Show I Life on Midway Gay Greetings at Pearl BOg Some Social Notes II 11 C 0 C. C McConaughy l continue with an account of a 1 recent visit t to Pearl leani Harbor guest of the Secretary of Navy One of the thrills of the tho trip was watching planes take off and land on the canted deck of ot the Midway Especially at night EVery Every Ev EV- EV- EV ery cry pilot of a Navy plane Is La an expert and they jockey those big buds birds like magicians Big Shots Shota I was alone atone in a group of ot men high on the We bridge in jn pitch darkness dark dark- ness MSS watching the pl planes nes come Inne in one ne by one when I overheard a strange conversation Who are the wigs big-wigs on onboard board boar l Suddenly I realized they were talking about our group I couldn't help but eavesdrop Damfino for sure I hear they're personal reps of the Preal- Preal dent Guess Jack Kennedy wants wanta- to know how were we're doing No just stare around and take down notes I pulled my seamans seaman's heavy weather coat a little higher around my face Me a wig big-wig The TIle planes are launched from of the deck by catapult and they come in on another angle lowering a hook which catches a cable mounted on a heavy windlass which brings them to a a quick atop stop Deafening Roar If they miss the cable they have to take take oft off again and circle for lor another try On this take oft they throw in burner after the after after- for more power and the roar is one we often orten hear at Hill Field from miles away We didn't know planes were landing when three of or us left the and went out on the weather deck which is just six feet teet b below low the flight deck and is really just a little shelf shelt out on the edge of the ship Just as we reached the weather deck a plane missed the hook and took oft off with the burner after blasting full power Just exactly ten feet right over our heads Russ RUM Inness of or Lehl Lohl and Jack Sumner of Or Orem em and I got the shock of or our lives We were not only deafened we were stunned by the shock of noise We did not move for tor sev soy several several eral minutes And we could not hear for almost half halt an hour Im I'm not sure I ever fully re re- covered Marvel on Marvel There were several briefings each day Commanders took us through the he radar rooms marvels of electr electrical l ingenuity which give the ship eyes and ears oars under all i i conditions Through the he I department a marvel of planning and stocking of or thousands of items Through the engine rooms a 1 marvel of ot power It was of ot Interest to me to 0 learn that the ship manufactures Its ow own wn pure water from saltwater salt saltwater saltwater water and I asked if 11 this method methO was one ono which might be applied to civilian life lIfo They explained that it would be too expensive IThe The purifying plant accomplishes several other things while the salt is being taken out out none of them applicable to i industrial or culinary culinary culin culin- ary use I Because the ship was facing east when we boarded her at et Alameda we never got over the sensation that we were heading east Wo We wondered when whoa we would cross the Mississippi An An- i other strange sensation took to-ok pla o oat at the entrance to Pearl Harbor The channel was crowded and I we Wt had to wait walt so BO we circled several times The impression was that we we were standing still and the shores of oZ Oahu and the shipping shipping ship ship- shipping ping were sl slowly going around us In in a circle Continued on Page Three I I f NAVY Continued from rage Page One Midway sidelights Monthly payroll on the big carrier is Salaries are in cash I for lor some reason they were us usIng using using us- us bills bills ing thousands of of- two dollar I picked up several for luck luck luck- but that evening finding they brought me none I sold them again The loud speaker announced a n funeral on the fan fantail tan Highly unusual Of course An old sailor had died on land requested request request- ed that his ashes be cast cat into th ih Pacific It was wasa a complete comple e ice Absent Minded l I MacKnight 1 of Price absent stepped out but of the top bunk in his stateroom Stunned he asked where he was Replied Replied Re Re Replied plied Claybaugh of Brigham City Youre in jail Ma MacKnight Mac Knight looked about him at th the steel bulkheads and sighed By golly dolly for lor a minute I thought you were were right In high winds sailors on the I flight deck lean so far into the wind it looks impossible 0 Before we got there the ship took all the the wives on a one-day one cruise What a n ball they said Most of ot you ou dont don't e care eare re for tor statistics 1 but sec t theses these th 1 The Midway was commissioned S Sept pl 10 1945 Wayne pelt of Morgan Morgan Mor gan iv a Navy flier tIler was S supposed to go on the ship but hut war ended ended end end- ed The carrier is feet teet long feet wide at the widest Loaded it displaces 34 3 feet leet Loaded it gets under Golden Gold Gold- I. I en Gate bridge by 12 feet leet looks closer The galleys can cnn make cups of ot coffee coHee at once the men eat 2880 2890 dozen eggs a n week 5 pounds of ot food a ft day Quiet well well loved loved and most mot respected highly-respected member of our party was Bill Wallis of Vernal president of the Vernal Stake He bumped and cut his forehead in a low Jow doorway And chuckled that he would tell teU pt people in Hawaii that was where he cul cut off oft his horns when he left Utah With Kith Yet We got the traditional greeting greetIng greeting greet greet- ing from tho the Chamber u. u of Com Com- merce when We pulled pUllen into Pearl Harbor 20 harbor 20 or 30 lovely ladles ladies in grass grass skirts dancing the Hula lIula and singing lIaW llan songs The great majority of ot them were Caucasian What we didn't know was that they were going to kiss each one of at us us usI I before the cameras as we came off oft the gangplank Roy Sheller publisher from Virginia City Nev Nov and our most colorful character got the big break Camera trouble lIe He had to go through the greeting process several times Real tough Roy