Shea (DM 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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joyed, came San Francisco and more additions to the gang. Three new thirds came aboardt-W. D. Iones, Bill Kelly and B. M, Gillham. These fellows had just returned to the Treas- ure Island Receiving Station from their thirty-day survivors leave and were assigned to the SHEA. They had gone through Boot Camp together, went to Point Loma Radar School together, caught the DE SHELTON and all survived the sinking in the engagement off Manus, and returned to the Pacific theatre aboard the SHEA. That gave the Radar gang two seconds and nine thirds, as five of the original men had been rated coming into Frisco-Dolack, McClendon, Rowland, Williamson and White. So it was obvious that some reduction in compliment would be forthcoming. Upon arrival at Pearl 'Harbor the axe fell and Welch and McKenna were sent to the Receiving Station there. I , With the conversion of the SHEA to a Fighter Director ship at Pearl Harbor some further changes in the CIC gang was necessary and came in the form of additional men who came with temporary assignments, Three Radarmen came :rboard together with an RT, a Radioman, and three officers. All of these men soon found their places and fell right in with the crew and all soon forgot that these fellows were only aboard under detached duty, so well liked were they and so eager were they to fit themselves in with the ship. These new men were Mr. Silva, the RT officerg Mr. Barnhill, the Fighter Director, and Mr. Walsh, who was to control that new department with which all the CIC became so familiar, Snapper , or visual fighter director atop the Pilot House. Mel Stuart and Ray Thompson were both secon.d class radar- men and Wakefield came as a qualified srtiker, Leaving Pearl the latter part of February for Ulithi in the Carolines the battle dress for CIC was complete and from there on the set-up was much as it was upon leaving. The three watches were of five men and an officer. Watch l had White, Stewart, Dolack, Rowland and Iones, in Watch 2 there was McClendon, Williamson, DeStefano, Gillham and Wakefield, and Watch 3 was made up of Bates, Thompson, Kelly, Ellis and Nichols, who had been sent to Combat upon leaving Pearl from another division, he having had some radar training, Mr. Hood stood the watch with Watch I, Mr. Godfrey had Watch 2, and Mr. Love was in Watch 3. The three FD officers assisted on these watches, The trip to Eniwetok and the Marshalls was uneventful, and a splendid opportunity was presented for further cement- in.g the organization so lately formed and to acquire skill in handling the gear CIC was the order sponsibility rested The watches were tiniuous drills were and plotting all contacts. Alertness of and all realized what a tremendous re- on the fellows who manned the gear. stood in a creditable manner and con- conducted in further preparation for the coming engagement with the laps. At Ulithi 1'l'lOT9 exercises were conducted during the stay there awaiting the start of the operation in which the SI-IEA was to have a part. The only opportunity there to put the war training into practice dtid not develop. One assignment as radar picket northeast of the atoll was uneventful, but the night there in the Ulithi Anchorage when the two lap planes sneaked in, one crash- ing into the RANDOLPH, brought the war very near. CIC was man-ned for action immediately after word of the attack came over the TBS and was edge? for the Opportunity to spot a few real bogeys, but no further visits from the laps materialized. D . The events that transpired from the CIQIY .We left Uhlfu until that fateful morning of MaY 4 YOU Will fmd related In other parts of this book in more detail than we have SDCTCG for here. The fighting career of CIC and the Sl-IEA were tern- Porarily halted. There remained the week at Kerolmcl Rt19TTO -I 37 when the gaping holes in the ship were patched, decks re- placed and bulkheads rebuilt temporarily to make her sea- worthy for that long trek back to the States and home. The memorial service for those of our boys who were killed was an impressive ceremony, held, as it was there on the boat deck while tied alongside the repair ship at Kerama. It was a meagre thing the ship could do for them there in return for what the boys had given, but the surviving