Yorktown Apollo Recovery (CVS 10) - Naval Cruise Book

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Apollo 8 covery ecember 27, 1968 --cl Sf' Wy, 14,9 A W Q -11,0 '39 awww Page 11 J Lil? . , :J

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Christmas Party Held November 17 l l Pmouf PRESENTED--capf J. G. Fifield pre- sented a Yorlztown plaque to uentri loquist Paul Winchell and his wooden side-lziclzjerrg Mahoney at the Christmas Party. Because of the December--at-sea period, Christmas came early to the Yorktown. Ventril- oquist Paul Winchell and his wooden side-kick Jerry Mahoney, along with Happy the Clown and Santa Claus, played by CWO-4 F. X. lssel- hardt, were onboard to entertain 700 dependents on November 17, during the Dependents' Christmas Party. Setting the fa-la-la mood in Hangar Bay One was the band from the USS Valley Forge, berthed next to the Yorktown in Long Beach. Santa Claus presented three gifts to each child. Presents ranged from large rubber balls to sweaters and various toys. The afternoon, spent in Christmas cheer, was highlighted with Capt J. G. Fifield pre- senting Fighting Lady plaques to Paul Win- chell and Happy the Clown. Boughs of holly may not have decked the hangar bay, but gift wrappings certainly left evidence of early holiday festivities. Page Three Era's Linked Together ln Pearl o 1 ' Y 5 gr,-i - t .ii A I I f, i , fi,,,...PF' YURKTUWN lN BACKGROUND--The 'Fighting Lady'I in the background. rests at a pier in Pearl Harbor across from the memorial to the USS Arizona Three era's were linked together when the Yorktown pulled into Pearl Harbor onDecember 10 and berthed next to the Arizona Memorial. The Fighting Lady brought to Hawaii 30 American planes, converted to resemble World War I1 Japanese aircraft, so 20th Century Fox could finish making the movie Toro! Toro! Toro l . The YorktovvnplayedaJapanese carrier in another portion of the film, which was filmed off the coast of San Diego before embarking for Hawaii. After unloading the Japanese aircraft, the Yorktown began loading men and equipment to complete her primary mission of recovering the Apollo 8 lunar orbit shot. Twenty- seven years ago the Japanese sank the Arizona in Pearl Harbor. So--in a period of 26 years, the Yorktown played a major part in World War H, played a major role in the filming of a movie about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and was the prime recovery ship for the first men in the world to circle the Moon. I0

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Apollo 8 Recovery Smooth The recovery portion of the Apollo 8 mission moved as smoothly as the entire manned lunar orbit. With astronauts Air Force Col Frank Bor- man, Navy Capt James Lovell, Jr., and Air Force Maj llater promoted to Lt Coll William Anders piloting their spacecraft through the final re-entry phase, the capsule splashed down in the Pacific, 1, 000 miles southwest of Hawaii, at 4:52 amfYorlctowntimej on Decem- ber 27, only 2 1X2 miles from this 25-year- old carrier. MOON LANDING PLANNED FDR i969 TheApollo 8 , predecessor to a planned 1969 landing on the moon, made the first landing in darkness since the space program began. ASTROVAUTS ARRLVE--Labouel Astronauts James Lovell LLP, Frank Borman Lwauingi, and William Anders IRI step from H5-4 helicopter after historic Moon orbit flight: while fbelowl astro- nauts Cfrom L to R2 Borman, Anders, and Louell are escorted down the flight deck between two rows of crewmembers by Capt Fifield. Phota above by Dr. jerry L. Walker of the Yorktown Dental Department. Page I2