Sierra (AD 18) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 17 text:

for repairs and alterations, in addition to the regular destroyers, destroyer escorts, DMS', and APD's. On Iune 26th Captain E. B. Bunguist, USN, became our commanding of- ficer, relieving Captain P. B. Koonce, USN, who was ordered to Guam for duty involving courts martial. Captain Bunguist had formerly been com- manding officer of the repair ship USS Luzon. Another memorable event which occurred while the Sierra was at Leyte was the mysterious crash- dive of a P-38 into the fantail of the aircraft carrier USS Bandolph. When the fleet was in, we spent our recreation periods at our own rec- reation center, a small clearing in the jungle. The main attractions were the native villages a mile or two down the shore. When the fleet left, we shifted our recreation to the Osmena Beach Fleet Recreation Center, where the Seabees had constructed softball diamonds and basketball courts. The more fortunate got over to Tacloban for a real look at Eilipino life on Leyte, tgrhile the officers spent their free afternoons at the DesPac Officers' Club on amar. The most momentous news of the entire Pacific war came to our ears on the night of August lUth, when the laps sent out their first l'feelers for peace. lt was such thrilling news that we didn't even wait for confirmation. Every ship in the bay cut loose with whistles, sirens, searchlights, and py- rotechnics. The band played, and all hands paraded around the boat deck in a victory snake dance. Our minds turned to thoughts of going home, but for many of us that day was still six months away. On the first of September Commodore E. E. Duvall, USN, Commander Service Division lOl, and his staff came aboard. Eive days later we left the Philippines for Okinawa and linsen, Korea. Our stay at Buckner Bay, Okin- awa, was limited to an overnight visit, so we didn't even get ashore. Sol- diers we've met since have convinced us that we didn't miss muchl Our trip to linsen was prolonged by a detour to pass clear of mined areas, and we arrived in that political hot-spot on September l5th. The Commodore became Senior Officer- Present CAdministrativeD mak- ing the Sierra gangways look like Grand Central Station. We continued our repair activities under the direction of ComServDiv lOl, but the work load had definitely slacked off. Our white uniforms made their appear- ance for liberty-the first we'd had in over a year. Ashore we bough Kor- ean money at the rate of l5 yen to the dollar and spent it freely on silk and swords. As we finally steamed out of linsen, our new chaplain, who had been chasing the ship for months, signalled from a seaplane tender, HPLEASE SEND WHALEBOAT EOB Cl-lAPLAlN GLASS. Our reply: HOUB NEXT POBT OE CALL lS Sl-lANGl-lAl, Cl-llNA. l-le caught us there. Chin-cr The trip to Shanghai was high-lighted by the sighting of numerous floating mines, several of which were exploded by the gunfire of our es- cort, the USS Spencer. We anchored overnight in the delta of the Yangtze Biver awaiting a pilot to guide us up the treacherous waterway to Shang- hai. The following day we caught our first glimpse of metropolitan China. Even before we'd made our mooring in the Whangpoo Biver, a horde of sampans had come alongside peddling their wares to the eager sailors, and

Page 16 text:

A OFFICERS CLUB AT SAMAR AFTER A SMOKER ON THE BOAT DECK. VOLFE, BELL, MR. PATTON, LENTZ, VICTORIA AND FITZIVIAURICE TI-IE CREW OF TI-IE GIG AT LEYTE

Page 18 text:

KOREAN IUNK CARRYING FIREWOOD ENLISTED MENS CLUB-IINSEN f w 1 I? LIBERTY IN HNSEN I i, 1 4 l 4 A i