Smalley (DD 565) - Naval Cruise Book

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A stern god so the Navy could enjoy some good stateside food and music. This bit of typical Americanese blended together with the Oriental hospitality of the x2 Si f gli A y t OV 5 i. E r l NE I r 1 V - 2 X f v' E K 5 nl' , W7 : Q ,. r ll i ex 4 4 fx UBut they told mc to drop the anchor, Chief! japanese went to make up the proverbial good time had by all in Beppu. So the morning of October 14th saw the close of a happy ten days well spent. Another farewell was said to another friendly town as the Smalley hoisted her one remaining anchor and pulled away to join Task Force 77 for the last time. F, 5 2 1 W J' S I A 3 l E A steep climb to the top OIAHCCIS versus Ov Division f

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t I l . --In-v me... , -dp i 1 i I mental Softball Tournament. For the finals the Commuiiieations Division inet on the dia- mond with their worthy opponents, the Chiefs and Mess Cooks. After some pretty stiff com- petition, the Chiefs and Mess Cooks Team proved they meant business and came out on top as the shipis champs. Early afternoon would witness the motor whaleboats filled to capacity heading toward the liberty landing, the white uniforms of the riders gleaming in the bright sunlight. As they stepped ashore, the men would glance up to read a sign that said, iWVelcome, U.S. Navyu and something about American-japanese rela- tions. Already it felt good to be ashore. The next thing was to find something to do. They wandered afoot through the narrow crowded streets of the city, dodging rickshaws and noisy buses, and rubbing elbows with the natives, some of whom wore kimonos while others wore western style clothes. There were countless shops and stores selling jewelry, lacquer wares, silk goods and the usual souvenirs. Some sailors had gone ashore equipped with camera strapped over the back to take advan- tage of the sight-seeing. There was always the inevitable taxi and so after a certain amount of haggling with the driver over the cost, they would pile into the cab for a tour . , 13 NE Competition increases Ul'X3N ' Cood liberty ahead around the city. The first stop was at the stern and wise old SO-foot Buddha, the largest one in all japan. His dead-pan expression was a fine target for cameras. Next the tourists went for a ride up the not-too-safe-looking cable car. Once at the top of the mountain and breathing easily again, they enjoyed the antics of the animals of the zoo and the amusements offered there. The height of this place pro- vided a big 3-D view of the whole city and harbor. After much waiting in line, they found themselves again at the foot of the cable and their taxi waiting to take them on. A large mountain entirely populated by a clan of monkeys was the final point of interest on the tour of the town. They had seen the sights of Beppu. But every city has two sides and Beppu was no exception to this very nice rule. There has to be night life. The evenings were devoted to several various spots throughout the town. To some, the commercial public baths were a high point. Beppu boasted munerous natural hot springs which made possible this new and different type of relaxation not uncommon in japan. Some will never forget the music and merriment found in the familiar KNO. li' and other places. The Army welcomed the sailors to the NCO Club at their Camp Chicamaugua

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5 w 4 1 i S We I I E I 1 4 e r L l 1 I if -'fi li fi.'f4 as Pohang Early on the morning after we left Beppu, we sighted a rickety old fishing boat loaded with excited Koreans who were franctically waving at us. Our South Korean Ensign was called to the bridge as we closed to investigate the crude craft. Ensign joeng first thought the men were Communists, but in a few minutes he revealed that they were South Koreans who claimed they had been adrift for ten days without food or Water, ever since their temperamental engine had failed them. We pulled them along- side and they swarmed aboard. The boat was about 35 feet long and looked like it might hold ten people. However, much to our sur- prise, twenty-nine dirty, hungry fishermen jumped out of it. We attached our towing line to the boat, which looked as though it had been made from Y 4 E? Jn' , f f. Fishermen fed E '31 5 j E Fishermen rescued drift wood two centuries ago, and started out for Pohang, Korea, which our translater had learned was their home. We radioed ahead to the Army and South Korean authorities and then settled down to feeding the poor lot. From the manner in which they gobbled the food and water which we gave them, their story must have been true. Regardless, all the time they were on board they were kept huddled together on the fantail under the guard of several well-armed gunner's mates. The odor in the vicinity of the fantail was nauseous, and we decided that in personal cleanliness these people were just the opposite from their japanese neighbors. Of course they had been at sea for several days, but they must have been saving up on smell for months. Nevertheless, we were very happy to bring them home. As we steamed into Pohang Hang, a South Korean Army boat met us and re- moved the delighted survivors from our cus- tody. When they pulled away, towed by the ROK craft, they were as frantic in waving their thanks as they had been in flagging our assistance. With this deed accomplished we rejoined TF77 for our last round of circular steaming. On 4 November 1953, with our patience strained and with eagerness to be on our way, we were released from 77. For the last time the Smalley entered Sasebo, where we loaded supplies and readied the ship for our long journey home.