Wasp (CV 18) - Naval Cruise Book

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P I ' g ,. Y 'rm , ,,.. ,QM .31 But our main business out here was not visiting, so we again set out to sea, up past Formosa through one of the worst fog: yet encountered. We went back to our old haunts along the Korean coast, making a brief anchorage off Pusan to disembark our guests who had learned by now not to say, l'm going upstairs . As we beat back and forth on patrol, we ioked about a tax reduction and free mail, but we knew that to the UN and the good old USA our presence was security. We didn't talk about that much, it is better to remember the laughs. And to tall: about stress and strain, well, only the initiated can comprehend that. ln February, we had a short upkeep period back at old Piedmont Pier where MOMMA had some of her machinery overhauled. And then we went through a tedious exercise which seemed the toughest of them all, because it was getting near rotation tfmo. We were proud though, for MOMMA and POPPA were the best. One more visit to Piedmont Pier, one more lthe lastl exerclw, and we were at ease. 4 One day in April, the good old BOXER came by to relieve us. We'll always look upon her favorably for keeping a promlslt And we headed home. No more lire, no more rupee, no more pesos, no more MPC, iust one American yen. One interlude remained. lt was a brief stay in Honolulu. There we again were reminded of the heroic dead as we viewbfli tl the traces of Pearl Harbror, 7 December l94l. We were proud that our inheritance did not find us wanting, nor will the NGVYQ ever lack spirit or men to carry on the inheritance of valor. An old fashioned recruiting poster used to say, Join the Navy and see the World . Well, we had and did. Cuba, Florida, Virginia, Iceland, ltaly, Suez, Ceylon, Sumatra, China, Phillipines, Japan, Honolulu and California. 9 Sometimes it was just a glimpse from the sea, ferquently we got our feet on terra firma. ' No one can ever say to us, l've gargled more salt water than you've sailed -The Atlantic, Arctic, Carribbean, Mediterran8001i Red Sea, Arabian Sea, China and Yellow Sea, The Pacific. We saw every shade of green and blue and grey the oceans cont Memories are full of contrasts, ltalian cabs, Ceylonese rickshaws, Manila busses, Japanese trains, Hong Kong WG hibachi and sukiyaki, sapphires, pearls, silk, silver, ivory, mahogany, teak, vino, tea, sake, a dozen languages, millions of faces: the vigor of the new, patina sheen of the antique, slit skirts and hula skirts, Sistine Chapel and Tiger Balm gardens: Cameo and iade, round eyes and slant eyes, Vesuvius, Fuiisan, Diamond Head, freezing and sweltering, seeing American Ballet in N0Pl95' hearing Louis Armstrong in Tokyo and the lnk Spots in Hong Kong, shimmering desert of Suez, steaming tropics- Yet, with it all, there is no place like HOME. Which is why we irtClUCle liefe The Qlfl we thought about, symbolized by our elected Mrs and Miss WASP. We are glad 10 be back to you. N21 'Tw-V P r It had been a long time, but now it seems short. . . 5. Q-' S reflect. lla wallas

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