Wasatch (AGC 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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W vl! ah V in -fa'-fi-cs S' 5' '-kwa.:-11 ,wl- K C 4 v 1 5 . A . fr is Q if hr W v i wif, z M . . My kit mf W U Ili .1 . I M V. H, W EW W W F ll Qs W N M tc W aff ml W l if 59 1 1, E DlvlsloN BY J. A. BLAIR, EM 2C urns Fighting an Any resemblance of the characters in this article to any person now living on the Wasatch is not coincidental but written with malice aforethought. The title WThe fighting E' was generously bestowed on us by our former Exec., Commander W. B. Tucker, CNow Captain Tuckerl. For further details see Captain Tucker. Our inherent modesty and native caution forbid us to say more. , Ensign W. Nepote, our division officer, brands as malicious gossip the ward- room story that he tried to improve the Exec's pistol shooting score at Lake Sen- tani. Chief Electrician Marron returned from liberty in Manila with an undying hatred for the Japs after viewing the shambles of his old retreat, The Silver Dollar. According to Hr. Marron the Pre-war Silver Dollar vied with the art museum as a cultural center. Before going any further with this article it is only fair to mention that there is no basis to the story in circulation about the writer and a certain WAC in Hollandia. He generously offered to share the WAC with his shipmates time and again. Besides, she has a beautiful soul and will inherit ten thousand dollars. Famous firsts-- Charles Russell has the distinction of holding three undis- puted firsts. He was first to go through the chow line five times fclaims he could have made six but they closed the chow linel, first to gain forty pounds after one year in the navy, and he stayed up all night to be first in line at the Exec's off- ice to check on re-enlistment. Casualties -- the first casualties suffered by PThe Fighting EW were at Manila in September, l9L5. Bill Hodge was brought back aboard the Wasatch in a . stretcher after inhaling liquid fire. After a prolonged session in sick bay, where a small flexible hose figured prominently in the first aid treatment, he was return- ed to duty. The same day B.M. Little became and am esia victim and wandered about Luzon for three days before he regained his memory and found his way back to the ship at San Fernando. Gusfsize A81 Grzegorczyk and Les Cupside downl Ainsworth tripled the movie attendance on board the Wasatch almost overnight. They resigned as movie operators we have been unable to learn the details of Charles Clan Mountainl Anderson'a prowess as mopper-upper at Panama. The mess cooks won't talk le have learned that no mops were used, and we don't mean swabs, either. F.E. Roy claims sea sickness was responsible for his need of help to board the ship at Manus and not over-indulgence in Wlron Cityn so erroneously reported by hi! 9hiPmlte5 The the e is the human interest story of a midwest boy, Roger Johnson, who n r wanted to be a gailor, He passed his physical with flying colors, but his low I.Q. relegated him to tha army, The I,C. boys in E division in compassion adopted him and he lived happily afterward on board the Wasatch Space forbids our giving a C0mD1ete hiSt0TY of nThe Fighting En. Anyone interested in the more intimate details is free to scan the brig record

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S D Dlvlslolxl - BY w. B. COLEMAN. ST 1C ' - S f This is the story of the WDW Division. As divisions go, this one is comparatively new, was conceived only thirteen months ago. Originally it was part of the WSW Division, but shortly after arriving in the SoWesPac it was discovered that the volume of transient officers and frequent changes of staffs made it advisable to divorce the Messman's branch from the Supply Department, making,it in effect into a department of it's owng and so the WDW Division was born. The first officer in charge was Lieut. Daniel Flynn, who, with the able assistance of Lt.fjgl fthen Ensignl R.C. Roberson, was given the responsibility of , forming this new group into a smoothly operating part of the ship's organization. V Not long after this, the Wasatch, carrying the flag of Com7thFlt, began pushing it's way up through the Philippines, and with each stop Cand sometimes in betweenj, we picked up officers singly and in groups who had been on other ships, and on beach parties. They all had one thing in common--they required accomodations, either overnight or for weeks at a time until they were again in a position to resume their duties in connection with the liberation of the Philippines. And so it went, night and day, rain or shine, there was always a bunk available and Cif the cooks could be found? even a hot meal for the weary' ,traveler - ' In the turnover of officers, Lieut Flynn was assigned as First Lieutenant, leaving a vacancy for a new division officer The post was soon filled by a comparative newcomer to the ship, Lt Cjgl E T. Hanson, who also became Billeting Officer a A y During all these months, we