Tazewell (APA 209) - Naval Cruise Book

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But Morpheus somehow, his grip would elude, And eternally it would seem by the brig door he stood. It was maddening to him, for through the bars he would peep, And .there would be the guard, fast asleep. At last the day Came when to trial he must go, And by now his hair had turned white as snow. He worried and fretted, but to no avail. For that had never been known to get anyone out of jail. The stage was set, the trial had begun, When suddenly the Skipper said, Where were you on the night of the 15th my little one? Oh, tothe Commissary for some Catnip, sir, When on my way back I was chased by a yellow Cut. A likely story he answered with a bellow, That would have made a bass horn sound like a one string Cello. A fakir! A fibberl Now Cat you Can't fool me I Despite my forty years at sea. I have traveled all these years and more, But I have never seen Catnip with ears and a tail on it before. The findings of this Court, I say, are most severe I know, For never more will you romp in rain or leave your tracks in snow Your playmates will miss you, over in yon alley, But the sentence of this Court must stand, And it is, that you take your meals in the ship s galley. OI-I! Spare me'Captain! Spare me! A fate that's worse than death, For the Chow that they purvey down there Smells like a polecat s breath. The sentence it would seem was most unfair and mean,

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Quietly down the gangway in the dead of night, He stayed in the shadows and well out of sight, Or else might have awakened the OOD, And the poor man would have passed out in fright. He hit the pier and let out a meow, And took one last look at the Trzzeufell, the scow, For at last he was a free cat now. Wfith the dawn's golden hue, He was foot-sore and blue. But what the heck, wouldnt you have been too? To stop for a snoozer at this time he deemed best, And so he curled up for a well earned rest. His slumber was disturbed by a dream so uncontrolled That please, if there are any ladies present, it cannot be told The dream I'll now tell, so it may serve you well, For the moral of the story is never go AWOL. The dream it would seem began like this: Shotgun had just laid his head on his paw, When out of the night, called a voice so loud and near, That it sounded like a thousand stampeding steers. It was the voice of the man who won undying fame, Who coined the phrase, what is your name?' By the scruff of the neck, old Shotgun', he did grab, And all the while saying, now cat none of your gabf' Back to the ship our friend he did drag, And very step of the way he ranted and bragged. Coming down the ladder, into the cat's ribs he did dig, And with one mighty toss, he flung him into the brig. For days without end he walked to and frog Well! Where else could he go? Ar night after taps when all was still, His poor tired body with sleep he tried to fill, 51 gxXXkXXXxy yxXXXXXXX xX 5'xx xxxxxxxxx XX xkxxxx

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For who ever heard of a cat thriving on Navy beans. He watched and waited, for he I1'1L1St soon make a break I H' For daily he was getting weaker From eating New Zealand Steak. At last his chance came, And his freedom he did gain, Though his going we knew would Cause the Crew grievous pain At this point in his dream, he awoke with a start, For there stood a bulldog unleashing loud barks. He was up and away and the hound he did Outrun, And he didn't stop until into San Pedro he had come. Now recalling the dream, he was filled with fright, And he decided then and there That he was through with the T and the fight. ln those war-torn days, he was a diversion and fun, But now the war was over and his job was done. He would settle down and Hnd a home, And never more at sea would he roam. There are some that may think him a coward, and so Taunt him with jibes wherever he may go, But the crew of the T for his honor will fight, .For his valor he proved during Okinawa's stormy nights To end this sad tale, it is just about time, So hereis the final effort and I hope it will rhyme. Now Come those dark nights, on all Seven Seas, Or wherever sailors meet to shoot the breeze, Theres one tale that theyill never fail to tell, And that is about Shotgun , AWOL. -by EzZum'afA Flynn 5 'VC 53 QxXXXXXXxyx XXXXXXXXXXX 'Sb Mxxxxxxv xx'-Xxxxxxx