runs the nationally famous famous fam lam ous Territorial Enterprise lIe He dresses dresses- In expensive Western Vestern style and lIe he carried a satchel so heavy with silver dollars it it took both hands Cab drivers and waitresses in both San Francisco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco and Honolulu often orten re refused refused re- re fused to accept silver sliver dollars because they'd never seen them S 1 The admirals admiral's barge which is really a luxurious launch took us to the mainland from Ford Island and we took a bus busto busto busto to our headquarters for the next six days Pronounced Loppa Bachelor Bachelor Bach Bach- elor Officers' Officers Quarters In the days to came we returned at pm p.m. each day so pooped we adopted a little song we love you we sure do First of ot a a. series of briefings brIefing was by Admiral l John H H. Sides Side I Commander in Chief of the U. U S S. S Pacific Fleet and members of ot othis his staff This was followed by lectures demonstrations briefIngs briefings brief brief- ings lags and questions and answer periods led red by some of the most outstanding leaders I have ever known Admiral Harry D. D Felt Commander Commander Com Com- mander In Chief of the Pacific VI Vice e Admiral John S. S Thach commander Antisubmarine Defense De a atense fen tense e Force Rear near Admiral Robert L L. Campbell Campbell Camp Camp- bell ben commander Service Force Rear near Admiral Roy noy S. S Benson commander Submarine Force Lt U. General Thomas A A. A Worn Worn- ham commanding general Fleet Marine Service Dedicated Men In Every Everyone one of ot these men and every member of his staff Isan is isan isan an undisputed expert in his line lInc and every man is Is' Is dedicated tl to keeping free people free We learned how necessary if IC ICIs Is for us to keep a n de defense line near Asia Instead of near Catalina Catalina Cat- Cat alina allna Island bland the FRAM program program program pro pro- gram which works over and modernizes old vessels to save the expense of building new ones the complete completo and amazingly amazing amazing- ly Intricate ordination co-ordination of ot every branch of ot the s W We learned of ot the administrations administration's admInistrations admInistration's administrations administration's adminis admInis- plan to try to overtake the Communists in the race for possession of ot powered atomic submarines Wo We studied maps which proved points points which we wished we could drive home to every American on th the mainland points which demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate dem dem- the need for tor constant vigilance and preparation preparation prep prep- for lor war when may come comeby comeby comeby by accident or by design And we learned that your Navy Is ready There will never be to another Pearl Harbor Sweat in peace so you will not bleed beed in war is the slogan sogan It would be wonderful if it every American could learn In two short weeks to fo be as proud of your Navy as we did Newest branch less Jess than a year old is Antisubmarine Defense Defense Defense De De- De- De Force It is detailed In to Inthe Inthe the current Readers Reader's Digest Commander is Vice Admiral I John S S. Thach pronounced Thatch who like Captain CowIns Cousins Cousins Cow Cow- ins has a spectacular record a as asa asa a World War II flier First of ot several classic social activities was the reception by Admiral Sides that first Monday Monday Monday Mon Mon- day evening You never saw so much much gold braid and so many lovey lovely Navy wives in your your life We decided not to speak to to anyone less than an Admiral Joke One of the nicest things about this reception was its setting Just Jus outside the is a big patio perhaps a covered garden with tropical plants fish pools Island trees tables for appetizers a stage for entertainers entertainers enter enter- and the bar Social Note The very really nicest thing about the the- party however was meeting Mr and aM Mrs Allan Smyser J Mela ls ma managing editor of ot tho the it n U arid acid she is gorgeous and ch charming tg They wen went to the tho Islands from the Midwest several years ago just jUt to look around Like thousands of ot others they stayed Your country boy didn't eat too many appetizers because because- ho didn't want to spoil his dinner At the very last minute somebody somebody somebody some some- body t told ld him there wasn't any dinner You should have seen him stuff sturt it away at nt the last las minute Social note for tor hillbilly hillbilly hillbilly hill hill- billy Reception doesn't m moan pan an dinner It means mean reception I Further note T rant cant spell or tr and Im I'm id d lazy to look it up Hence Another r interesting person was wasn wasa a n Japanese publisher of ot another I Honolulu dally daily They said his p paper Pir is half hall Japanese half halt English Tour of ot Harbor An extended tour In tho the admIrals admIral's admirals admiral's admirals admiral's ad ad- miral's barge of Pearl Harbor Is one of a score eore of never to forgotten be-forgotten experiences A guiden guldon guide guld on Ont n t the Us l launch Uri h helped l Us to e lire again agate that m moment men of Infamy We learned how the Japs Saps were able to strike at t our most vulnerable vulnerable vulnerable erable moment We heard stories of ot heroism which we had never Imagined before before mado made morn more heroic herol by seeing the very spot pot upon which they occurred And we paused at the visible hulks of ot the Arizona and the tho Utah only battleships which were not noC recovered after tIller tho the attack A memorial Is being built tutU on ort the hulk of at the tho Arizona Always wherever we went we were Cre by two Navy photographers a a. big colored colored colored col col- col- col ored Chief from Atlanta and anda a grand lad tad from Irom Eau Claire Wis When we left lert for tor home homo wo we w were re presented with albums of photographs of ot our activities es Next week weeks We didn't malt make it today Too much to tell So next week Waikiki Beach and a night on the town and those horrible clothes |