| VOL. II | Sunday, 28 June 1942 | NO. VII |
Article Index
- Battleships At Shangri-La Base
- Charlie Horse Negative
- Obedience
- Who's Who
- Laundrymen Versus Barbers
- Your Mirror
- The Best Solvent
- Be Kind
- "Sighted Sub Sank Same"
- Condolences
- To Those Back Home
- The Construction Department
- Around The Ship
- On The Swanee River
- Meritorious Service Wins Promotions
- Keep On Keepin On
- Cougar Capers
SHANGRI-LA BASE
ShrangaLa, the paradise which President Roosevelt has borrowed from Author James Hilton so as to bedevil the Axis powers, grew in military importance recently.
The President disclosed that Shangri-La not only was an air base – the take-off point for the American plants that bombed Tokyo --but a naval base as well.
The big secret came out at a White House press conference, when the Chief Executive was asked if he would like to help out a Nazi broadcaster who, in a fishing expedition the other day, announced that the American battleships Washington and North Carolina had entered the Mediterranean by way of Gibraltar and left it by way of Suez.
Yes, the President said, the two men o' war were on their way to Shangri-La. Asked what was going on there, the President said that there were dry docks there.
The President first used Shangri-La in an allegory when he was asked about the American bombing of Japan. Eyes alight, he told of having had dinner with a sweet young thing who wanted him to tell her all about the bombing. He said he told her that the planes took off from Shangri-La, and he added that she believed him.
Twenty or more officers recently responded to a call by the manager Commander W. M. Hobby, Jr., to work out for places on an officers' softball team.
A request for official authorization to play an officer's softball game resulted in a message granting permission that was worded something like this:
"AFFRIMATIVE BROKEN LEGS AND CHARLEY HORSES NEGATIVE".
There was considerable interest in the workouts and a lot of enjoyable exercise and fun.
MEN AND officers must obey no matter what cost to their feelings, for obedience to orders, instant and unhesitatingly is not only the life blood of armies, but the security of States and the doctrine, that under any conditions whatever, deliberate disobedience can be justified, is treason to the Commonwealth. |
Hobbies of Washington Personnel
Vocation and hobby are combined in the interests of Lieutenant (junior grade) C.R. Knowlton. His chief interest lies in the field of radio. As a "ham" (amateur radio operator) on the outside, he established a record for constant two way contact east and west with a 160 meter transmitter located in the New England States. He was also one of three operators to establish contact with England on the same outfit. Mr. Knowlton was a sales engineer for Delco Products, a division of General Motors, before being called into active duty as a member of the Organized Reserves.
Attending Bates College in Maine where he received his B.S. degree in Physics, Mr. Knowlton was a four letter man--playing running halfback in football, forward on the basketball team, infield in baseball, and field and sprint man in track. He was in the Olympic Trials and won the New England Intercollegiate Championship in the broadjump. He studied football coaching at Boston University. For three years he was Physical Educational Director for a C.C.C. outfit. More recently he attended the Naval Academy post-graduate school. He is married, his wife residing with her parents in Dayton, Ohio.
Don't Spread Rumors.
You Might Guess Right
On a day made to order recently for a spectacular sporting event, the Barber Shop softball team with the aid of the Tailor Shop personnel plus the Ship's Service bookkeeper, nosed out the Laundry softballers in a tight pitchers' battle before a crowd of spectators numbering seven, to the score of 22 to 16.
Speedball pitcher Oyos with catcher Boles behind the plate for the barbers had superiority over the battery of Speer and Snelling for the laundrymen. Oyos had complete control for the duration of the contest while on the other hand, Speer did a neat job of pitching but the lack of proper support sealed his doom.
The game was featured by home runs throughout. Boles and Deno collected two each and Pascucci one for the winners. Harrison, Snelling and Wiley each slammed one for the losers.
