0

=AZINE OF THE U.S. NAVY

Seaman to CNO

w From the Sea ... 1944

Port of Call: Jamaica

JUNE

6 JUNE 1944 ENTER OR LOUNGE IN WARDROOM ODT OF WlFORM

SIT DOWN TO MEALS BEFORE PRESlDlNO OFFICER SiTS ASK 'R) BE EXCUSED IF YOU DOWN (EXCEPTION: BREAKFAST) DO MUST LWE BEFORE MEAL SOVER

L LOITER IN WARDRoOM PAY MESS BILLS PROMPTLY DON'T DURlN6 WORKING HOUR5 DO

3 AVOID DISCUSSION AT MESS OF Do RELIGION , POLITICS, LADIES Reprinted from the July 7944 "All Hands" magazine. JUNE 1994 NUMBER 926

Remembering D-Day It was the largest amphibious operation in military history and the turning point forthe Allies in Europe during World WarII. The assault from the sea at Normandy, made50 years ago this month by our fathers an grandfathers, is the basi Marine Corps team’s str

century. See Page 8. I

PERSONNEL COMMUNITY 4 The CNO on .... 32 Operation Remembrance 6 Stand up and be counted 34 Let the good times roll 36 GW delivers the mail OPERATIONS TRAINING 8 From the sea ... forward presence 10 Amphibshit France 38 Theinternal inferno 18 Normandy ... A personal remembrance 40 Dollars and sense for sailors 22Marine combat divers 42 Illness: what we know 25Earthquake! LIBERTY CALL 28 Lively up yourself in Jamaica

2 CHARTHOUSE 43 TAFFRAILTALK 44 BEARINGS 48 SHIPMATES

Next Month: Maritime Intercept Operations

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HI Placement Assistant Program. This The program is part of the Navy’s , program, more commonly called manpowerstrategy to reduceforce ‘I I “Troops to Teachers,” will help finance structureusing only voluntary separa- ’ New DoD smoking policy teacher certification training for tion, and authorizes commanding I separated servicemembers, terminat- officers (COS)to grant up to six ed DoD and DOE civilians and certain months early separation without

A new far- displaced defense contractorincentive. employ- monetary 1 ?aching, ees. They in turn, will be placed as Personnel must have an End of noke-free teachers and teacher’s aides in Active Obligated Service (EAOS) date workplace schools who serve children from low- before Jan. 1, 1996. COS have final policy banning income families and are experiencing approval authority forall requests from smoking teacher shortages. personnel. Requests for separation of tobacco To be eligible for the program, from servicemembers with more than products in all military members musthave served at six months remaining on active duty, DoD work least six years on active duty priorto and from personnel with a current places release from the service, have a extension, must be forwarded to the worldwide service record that will leadto an Bureau of Naval Personnel. began April8. The Navy banned honorable discharge and apply no Personnel assigned to decommis- smoking in Navy-controlled work later than one year after release from sioning units or change of homeport areas, effective Jan. 1, 1994, (AINav active duty. Civilian employees of DoD can request early separation regard- 131/93 of Oct. 21, 1993). must be facing termination as a result less of EAOS. Smoking will be allowed, under of the drawdown or base closure and limited conditions, in military barracks, may apply no later than60 days after family housing, prison quarters, clubs, termination of employment. recreational areas and restaurants. Applicants must have a bachelor’s The new DoD instruction allowsfor degree to qualify for the teacher designated outdoor smoking areas portion of the program. Military that are accessible to workers and personnel who do not meet the provide some measure of protection education requirement at the time of from the weather. discharge have five yearsto earn their The Navy’s policy also restricts degree. smoking in living areas with shared Interested individuals may apply at ventilation systems. Designated base education centers and at offices smoking areas must be away from air handling transition assistance. Addi- supply intakes and building entry ways tional information may be obtained More informationis available in so that smoke will not be recirculated. from: Defense Activity for Non- NavAdmin 031/94 or from command Smoking policies for and traditional Education Support career counselors. ships are addressed in the AINav. (DANTES), 6490 Saufley Field Road, ”. Additional details on the new policy Pensacola, Fla. 32509-5243, or (800) .c “ can be found in DoD Inst. 1010.15. 452-6616. Officer selective early , ~ . -

retirementplans to be I TRANSITION announced Six month early out offered to enlisted lloops to Teachers personnel The Bureau of Naval Personnel program gets underway (BuPers) will soon release a NavAdmin message about the future of the As part of the Navy’s effortsto Officer Selective Early Retirement (0- Secretary of Defense William Perry reduce end strength without affecting SER) program to assist SER-eligible recently announced the implementa- readiness, six month early outs are officers. The O-SER board for FY95 is tion of the Teacher and Teacher’s Aide offered to enlisted personnel in FY95. tentatively scheduled to convene in

