Tarawa (CV 40) - Naval Cruise Book

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S+. Pei'er's, fhe archi+ec+ural masierpiece of Michelangelo, and +he world's larges+ church, is fhe hear? of Varican Ci'I'y. The church is loca+ed on 'Phe hill where legend says 'lhe Aposrle Peier was buried. Jusf beyond 'lhe righl margin of fhis picfure are +he chambers in which TARAWA sailors received audiences wi+h fhe Pope. Righ+: Brushing up on 'rheir Laiin +hese TARAWA men are iranslafing fhe inscripiion a+ fhe base of a s+a1'ue of lhe Aposrle Paul in fronl' of S+. Paul's oufside of Rome. The church was buill' around 'lhe 'lomb of +he Aposfle. Lower Righfz Helping l+aly reduce i+s dollar shorfage, and accumulaiing souvenirs, fhese Navy men and ofher members of The U. S. Sixlh Fleel' spenl' an es+ima+ed S2 million in Mediferranean counfries during rhe year l95l. The Wedding Cake is fhe nickname mosi modern Romans have given fhis conglomerafion of modern Halian arl, because when seen from a disiance if looks so much like fhe orna+e irimmings seen on lop of mosl' lralian cakes. Officially if is 'lhe Monumenf +o Vicfor Emanuel ll. I+ was in fhis square +ha+ Romans gafhered fo hear +he balcony speeches of Mussolini. ,-f ,W J,,-'ff' TARAWA sailors are sfanding in 'l'he galleries of fhe Colosseum from which ancienl' Romans cheered while gladia+ors foughi' in 'lhe pirs below. ll' was here during ihe iime of Nero fhai' many Chrisfians were mar+yred. rf

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OMR, the Eternal City, the city of the seven hills, a city the origin of which we know only by legend, is a city of many legends, but it is the city that saw the beginning of our modern civilization. Among its seven hills sit the ruins of the ancient forum where precedents were set which still form the basis of our judicial system. Nearby, partially destroyed, is the Colosseum in which so many Christians died as martyrs for Christianity. A few miles down the Appian Way are the Catacombs in which so many of these same Christians had taken refuge. Then, there are the ancient churches, of which Rome has so many. The oldest of these is the Pantheon built in 727 B.C. and dedicated to pagan gods. But the most famous, and the largest in the world, is St. Peter's in the Vatican City. These churches shelter many of the masterpieces of two of the world's most cele- brated artists, Michelangelo and Raphael. For these reasons and many others approximately a third of the TARAWA's 2700- man crew visited Italy's capital some time during one of the ship's seven stops in Italian ports. The high point of each tour was the trip to the Vatican City where the TARAWVANS bought postcards and mailed them with Vatican stamps through that city's independent postal system. And of course many assortments of Vatican stamps were sent home to be added to younger brothers' collections. There was the Basilica of St. Peteris, product of Michelangelo's architectural genius, with its walls and overhead covered with some of the world's finest art specimens. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike the most unforgettable event of the tours were the audiences with the Pope. These began with the Navy personnel following an old Navy tradition by giving three cheers for the Pope as he entered the room. This was followed with a short talk by the Pope, in perfect English, on world affairs. Then the photographers took pictures of the Pope with the Navy groups for their Mediterranean cruise scrapbooks. Rome is a city founded on legend, but from the city have come many of the things on which our western civilization was founded.

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I fir: , ' M, IUFP f 7-rg. 5 bb 2 l Gfee Purely a case of mind over malrer. No one would ever call this work. DA B Y CR ET 9. . Seajln xook go pxejo east!! aevkheq V haal so W . SW Pavel eVer K kroffhtbdox prie 'I . S . g OME TIME AGO the newspapers reported that a shasnghaied mer- chant sailor was permitted his only liberty at Suda Bay, Crete. His captor knew that he would voluntarily return to his ship, which he did. It was, therefore, with somefmisgivings that the TARAWA learned that her next port-of-call was to be this large island south of Greece. The area was populated by about 300 hardy, strangely Mongoloid- featured inhabitants derivingatheir subsistence from the sea and the parched earth.. Recreational facilities were virtually non-existent. Iniview of the low libertyvpotential the Sixth Fleet held smokers on the beach, with a different ship each day acting as host by supplying the refreshments and the entertainment. Baseball games were in con- stant session in, all open areas up and down the coast and several aquatic- minded souls .attempted swimming in the cold water. Working parties were required each morning to cart away the moun- tains of empty beer cans, littered sandwich wrappers and boxing and entertainment programs scatterednknee deep upon the hillsides. Despite the thousands of men who went ashore and the havoc created by their trash-strewing presence, the entire- area was returned to the Cretans as neat as a pin. 'l i A few middle-Westerners attempted to prove their riding ability by mounting several stray-and decidedly reluctant-donkeys wandering too near the smoker area. With the Shore Patrol in hot pursuit these would-be equestrians were soon returned to terra firma none the worse for their experience. Goats fared better by serving as camera targets along with pup dogs, cactus and small boys. ' The only apparent means of transport appeared to be a few antiquated buses and taxis and the bicycle, all of which were used in local explora- tion. The inhabitants seemed accustomed to such invasions of their desolate domain and went about their affairs without comment other than an occasional smile at our antics.