had been slowly losing various members of our organization to other ships, hospitals, and the States, always without reliefs The oncoming stafflse always had cooks, stewards and steward's mates to help share the work load, but somehow or other, they were always under complement . ' Then, during the nightmare of lightning blue welding arcs, chipping hammers, and thou sands of strangers streaming on and off the ship all of which 18 better known as a yard availability we were blessed with nine newcomers, straight from the states' Oh how we welcomed those boys They couldn't have come at a more opportune time At this time, due to a gener l reorganization of the ship, Lt Cigj Hanson became Sig nal Officer and the WDW Division was re assigned to the Supply Department as a separate component Chief Cthen actingb Pay Clerk A A Schirmer became division officer And so the war ended, and the ship kept traveling westward with everyone counting his points and day-dreaming of the future Coleman, leading steward, wanted to return to Philadelphia Morris, Wardroom Steward, shipped over Davis, Stmlc, asked for China duty Johnson, St3c, requested discharge in the Philippines Blake, St2c, worked far into the night planning his garage in New England Smith, St3c printed business cards far his new hotel in Missis ' ' ' V sippi......Jones, Cklc, set the date for his wedding to the sister of his shipmate, Hill, Ck2c Dorsey, Ck3c, with not nearly enough points grumbled about being cook, butcher, division shipfitter and yeoman Amos Kev asked for,duty on a ship gear his home in Missouri Holmes, Stmlc, gave lectures on the benefits of holding life nsurance with compounded interest accruity And Mayor, Stmlc, Crled, nThey canst dis charge me, it's against regulationsn

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i V ---1- -Qv.,..-- 1- ......M. .....-vpwmsmga-H-n-w ., -.---.---------11:-a-1-ge-f.1-v:-eq----:-ef-'. ,-., A i .. .. . Y -r - , .- . aa-.-N...gf-in-J.:z1.1:a1--:ae-.rrp-L-esyx--rn1,:...if1-- -A -- -, , ,, , , From left to right first row Fifield, Scotti, Lt.CjgD Boger, Lt. Cmdr. Alford, CGM Weaver, Petersen, and Ericson.' Second row Wilson, Wickham, Hillmeyer, Sibigtroth, Sloane, Hawkins, Gill, Stansoury, and Laveccia. Third row Wheatley, Zeltner, Le Blanc, Chace, Connors, Charles, Boileau, Robedda, and Quinn. F DIVISION ' . BY J. J. BOILEAU, FC 3C . These were the men who kept the directors aligned and the guns working, Scotti the refugee from a subchaser, with a heart of gold and a frown for every occasion, Peterson, who saw action with the army in world war one, chose the navy this time and liked the change, Ericson, father confessor, former battleship man, whose stock in trade was a worried look and an evasive answer for every Question, Sloane, twice torpedoed in the Atlantic Theatre, Hillmeyer, Wilson, Connors, Gill, Chace and Le ' Blanc, all with valuable experience behind them. Others were Robedda, Lavecchia, Quinn, Hawkins, Charles, and HRecognitionN Wheatley, capable men from boots and service schools. In the beginning, the officers were Mr. Murphy, who always had a clever story to tell, and always when a good story was the one thing most needed, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Boger.' Later Mr. Murphy and Mr. Wallace were replaced by Mr. Alford and Mr. Duda. Mr. Alford was a taut gun boss, and backed up his men with understanding. Mr. Duda supplied the Jive and made certain the magazines were as clean and shiny as his flute. New additions at Leyte were Sibigtroth, fresh from the Aleutians, Zeltner, Stansbury, Wickham and Htradern Boileau from schools. Before Borneo, Domke, Halfacre, Breck and Butler joined us, the latter two having seen months of action on carriers out here ...... Work was never easy for there was a continual fight against time, heat and rain. Many gun watches were stood from Milne Bay to the Yellow Sea, but the strain to keep alert was mercifully broken now and then by the appearance of the Japs. Ur. Alford, Mr, Schirmer and Mr, Wallace kept the watch awake and on the ball, using every conceivable method for exacting such a Boring, yet important task. Mr. Boger, soft-spoken but firm, won the hearts of everyone. Sometimes our Chief Weaver, who was a destroyer man in the early days of the war when the fighting was really uphill, checked the guns carefully and completely, always putting the boys on the right track whenever there was a question about what was wrong with a gun or how to repair it, Did he find brass to polish or painting to do? Could be ....... All was not work. A few characters like fungus Wilson would give out with gags and fun. And even if Eric and Scotti had moments of stomping hats and pulling their hair out Ca pretty tough assignment for Ericj over faults found, the good deeds over-ruled them .... Friends made, favors gladly done, loans of soap, dollars, candv from home shared by all---..If it Were be be done over again, these would be the boys one would choose for shipmates. y s