fellows put their spirits into it as they probably had never a sacred service before, and a tribute to their memory came truly from the hearts of those present. The long voyage back was uneventful. Combat was far removed from the classic setup which graced the super- structure deck when the ship put out for the Pacific, The gear was repaired to where she performed after a fashion, most of the trip without a gyro as- that part of the gear was the last to be repaired, and the Plot was out, so all you six-raids-a-minute plotters visualize yourselves plotting all contacts and keeping station under those conditions. Venti- lation was poor and life in CIC was not the best on the ship by any means. But watches were stood in an alert fashion and every use was made of the facilities at hand. The per- sonnel was decimated almost to the point of extinction. Two men on a watch with one officer. Mr. Hood had been killed and Mr. Moore from Plot came up to stand his watch. At Ulithi the Figher Director team was transferred to the beach and that took three of the remaining Radarmen, but the ship came on in, with stops: at Eniwetok and Pearl, each succeed- ing port becoming more attractive and much like the attain- ment of a long-lost dream. Then San Diego, and the first replacements for those lost in battle. Dwight Iohn William Burgener came as the only Radar replacement, he just com- ing from the San Diego Boot Camp and a course in Point Loma. From San Diego to Panama and then to Philadelphia came a lot more dead reckoning plotting but the gang en- dured it and acquired a lot of practical experience which in school had only been something of a theory. But Philadel- phia with its long availability in the yard-, the leaves granted to all hands from there, and the easier life which was per- mitted there in the barracks was a fitting reward for all the hardships and privations undergone in the Pacific. Then came the last changes to the personnel of CIC up to press time. A, T. McClendon, Ioe Dolack and Ioe Bates were returned to the ship after long periods int various hos- pitals, but McClendon and Dolack did not fully recover from their injuries and both received medical discharges. Struck came aboard as a new second classy Bill Hubbard and Paul Ries came on tran-sfers as rfew thirds, and Iacobs and Watson were the new strikers. With this leave will be taken of a group that has d-one much and seen much together. Through the days of pre- commissioning, Seawall, Little Creek and the Mayflower, Brigantine, then the long life at sea aboard the SHEA, friend- ships have developed which will last through the years. Examples of congeniality and un-selfishness have resulted which should make examples of peacetime living. To all those fellows who have been aboard at one time or another the best wishes of all are extended, to the wounded go the warmest good Wishes of those remaining, and to the be- reaved family of Iohn Rowland, a real Buddy, Combat ex- tends its heartfelt sympathy, But to the new fellows aboard now and all those who through the years to come will take the SI-IEA on through her frothy path on the deep is ex- tended the hope that they will ever keep Combat that place where accurate information is dispensed with dispatch and that the traditions of the original crew will be carried on. 1-

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THE ONLY Znd DIVISION ABOARD SHIP The 2nd Division consists of about 30 men now. Besides the men Who Were discharged and transferred, it Will be impossible to mention all names. The 2nd Division is the Deck Force in the after-part of the ship, Which takes in seamanship and upkeep of that part 'of the ship, Before anybody Was discharged or transferred, Cross, BMlfc Was L.P.O. of the 2nd Division. Then Daily, BMlfc, transferred from the U.S.S. TRACY, D.M.S., came aboard the SHEA. Cross Was put in charge of lst Division, Daily Was put in charge of 2nd Division. He Was discharged after the Okinawa Campaign . Haynes Sinatra Waters, BMZXC, stepping out of the position of M.A.A. of the mess-hall, taking the place of Daily, BMlfc as Leading Division Petty Officer, But . . . Sinatra Waters is also discharged, so Iimmy Ransom, BM2fc, transferred from U.S.S. AARON WARD, DM., to the Shooting SHEA in the Philadelphia, N. Y., is noW L.P.O. of 2nd Division, He has five Coxn's to help him along: Natural