2 ALL HANDS -* December 1994. available detailer or rating assignment O-SER boards, examine the officer. If they are not available, a Navy family members personnel records of all SER-eligible message will be taken and the call will acknowledged officers, and follow procedures that be returned during the designated mirror those used by promotion period. If this time is not convenient, a boards. There were nearly1,600 return call will be made during the The importance of the military commanders and 900 captains next night detailing session or at a family to overall readiness and the eligible for SER during FY94. Of those, specifically negotiated time. well-being of service members was 209 commanders and 149 captains If you need to get in touch with your recently recognizedby Assistant were selected for early retirement. detailer and you are not in the PRD Secretary of Defense Edwin Dorn by Officers selected receive full retirement window, try calling during the after- directing all services to replace the title benefits commensurate with their rank noon in Washington, D.C., of the “dependents” with family members, and years in service. week following the new requisition spouse, parent or child whenever week or during night detailing ses- possible. sions. The Secretary noted that the title CAREER BuPers Access (electronic bulletin “dependents” is perceived as deroga- board) is another option. Items include tory by many military family members Enlisted detailer advancement results, rating specific and doesn’t accurately reflect the calbback policy bulletins, electronic mail boxes for many important contributions made by notes to detailers and general informa- family members on the military team. To facilitate accessto detailers for tion. those in the PRD window, the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BuPers) enlisted assignment division has implemented the following procedures: Switchboard operatorsare manag- ing the number of calls on hold per detailer to minimize waiting times. If your detailer has calls waiting, you will be questioned by the switchboard operator on the natureof the call. Calls that can be handled by another detailer will be transferred to an available detailer. All calls from outside the will be routed to an available detailer or rating assignment officer. If you must talk directly with your detailer, the switchboard operatorwill ask for your name, social security number, phone number and request. The detailer will try to return your call the same day between 2:30 and 3 p.m. (EST). If your detailer has reached their Gall-holding limit and has call-back messages scheduled, you will be told when to try again. Calls from the Western Pacific, , Mideast or Mediterra- nean regions will be routed to an

JUNE 1994 3 PERSONNEL I The new CNO on ... Becoming CNO ADM Mike Boorda “I’m happy. I think anybody would be happy to be able to serve our Navy men and women in an- the way things are. Those are two very different other tour. This means 1’11 be serving the Navy for things.’’ another four years and I have to be excited about that. I have all kinds of mixed emotions, but I’m going to do the best job I can.” His reputation as a “sailor’s ’’ “I think we have a lot of sailor’s . I think Now what? we have a lot of sailor’s captains, and a lot of sail- “I need to hear from people. I’m going to go out or’s chiefs. I like to think, and I believe it’s true, that and listento people carefully- I’ve been doing that people are first in everything I think about. If you all the time- and make up my mind then. I’ve beendon’t think that way you really don’t get the job in the Navy for 38 years and I was enlisted for a done. That’s because happy people- people who , _I’ long part of that in the beginning. One of the thingsare happy with their working conditions, their stan- ,’; I’ve learned over time is thatI remember how things dard of living - do a better job. And they’re happi- used to be. And I need to be sure I’m working on er and they stay with us.’’