The highlight of the game came in the sixth inning when Manager Mouton of the Laundry team had a fly ball hit to him. Who would have thought that he could have caught it? "He didn't," and as a result made a spectacular force-out play at second.
Manager Orlando of the Barber Clippers clipped a few singles himself to let the boys know that there is at least one good playing manager left in big league softball.
The Laundrymen have requested another game on the grounds that the Barbers needed help from the Tailors to win but Orlando refuses to comply because if he lost he would probably have to go into hiding; like the Laundrymen are now.
| YOUR MIRROR |
Life is a mirror of king and slave Then give to the world the best you have |
THE BEST SOLVENT
Have you ever stopped to realize that the best solvent for worry is work? Throw yourself into your job, master its details and in addition to serving your ship and country better, you will be rewarded by contentment.
Work is healthy! You can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not movement that destroys the machinery, but friction.
An article in Harper's magazine once gave a detailed study of causes which contribute to serious illnesses. It indicated that many deaths are provoked chiefly by worry over matters which never repay the time wasted on them, and which breed a race of brooders prone to disease and death.
Have you ever noticed that the men who do a tremendous amount of work and who really amount to something have learned how to take things in their stride -- and "take it easy". They might be busy and have myriads of affairs waiting on their attention, yet they somehow emanate an effortless manner in handling their affairs. Lincoin, President Roosevelt, Edison, Ford, typical Americans all, yet all of them stamped with that indefinable ability to get things done without worrying about them to the extent that they are deeply affected in their next task.
Be matter of fact: first get to the bridge, then cross it.
And meanwhile, don't worry whether you get to the bridge or not.
What does your anxiety do? It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; but it does empty today of its strength.
| Be Kind |
 Be kind! It's so easy to make asarcastic remark that may hurt a shipmate. Besides, sometimes a man is notbeing so brilliant as he thinks. "Just because the tongue is sharp It does not meanThe mind behind the cutting tongue s likewise keen. |
Donald Francis Mason, 28-year-old enlisted man who recently radioed his base the terse alliterative message "Sighted Sub Sank Same", was promoted to Ensign and decorated a second time on April 1st as officials credited him with one of two more Axis submarines sunk by U. S. Navy planes patrolling the Atlantic Ocean.
Four men who flew with Ensign Mason in his two successes against Axis submarines, have been promoted for meritorious conduct in action.
Two were made chief petty officers, and two were advanced to petty officer, first class. All were commended for "excellent assistance" given the aviator in carrying out the two attacks.
The four men are:
Algia Milton Baldwin, who was advanced from Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class to Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate.
Albert James Zink, advanced from Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class to Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate.
Albert Emil Jurca, was promoted from Aviation Machinist's Mate 2nd Class to Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class.
Charles Darwin Mellinger, was advanced from Aviation Radioman 2nd Class to Aviation Radioman 1st Class.
Baldwin served as co-pilot when Mason scored his first triumph, while Mellinger was along as radioman. In the second attack Mason had Jurca as co-pilot, Mellinger as radioman and Zink as a crew member.
For his first success Mason, an Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class, was advanced to the rating of Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate and given the Distinguished Flying Cross. After his second triumph he was promoted to Ensign and a gold star was added to his cross -- the equivalent of a second cross.
"How old would you say she is?"
"Oh, somewhere in the middle flirties."
All hands extend deep sympathy to John J. Wykrent Sea 2c at the loss of his father and T. J. Parcell, E Div. at the death of his grandmother. Wykrent's family lives in Niagra Falls, New York, while Parcell's home is at Martinsville, Virginia.
On the mid-watch long and dreary, My thoughts were of you today. So pardon the sentiment if I write to say: --
"You are there" "I am here" "We will meet again some day" Here's to the land of the oak and pine, |
In the olden days the English called their First Lieutenant "The House Maid". We are sure that there are times when our First Lieutenant feels that he is holding this position, but we all know that his duties cover a much larger field than just seeing that our house is kept clean.
