Shea (DM 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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Now HEAR THERE MEN: A supply officer in his work comes to know the crew as well as anyone else on the ship. For my part, I feel the crew from the first days of pre-commissioning on, has been CI bunch of swell guys. I have en-joyed knowing you, working with you, supplying you-and especially drinking with yiou.-Lt, fjgj Robert I. lohnson. Doctor's Statement It has been a genuine pleasure to serve with such splen- did shipmates as the Officers and Men of the SI-IEA. My sincere thanks to you for your high degree of cooperation with the Medical Department at all times, but especially on 4 May. Many lives were saved by your intelligent and rapid assistance to the wounded. Our tributes should be saved for those men we left behind at Okinawa. May we never forget their sacrifice and promise that we will not permit another war in our lifetime.-I. W. Markson, Lt. Cjgb fMCl. My first impressions of the U.S.S. SI-IEA are very favor- able from the Captain down-everyone is congenial and cooperative, That always makes for a happy and efficient ship. There is a saying in the Navy that the two best ships in the Fleet are the one you just left and the one you are going to, In my instance, that has proven to be correct.- Robert N. Greenfield-, Lt. When once more a free man-a civilian-and asked what I did during the war, I shall feel proud to say I served on board the U.S.S. SHEA, To me it will bring memories of a fighting ship and a crew with a true fighting spirit, and real guts under the most trying circumstances,-George D. Godfrey, Lt. fjgj. , - My adventure on the high seas has been more or less exciting-what I mean is, that it is more exciting when one arrives at a new place in their travels and sees new lands that we once read about in books and which seemed so far away. It is less exciting when we settle down to the routine of keeping the ship going night and day to our next destination. I came aboard about three months after the SHEA was commissioned and at once I liked the SHEA as a ship andthe men of the crew, The technicians and myself, after a short while, came to have faith and trust in the radar and radio equipment. These inanimate objects gave little difficulty and helped us to ferret out the laps either in the air, on the surface of the sea, or under the sea -Qday or night, I feel the ship has the finest technicians to be found anywhere. A I , Roaming a newl place and: meeting new people will long be remembered. From Hawaii to Okinawa was filled daily with adventures too long to enumerate and filled with a multitude of details that linger long in one's memory. Again, it shows how one's life can be shaped by men and ships- so that story goes, everyone his own.-Charles B. Owens, Lt. fist. I . I reported to the SHEA after serving about 2112 years in what I thought was the dangerous Amphibious Force. My work th-ere kept me on board transports the majority of the time, so I was very green to destroyer ways. The coopera- tion of the men and petty officers of the Second Division, and the rest of the crew, made my duties on board the SHEA a lot easier and much more pleasant than I had anti- -I 20 cipated. As I said before, I thought the Amphibious work was about the most dangerous, but I changed my mind while we were on Radar 'Picket Duty. I have really enjoyed working with the men and officers of the Shootin' Shea , a name well-fitting the ship and her crew.-Iames A. Young, Lt. Gigi. Q-- We who have been on board the SI-IEA since she first got underway, have had a lifetime of experiences. We have had fun, and we have had our share of Hell. What has always pleased me most was the speed with which the ship became a fighting unit. In a matter of a few months, inex- perienced officers and men from all over the United States were ready to carry the fight to the enemy, and were pre- pared for the Navy's toughest battle, Okinawa, We got hit, but we trounced the laps good first and stayed in there fighting until the end. I will always look back on my cruise on the SHEA with the greatest pride and satisfaction. I am grateful to have been part of such an organization.-Richard L. Greiner, Lt. Now that the fighting is over and the main topics of conversation are n-o longer general quarters and suicide planes, I can truthfully say that I am glad it is over and that I have enjoyed my experiences on the SHEA. I regret that all of us are not here to live the peace that has been so gallantly won by our fighting men in all branches of the services. Insofar as the Engineering Department is con- cerned, it is my opinion that every man can be justly proud of a well accomplished task. As the records stand, the black gang has always supplied the necessary power fperhaps with a small amount of smokel and, considering the acute lack of experience during the first months after commissionin-g, has accomplished a remarkable job. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to each Engineer for his efforts and cooperation, and to say that my d-uty on the SHEA has been pleasant and interesting and there are many incidents that will long be remembered, -P. Dean Graham, Lt. fjgl. Now that it's all over, I mean it when I say I wouldn't have missed it for anything-and I wouldn't want to go through it again either. If you will send seventy-five cents to Red Carrigan., my under-cover man, I'll put you down for an UCIVUUCG COPY of my autobiography called Down by the Head, or The Memoirs of a I. O. , and there you can read all about life on the Dirty 30 , I'm sorry all the boys didn't come back with us and I want to express my appreciation to our men who helped fight the enemy in World War II, but particularly to the C Division of the SHEA, a finer group never lived. I hope everyone on the SHEA has a long life, health and happiness. I Now some advertising. Remember, I'm the only lawyer in the United States who has his own ambulance, so I can't be accused of chasing ambulances. If we could 'live it over again, I'd do things a little differ- euntly. For instance, over the door of the sick-bay I'd have Q Slgn painted reading Let Nature Take Its Course, Painless Markson, Proprietor, hours llUU to llO5, take -3 APC's and repo? back atul3,0U '. On the door to the after-officers coun- TFY, d paint Sleepy Hollow , which phrase I must qdmit I plqgimized from Ll- figl Kuyper, who is certainly a man grill'-9' lfl CI glass house and throwing stones, if I ever saw te. Now go to your stations all the s ' ' , , . pecial sea detail . I lc, Im shoving off, but I still out of habit say to my wifesmulclir- mission to leave the ship, Sir? -Orland H. Ellis, Lt. Q 195. 1-

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Lt. Cjgl Hcrrold E. Carlson Ensign Leo Fisher Lt, Cjgl Donald E, Bm-mer Ens. Arthur S, Brown Lt. Cjgl C, Richcrrd Calkins Ensign Walter Kirchner i Left to right' Ens Kirchner Lt, Cjgl Kuyper, Lt. H, N, Greenfield Left to right: Ens, Hornpson, Lt, Cjgj Bogofn LT U93 YCLJUDQHEUS- BTOVGUI EUS. Miller- Ens, Spencer, Ltr Greenfield, Lt. fjgl Bczrnier --I 191-

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