Zellars (DD 777) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 I l 4 i I ICELAND Aproud country, whose citizens will tell you that they have the world's oldest democracy, Iceland was given great advance publicity by Captain Erikson who insisted that anyone who went ashore must visit the old Leif Erikson farm. The big flail in Iceland was the mysterious disappearance of two bags of mail. As a result, the ship received scores of angry letters from wives asking where the money orders had gone, from official sources beefing about overdue reports, and from loan agencies. Some people have all the luck Leading Seaman Buza on the run into Rekjavik Leaving Iceland, the squadron headed south towards what we on ZELLARS thought would be OUT 1aSf Stop, Newport. In and-transit, h0WeVe1', we received notice that ZELLARS would continue, through the entire cruise. We took time out for the serious business of choosing the worst sea film of the trip, and while Devils of Darkness and Captain Providence were strong contenders, Yankee Pasha WaS given the nod. In this beauty Of 3 HIC, ROTY CH1hOun, humble frontier trapperp, exchanges his coonskin cap for a turban tO flghi Pirates and unscrupulous white slave trading Calllilhs for the girl he loves. Mamie Valn Doren came on very stronginasupporting ro e. I I 28 X ll g g A

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April 18 we made a brief fuel stop in Bodo which is notable only for the goings-on up in the Signal Shack. SM2 Merrill got religion from some pamphlet he read down on the mess decks and commenced preaching love and the good life to those who had the gullibility to listen. He called the strikers son , Said that his old cohort in piracy SMI Roberts was beyond saving and even admitted that CSLW wasn't the only kind of music. People came running out of the shack as if it were on fire. He has recovered and at this writing is again his evil old self. April 23 underway midway between Norway and Iceland started as just another lazy Sunday. ZELLARS and EURYALUS were steaming together on the last leg of Operation Quick Pursuit and each was working with her respec- tive ASW helicopter. Maybe it was the beautiful day or Spring Fever or just looking forward to Newport, but the DASH went berserk and crashed. LTJG Cost sorrowfully regarded the pieces floating by while one of his technicians was commenting, Well now we have some room in the hangar. The EURYALUS' skipper felt constrained to come up on the net and say That was pretty good. My bird can't do that. The Ops Boss, LT Stakel was even moved to write a poem. A ship a she A DASH a bird lt seems to me A crash was heard. The ship still floats The DASH does not It seems to me To cost a lot. But what is cost And who is Cost For in the end They'll both be lost.

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NEWPCRT For once entering Newport did not mean sneaking in between patches of fog. It was a beautiful day for kissing girl friends and wives on the fantail and the scene was very rem- iniscent of VE Day. The happy spell was shattered by a rash of impending inspections- the Annual Supply Inspection, Ad- ministrative, PMSXMDCS, and MOTU--not to mention a Change of Command and Tender Period. Pro- testing that we were NATO didn't stop the torrent of inspectors. On May 20th, a great deal of ZELLARS departed when Captain Erikson t Erik y was relieved by Commander Norbert Felix Walczak. Erik was personable and dynamic. He had challenged the ship to follow high standards, and we were all determined to show the new C.O. that he had inherited a real steamer of a ship. ,,. Left: Commodore Visee presents Cdr Erikson with Eriks Raiders flag. Right: New Zellars CO, Cdr Walczak shakes hands with Cdr Erikson as the ship's two Commodores Captain Visee, RDN, and Captain Brittner, USN, look on. x 29 1 L ,, fi