About 1800 job orders have passed through the mill of the Construction Department since commissioning, not to mention the numerous large and small jobs performed without job orders.
Several small units make up this Department, each unit having the specialists qualified to perform the tasks required of it.
The Repair Gang, consisting of the shipfitters and carpener's mates, take care of the manufacturing, repairing and altering of wooden and metal parts of the ship.
The sailmakers take care of all the canvas work.
The interior and exterior decorators, that is, the painters, do the high priced paint scrubbing, or better said, preserving and beautifying.
The Marlin Spike Gang, hiding out in the Forward Hold, is responsible for the upkeep, care, preservation, manufacture and destruction of ground tackle, also for basket weaving. It is understood that this gang also has a small touch of paravane infection.
The name "Damage Control Unit", is somewhat self explanatory. Its duty is to prepare for, as well as repair, damage caused by the enemy. Under present conditions and on this type of vessel, this is the most important unit of the Department. Don't misinterpret this; you must understand that our primary duty is the "offensive", which is taken care of by the Gunnery Department, but close behind that is the "defensive", where both Gunnery and Damage Control must play a part.
We won't forget the Band, which also helps make up the Department. It need not be necessary to explain in detail the duties of this unit. The Band has more than proven its worth. Its duty is making a dance a dance and a party a party as well as keeping a lift under the morale of all hands.
There could be something said for the side cleaners but now that the Commandant of Side Cleaners has found that there are numbers painted on the sides of the ship, we are sure they are observant enough to find the dirt spots.
"Sharp" Schoemaker, the Print Shop Poet-Laureate, now considers himself a connoisseur of baked goods. Seems that he would rather eat cake.
"Star Gazer" Pescott of the Navigators, recently celebrated his first wedding anniversary standing the mid-watch. He had plenty to say about it, but not for general consumption. He'll have to get used to it, however, being a prospective 20 year man.
"Red" Yanaway of the 7th Division, while in one of his more relaxed moods, recently was offered an orange. Without looking up he asked if it was peeled.
And here's another one:
Sarge -- "What do you do for a man suffering from shock?"
Red--"Transfer him to the Shock Troops."
"Soothsayer" Knoble of the Gunnery Office, reads palms. Will tell the past, present, and future of all hands. Maybe he will look at the caulk lines in the deck and tell us what the straight dope is.
Mr. Cadwalader, Mr. Turner, and the "L" Division assisted by the carpenters, have done a fine job of reconditioning a sailing whale boat. In a trial run, all went well though Mr. Turner seems concerned about the rigging being a bit flimsy.
| ON THE SWANEE RIVER |
I took my girl out one night In the canoe we went The moon at us gazed kindly |
--A.V.C. Bible, Mus.1c
WINS PROMOTIONS
Twenty enlisted men of the Navy have been advanced in rating for meritorious action during an attack by enemy bombers on an aircraft carrier which was part of a Pacific Fleet task force that raided the Marshall Islands last February.
Seven of the men advanced were members of the crew of a machine gun battery which shot down one of the bombers as it attempted to crash onto the flight deck of the carrier, and the other 13 were advanced in rating for quickly extinguishing a dangerous fire which was started when fragments from a near bomb miss punctured gasoline line on the hanger deck.
The fire and the bomber's suicide plunge were almost simultaneous, and the members of the machine gun crew, after downing the bomber with a hail of bullets, helped extinguish the gasoline fire nearby. The blaze was extinguished in less than four minutes and did little damage.
Two aviation machinist's mates, third class, Clayton Reynolds Church of Long Beach, Washington, and Lyman Harold Johnson of Los Angeles, California, led the fire fighters and were advanced two ratings "for exceptional leadership and promptness." The others were each advanced one rating.
The members of the crew of the machine gun battery are listed below with their new ratings:
Names
Robert Grant Crawford, Seaman First Class, U.S. Navy
Raymond Gano Easterling, Storekeeper Second Class, U.S. Naval Res.