Pikul from Chy , Who made the rate of Cox. aboard a Destroyer Escort in the North Atlantic , comes from Chicago. Four Piper Iarrell, Cox., Who is also from Chicago, holds the Presidential Unit Citation , Big Deal Haus Cox., from Colorado, made his rate aboard the Shoot- ing SHEA and Was married shortly after. Eyes Moore, Cox., Who is our motor-Whaleboat Cox., has intentions of becoming a detective in civilian life and also has intentions of shipping over fcr another six year cruise. Undecided . Stephens, Cox., Who made his rate by running an L.C.V.P., is noW a member of the 2nd Division. With the help of these five coxswain, Iimmy Ransom, BM2fc, hasa snap. ik ik Sam Wade, S2fc of the 2nd Division, Was in the Navy in l927. He is now in the Navy again With his l9 year old son, Who holds the rate of a Cox. Cgood manl and helped us Whip our tWo common enemies. Hudson., S'2fc, Whom We call Rat Legs because everyone doubts Whether he can get in a foot locker and close the lid or not. P.S.-He can. The folloWing men of the 2nd Division Were Honorably Discharged: Daily, BMlfc, Sinatra Waters,.BM2fc, Vant Hul, Cox., Professor Hoffman, S.2f'c, The Lip Callicutt, SZXC, Carrot Top Green, Slfc, Farmer Smith, I. W., S'2fc, Stof'o Torelli, S'2fc, Old Man Hollaway, S'2fc, McGeeney, Slfc, and Goodwin, Sl2fc. The folloWing men Were transferred after being Wounded at OkinaWa : Oliver, S'2fc, Holdbrooks, S'2fc, Vail, Slfc, Moore, S2fc, TeW, S2fc, Wade, A. K., S2fc, and Woloshuk, S2fc, Editor's Note-These so-called Deck Divisions contain the real sailors, men of the sea, Whose duty is primarily the up- keep and safety of all things pertaining to seamanship. In addition, they are right there When the going is tough, and theirs is the heartfelt and hard Won admiration of the entire personnel of the ship for their steadfast qualities. L ' Pikul, Cox, is GUNNERY GANG No more important unit exists on a fighting ship, Keep- ing the guns in perfect order under all conditions is a very big job. There is always plenty of Work to be done. The record of this ship aptly testifies to the fact that our Work Was performed in a very creditable manner. We believe We have had more laughs and fun than anyone on our beach, orliberty excursions. We'd also like to express appreciation of the assistance rendered us by the other divisions in the battle hours. We're proud of our ship and our associates- officers, chiefs and the rest of the creW. ' Happy Lynch . , , a fit running pardner for Mr. OWens. Slack IaW Davis . . . he needs a mine Winch to take in the slack in his jaws When he awakens. Teeth Woodby . , . the fightenist man in the o Div., fcr the harm of the ship only. Scrooge Becker . . . next to Metcalf is the tightest man in the Navy. Old man Casbier . . . the only man in the Navy that has to cover his face at darken ship. Bugs Bunny Finch . . . the only man that can eat an apple through Venetian Blinds. Pour by three and a half Peck . . , he Wears muzzle bags for dungarees. Grand dad Cheat- Wood . . . a very happy newlywed. BGfUCldled Yoflce - ' - never knows W1-mfg going on, tells it all over again. Slew tom Bgrrau , . . too much Wading in Louisiana Swamps. Bro, Richards . . . home WGS never like Ml- 3- Weep -I 39 Grammiconi . . . four cylinders was not enough. Slosh Felton . . , going 'back into civilian life, has no time for class. Spadefaced Kane . . . the only man in the o Divn. that has both looks and brains. Chief Reliable Wilkes . . . We'll 'leave our kids in his hiands. Casanova Dyal . . . With curly hair he couldn't lose. Tex Greer . . . With a heart as big as the State, Slim Griffith . . . after chief, the years the Navy Will offer possibilities. Handle Bar Knaus . . . good luck to a good man. Killer Pesenta . . . God's gift to the Women. Rebel Mays . . the Civil War Will never end. Short Stuff Gunnel , . . little but loud. The Gunner's Mates of the SHEA, 60 per cent of the original gang are still the fightenest and shootenest bunch of any in the Navy. The ones that have left us to pay the Supreme Sacrifice are sadly missed. Those Who have been assigned to differ- ent duty and returned to civilian life Will remem-ber the days We all fought together as a team on the shootenest ship in the Navy. The ones that are carrying on noW Will try to keep the good name everyone has contributed to the Gunner's Mates of the SHEA. The Gang. 1.-