice sessions but that satisfied knowing twinkle was in the eyes of Captain Kirkpatrick when he told us we were shaped up at last for the task ahead. Here we did our last practice minelaying in the Pacific. Here we had the pleasure of coming in contact with the other ships of our mine division and getting to know the men aboard our slister ships and a fighting group they Were! Many- of the fC012timzed on page 131 ll-

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i t f giaylgapfp af ifze Zfcgng. f W By JAMES E. T. CARRIGAN, QMSXC d t New York by American workmen and manned by - ' ' ' f' ht' h' , constructe a ' Thls ls the Story of Q typlcfxlhignlnierlciiinosicgef gdfghesrddj from every section of these United States and from every walk of stout-hearted, courageous men o ig p LD f t. 1 The SHEA is CI proud Shi . a ion ' D, life, and moulded together as one of the finest crews ever to challenge an f51'19Tf1Y'O our U I , ,T f h. - d d' t d t th' centur old fi htin traditions of the U. S. Navy, proud of its heritage and Q1OfY1f1g nt 1 S record O GC ,leve elccfe 0 9 Y g 9 . . - m l fhowA ments. This record is the portrayal of the fierce determination of angered American manhood one examp e o merlcans ' ' ' ' ' ' t d t th ' working as a team overcamethe savagery and tyrCII1HY Of 9f19mY CIQQTGSSJOT1 to Cfld 1U bflflglflg VIC OTY Cm Peace O elf home and their loved ones. Our crew was a con-fident group for we were under the able leadership of a man who knew his business-C'om- mander C. C. Kirkpatrick, He was a man of wide experi- ence and his every act and command inspired heartfelt con- fidence in his men. His was the rollicking, humorous, caustic leadership of the born seafaring captain-colorful, authentic, kind and knowing. There were a lot of friendships cemented and a lot of headaches absorbed during the pre-commissioning days and many of us had some wonderful times, Certainly semi-shore duty aboard the gravy train was never more pleasantly remembered. Of course, lots of work, too. Many were be- ginning to develop a fondness for this life. at sea . Then came the dawn of awakening. ff-fats off to M.G.M.l We've shared many Now, boys, this is IT , but this was our first HIT . Then came the Hshakedown cruise . Yes! We'd heard ofihurricanes, tempests, typhoons, Northeasters, but jointly wefllwswear this was the super-combination of all Neptune's evil conglomeration. From bilges to bridge, from after steer- ing to Pilot House, nowhere to be found was a man unre- sponsive to the terrific lashings of that sea. ln plain English 4just one big flock of rail birds, bucket seeking donors and never saw so many go on such a rigid diet so unanimously popular. Believe it as written, that to go through the rigors of the HSHEA s'hakedown took a great deal of the will to survive. Remember the terrific wave that smashed up so many .of ouriboys 'on the foc's'le on October 25 and had every one aboard almost believing the ship split in two. .Result the drills, GQ., GQ. and more G.Q.? Fire drills, collision drills, abandon ship drills, firing to starboard, to port, pressure, pressure, training, training-headaches, back- aches, stomachaches and bruised fingers and toes. lt was rugged, it was.tough going, it, frankly, was Hellish, but somehow we did come through it and on reflection we do know now that it was a very important contributing factor to the efficiency of one of the most unbeatable and formidable combinations in the service of Uncle Sam. T'was a weary group -of sea-farers that manned the SHEA as she- steamed back into Norfolk after that shake- down. We now were a seasoned crew, who knew now the rigors of ocean going, the strength and majesty of power nature had invested in the depths of the great seas. Even Norfolk looked good to every man and in every mind there was the thought that we would soon be on our way to the performance of the big job that .was to be done on the far side of the world, many thousands of miles from the homes we all loved so dearly. The awed feeling of fare- well that grows in a man was gnawing its way into each of our hearts. When the rumored news of a four day leave came as an official announcement from the Exec, a happy sigh and a smile from all welcomed the news, To most it Offered the opportunity to say good-bye to their dear ones for a while, to -i 10 some forever, to all of us a last vivid picture to carry in our memories during those trying, fear-filled and dull, monotonous years at sea. Goodbyes are always difficult, this one the most arduous of all. Many minds harbored the hope that we might get a break and be around at Christmas, but this was short lived. Few can forget that day in December when the Captain called his men to the fantail and in his crisp, dramatic fashion spoke these words: This is lT . The significance of these words we know. The task is at hand, we are prepared and we're going out to do it and do it well. We are a fight- ing team on a fine ship and we're going to show those laps what Americans are made of. Soon we were underway and an overjoyed crew was so surprised when they discovered we were to make New York our first stop after leaving Norfolk-only a one night stand but perhaps our last liberty in the U.S.A. Needless to say, every-one who had liberty made the most of the chance. Few who were ashore will forget that brief respite among the lights of little old New York. - Early on the morning of December l5 we set sail on our first major assignment, which was escorting the huge new aircraft carrier BENNINGTON safely to Panama. lt was a new type of work, fraught with responsibility and a reveal- ing new experience. ,Our task, other than seeing that the BENNINGTON had safe passage, was multifold. When the chicks took off and came home to roost it was our duty to stand by ready for any unforseen happening or accident, such as planes crashing in-to the sea an.d rescuing pilots from the turbulent seas. The relentless watch for attacking submarines and mine hazards made BE ALERT the watch- word. I - ' Our only stopon the route to Panama wasat Guan- tanamo Bay. in: Cuba, where we refueled, This was the scene of the first' accident we witnessed. One of the planes from the carrier dove into the sea and the plane sank in a matter of seconds. Fortunately, the pilot managed to escape from his ship and the SHEA steamed to a successful rescue. lt was a thrill packed experience, The voyage from Cuba to Panama was routine with the regular morning and eve- U'i1'1Q' G-Q-S Orflcl left ailasting impression with us of the power of Uncle Sam's air-field afloat. ,For most of the crew it was first sight of the 9th Wonder Qf the World, the Panama Canal, Here in its tropical set- Ting- lies this great modern miracle of engineering ingenuity. Here is man'sQ greatest conquest over nature, the American, Completed Work which so many for years had dreamed GPPUL attempted and died for. Few will not remember the Tf1CIJeSfY of the Gatun Locks, the Gaillard Cut and the Mira- 1 ' A killed technicians guide ships like boys f3CfY11'lg.Vtt1tl1 bath tub sailboats. And few forget that first qste of l1'beflY lfl the Republica de Panama. The many , the enchanting tropical moon, the flores Locks where s odd Purchases we made F .

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