Victor Marionni, Coxswain, U.S. Navy
James Kenneth Peters, Seaman First Class, U.S. Navy
Bion Dugar Roberts, Jr., Seaman First Class, U.S. Navy
Harold Joseph Spradling, Seaman First Class, U.S. Navy
Virden Ray Wilcox, Storekeeper Second Class, U.S. Naval Res.
These men - were commended for meritorious action as follows: "As a member of the crew of a machine gun battery, during an attack by enemy bombers, performed assigned duties with exceptional coolness and continued firing at enemy planes within range with serviceable guns. It is considered that the fire of this battery was invaluable in causing the destruction of the Japanese bomber which attempted to crash on the flight deck a few minutes later. After the attack all hands joined in putting out the gasoline fire in this vicinity."
The other 13 men advanced in rating are listed below with their new ratings:
Names
Thomas Earl Clary, Aviation Machinist's Mate, Second Class, U.S. Navy
Carl Alvin Henrikson, Aviation Machinist's Mate, Third Class, U.S. Navy
Charles Richardson Hummel, Aviation Machinist's Mate, First Class, U.S. Navy
John Jenkins Hurt, Aviation Machinist's Mate, Second Class, U.S. Navy
Paul John Lewis, Coxswain, U.S. Navy
William Irvin Morrison, Aviation Machinist's Mate, First Class, U.S. Navy
Glenn William Phinney, Jr., Aviation Machinist's Mate, Second Class, U.S.Navy
Guy Alexander Trisler, Aviation Metalsmith, Second Class, U.S. Navy
Robert Lester White, Radioman, First Class, U.S. Naval Res.
Hubert Shenwood Whittington, Painter, Third Class, U.S. Navy
Roy Milton Yoder, Shipfitter, Second Class, U.S. Navy
Lyman Harold Johnson, Aviation Machinist's Mate, First Class, U.S. Navy
Clayton Reynolds Church, Aviation Machinist's Mate, First Class, U.S. Navy
All of these 13 except Church and Johnson were commended as follows:
"During a bombing attack there was a near miss off the port quarter, fragments from which punctured a gasoline line causing a fire. These men, who were in the immediate vicinity, promptly proceeded to fight this fire, which was completely extinguished four minutes after it started. It is considered that the work of the personnel engaged was most commendable and in keeping with the best traditions of the naval service."
Hear Everything
See Everything
Say Nothing
| KEEP ON KEEPIN ON |
If the day looks kinder gloomy, And the situation's puzzlin', And perplexities keep a-pressin', Just bristle up and grit your teeth Fumin' never wins a fight, There ain't no good in broodin' in Smile just kinder cheerfully And bristle up and grit your teeth There ain't no use in growlin' When friends're around you everywhere Just keep on smilin' cheerfully And bristle up and grit your teeth |
The Boss's lament on the absence of his Secretary (sung to the tune of "My Bonnie"):
My tYpust is on her vacation
My trypist's away for a week;
My trypis us in her vscarion
8 Wile thsee keys plax hyda ans go seej.
Choris :
Bren bock, bting bzck
Oy, brung beck mub Onnie ti my, tp my;
R)&ng b 4xj, be-ng bicz
Oj, bvong bosk m-belnio-l mx --
Oh helk.
Cowboy: "Do you prefer an English saddle or a Western?"
Dude Rancher: "What's the difference ?"
Cowboy: "The Western saddle has a horn."
Dude Rancher: "Then I guess an English will be all right--I don't expect to do any riding in heavy traffic."
"I've got a pretty distasteful job before me," remarked the genealogist. "Mrs. Newrich employed me to look up her family tree, and I've got to inform her that one of her relatives was electrocuted."
"Oh, don't worry about that!" said his friend. "Just write that he 'occupied the chair of applied electricity at one of our public institutions."'