4 ALL HANDS The secretof my success Chief of Naval Operations, but that would be a lie. ‘‘I’ve had really good bosses. Throughout my I’ve always taken every job one at a time - and career I’ve been blessed by working for reallygood tried to do a good job in that job. My initial goal in people. Sure you make mistakes, and I’ve made the Navy wasto become a third class petty officer, more than my share, particularly in the beginning. and then to be a good one. I always wanted to But they were the kind of people that wanted to advance, but it wasn’t driving meto do something help you succeed. So I got success kind of ‘bred different. My father, my leaders in the Navy, all gave into me’ by my leaders. I was coached along the me the feeling that the right thingto do is do the job whole time. I’ve also been luckyto work with good you have really well and the rest will take care of people. When you work with peers who are really itself. good and really dedicated, they tend to bring you Since I’ve been kind of senior and eligible to re- up to their level. That’s what happened to me. tire, I’ve made a conscious decisionto always treat Over the years, as I got more and more senior, every job like it was my last one.1’11 give youa good I’ve been blessed by having in my commands someexample. I was Chief of Naval Personnel for about of the finest people you’d ever want to meet. So 3.5 years. I really got up every morning and said the commands were pretty successful, but I think ‘OK, this is my last day in thisjob. How do I want it that had less to do with me and more to do with to be?’ I still think that’s the best wayto go.” them.” Navy pride Leadership “If you’re not proud of yourself and your unit, and “I went to this command andI asked the skipper you don’t feel good about it, it’s pretty hardto do a ‘How many people do you have working for you?’ good job. We have an awful lot to be proud of in And he said, ‘None.’ And I said, ‘Come on ...’ The our Navy. We are the first team.If you were a foot- X0 was standing there and I said to her, ‘Really, ball player and you won the Super Bowl,you’d feel how many people work for you?’ and she said, great ‘We wouldn’t you? Well, we’re the Super Bowl don’t have anypeople who work for us here.’I said, champs of navies in the world. ‘OK,’ because I didn’t get it yet. And then the skip- We ought to be proud of ourselves. We tend to per said, ‘Now, the X0 and I work for about 600 focus sometimes on our problems, but we needto people.’ focus on our victories, too. And there have been I really like that. There were a CO and X0 who one right after the other.We do good stuff. We do it felt they worked for their people as the people did through people, so there’s a lot to be proud of. the work of the command. I’d like to foster that in The reason we can be proud of ourselves is be- the Navy. That’s kind of how I think of myself and cause we’re truly professional. We go out and do that’s how I think leaders ought to think of them- exactly what we say we’re goingto do, andwe do selves. ” it well. How could you not be proud to be in this Goals Navy?” & ‘‘I would like to tell you I had a goal of being the

DesignatedPromoted to DesignatedPromoted to PromotedDesignatedAdmiral to CNO Rear AdmiralRearAdmiralAdmiralRearAdmiral ViceVice while sewing in billets Admiral (Lower Half) (Lower Half) while serving in billets commensuratebillets that servingin with while Half)(Lower Half) (Lower grade while serving in commensuratewith in serving while that grade billets commensurate with that grade

JUNE 1994 5 'influence the course of their community and thei But that only happensif you exercise your rightto vote. because you're on a deployed ship or stationed in doesn't mean you can't vote, though it may mak little tougher than going to the nearby elementary stand in a voting booth. Go see your command's voting officer and ask for a Federal Post Card Application (FP Procedures for filling out the FPCA vary from stateto s portant to have the voting assistance officer help fill you your local election officials can get you properly registered and send you absentee election ballots. Some states will event fax Once you get your ballot, study it! Talk to your family d out how issues may affect you. Then de te! It's one way your voice can be heard fro

I You can call the Federal Voting Assistance Program at the numbers below for answers to any concern that cannot be resolvedlocr' I lv. ;e numbers exactly as they appear

) internal prefixes or codes at-

' io charge to t' caller fc ifty years ago, Allied forces came from the seato the beaches of Nor- Fmandy to complete the liberation of Europe from Nazi terror. The Allies’ sea-borne invasion is an operation that still remains without equal. But one lesson from that day stays withus: the need for the require- ment of Naval Forces to “kick the door down” on the beach, and establish a presence upon which other forces can build. Our experience building power from the sea and projecting it ashore during World War II has remaineda guide for operations since then. Forward presence, or the abilityto contain crises through forward operations with flexible and sustainable sea-based forces, has since remained a mainstay of the Navy’s contribution to national security. Forward-deployed Naval Forces are unencumbered by the need for transit or overflight approval from foreign governments in order to enter the scene of action. The box on the facing page gives some idea of the disposition of Naval Forces a few months ago. Forward presence, even after the offall the Berlin Wall, remains a national commitment. Shaped for joint operations with the Army andAir Force, Naval Forces continue to provide the United States with the same assurance of success as on that June morning a half-century ago. To commemorate and honor the men who fought, died andw those Norman beaches,All Hands has reprinted the story of D-D reported in the July1944 issue of theBureau of Naval Personnel tion Bulletin; the precursor of All Hands magazine.

