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Page 8 text:
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1 During our tour in the Western Pacific the TORTUGAihas served a vital role under Commander Naval Forces Far East and Commander Seventh Fleet. Our assignments have included a wide variety of tasks and they have been accomplished in an outstanding manner. We have had the opportunity to visit new foreign ports and have enjoyed our association with many different peoples-Japanese, Koreans, Chinese,, Okinawans, Philippinos, and Taiwanese. We are now underway for our homeport as a well knit, highly trained and combat ready ship, fully prepared to play our part as an assault unit of the fleet. The ship has had its 'gdownsn as well as its ups but the final results are most gratifying, the TORTUGA has a high standing among those ship considered in the Amphibious Squadron Three best ship competition. I am proud of these accomplishments and, with appreciation, extend well done to all hands. L.L. DAVIS Jr. Commander, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer
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Page 7 text:
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I TRODUCTIO On the 19th of February, 1957 the men on the decks of the U.S.S. TORTUGA watched the shores of Point Loma and Coronado drop below the misty Pacific horizon. Ahead lay seven months of operation in a part of the world that has mystiiied the travelers from the Western civilization since the time of Marco Polo. Some of the men aboard the ship had visited the Far East on previous Naval tours, to many, however, it was to be a new experience and one which, judging by the advice of the old timers, would be unforgettable. ln crossing the broad Pacific the TORTUGA, with the other ships of her squadron, encountered a series of bad storms. Finally, after three weeks of plowing through mountainous seas, the ships were ordered by the Squadron Commodore to build up steam and run for the shelter of Yokosuka with all possible haste. The three L. S. D's remained together and steamed up Tokyo Kaiwan in column formation on the morning of March fourteenth. At last the long-looked-forward-to liberty in the Orient was about to become a reality. During these years of rapid change throughout the world, Japan is a particularly interesting place to visit. At the time, there are two strong opposite tendancies among the Japanese people-the desire to be traditional verses the yearning to imitate our Western World. The culture of Japan Cthe music, building design, art, dress, etc.j is much older than our own and is a very beautiful one. The Japanese have pride in their heritage and work hard to preserve it. The lure of modern inventionand manufacture has also been great to these people, however, and they have redeveloped their modern industries to such an Jextent since the defeat in World War II that they are now producing most of the items with which Americans are familiar at home. So Japan today is a combination of the old and the new. Along the same street in the same block are seen richly decorated kimonos and short modern skirts, bicycle taxis and streamlined automobiles, people seated on tatami mats and others on conventional chairs, pictures of ancient Shinto temples and pin-ups of Marilyn Monroe. While from one shop comes the traditional music of the stringed shamisen, from the shop next door comes progressive jazz and dixieland. Near the quiet preserve of a traditional religious shrine are the dancing colored lights of commercial neon signs. h A most unique and confusing port along the ship's route is Hong Kong which was visited during the week of the 19th of May. While having long been an important British trading port and resident city of well-to-do merchant families, Hong Kong has recently become the only refuge of freedom along the China Mainland. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese refu- gees have crossed from China into Kowloon, Hong Kong, and the New Provinces to escape the Communist regieme. While the dignified homes of the old merchants remain high on the hills overlooking the harbor, below live the teeming masses of Chinese immigrants crowded into alleys, market places, and old buildings. Hong Kong continues to be famous as an international trading post and a favorite activity of the T ORTUGA's crew was the purchase of fine, hand made items. As the TORTUGA was crossing the Formosa Streits, a report was received that Formosan Nationals were raiding the U.S. Embassy in Taipei. Within a week after this inter- national incident occurred, a large group from the T ORTUGA visited Taipei while on tour from Keelung. A particularly important aspect of the TORTUGA's schedule has been participation in two major amphibious exercises. Operation Beacon Hill , which took place at Dingalan Bay, Luzon, during late March was the largest amphibious operation in the Far East since World War II. Operation Lucky Tiger , during the week of the 9th of June, brought Naval units of the U.S. and the Republic of Korea together for an exercise at Pohang Dong, Korea. Included in the TORTUGA's travels are such ports as Pusan, Kagoshima, Kobe, Sasebo, and, during the return trip to the U.S., Pearl Harbor. F rom these places the men toured surrounding points of interest-a few taking leave to become yet more familiar with strange places. The ORIENTAL LOG is written with the purpose of preserving for the men with the T ORTUGA on her 1957 cruise the story of these exciting and educational months of their lives. '
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