.USS Barry (DDG 52) c. 1994 a ALL HANDS Digital imagery merged the photos of the present day USS Barry (DDG 521, with her predecessor; USS Barry (APD 29). APD 29 took part in the invasion of Southern I JUNE 1994 AMPHIBS HIT FRANCE 4,000 Ships, Thousands of Smaller Craft Land Allied Troopson Coast of Normandy

Transported by a record amphibious All this was not accomplished with- U. S. Armycasualties during the armada and under cover of the great- out some verytough fighting. The first 10days totaled 3,283 deadand estsea and air bombardment in the battle to cut off Cherbourg peninsula 12,600 wounded, it was announcedby history of warfare,thousands of was saxage. And aroundCaen, eape- Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, commander American,British and Canadian cially, the Germans were still putting of U. S. groundforces, who pro- soldiersswarmed ashore 6 June on up a stoutresistance. British forces nounced. the beachhead“absolutely the coast of Normandy.The Nazi’s had cut two of its five railroads and secure.’’ Casualties on thecentral I‘‘Impregnable” Atlantic Wall was four of itseight highways, but the beachheadwere higher than antici- breacheu. Germans still held the town. pated, he said, but losses on the Cher- Two weeks later the beachhead had In many towns it was block-by-block bourgpeninsula were lighter than beenconsolidatcd and Allied troops fighting,with snipers operating from expected. had famed out inland on a 116-mile behind thick masonry walls. Opposing An Allied fleet of 4,000 shipsand front-some of them already 23 miles gunfireand German demolitions left several thousand smaller landing craft inside Hitler’sEuropean Fortress. some towns mere patches of blackened transported the invasion army to the Cherbonrgpeninsula was cut off and rubble. At Montebourg, Americans of beaches, wherewarships stood off 25,000 Germantroops on the lower the4th Division foughtman-to-man shoreand pounded German coastal tip were faced with death or capture. and house-to-house before they evicted defenseswith 640 navalguns before Alreadythe Allies hadtaken more the Germans. At all points the Nazis the doughboysscrambled ashore. It than 1,000 prisoners, some of them weremaking the most of natural or wasthe Allied navy’sresponsibility mere boysof 14. man-madestrongpoints. toget the troops across the Channel

U it was “100% successful,”declared AdmiralSir Bertram Ramsay, RN, Allied navalcommander-in-chief. “Wehave enabled General Mont- gomery’s troops to fight a land battle,” he said. A fewdays later General Mont- gomeryrevealed that success or fail- ure in one sectorhad hung in the balance, butthat the situation was retrieved by three factors: “First, by thegallantry of the American soldier, who is a very brave man. “Second, bythe grand supporting fire given from the sea by the Allied navy. “Andthird, by the support given Iromthe air by the fighter-bombers, whoknew the situation and came downlow to shoot upGermans at close range.” SecNmForrestal announced that about 1,300ships-one-third of the invasion fleet-were furnished by the U. S. AnnouncedD-day losses were two , one LST and one large landingbarge. Secretary Forrestal saidit was significant that none of the expectedenemy counterblows ma- terializedduring our initialcrossing of the Channel. “It wasexpected thatthe German air force, light surface craft and sub- marinefleets would launchtheir heaviest attacks in an attempt to frus- trate our offensive efforts at sea,” he declared. “When they didn’t, they lost one of thegreatest opportunities of the war.” D dayand H hourwere set by GeneralEisenhower and his aides in a tented,sylvan camp deep inthe heart of the English countryside after examiningweather reports. The “big push”had beenpostponed 24 hours OfRcial U. S. Navy photograph because of unfavorableweather con- Troops wade ashore to reircforce ircitial assault wave as LSTs urtload. ditions, but now the wordwent out ing, and the last were on the ground batteries of manycalibers, ranging that 6 June was THE day.The vast twohours later. Flying out of bases from French 75s up to 280-mm. guns, machinery ofmen, shipsand planes inGreat Britain, the airborne army commanded allthe coast around and was set in motion. wastransported planesin nine theapproaches to the beaches. Two hundred British minesweepers, abreast.Theformation stretched startingfrom England before dark- nearly 230 miles from end to end, It wasestimated that more than nessfell on 5 June, led theway and and took almost an hour to pass over 120 enemy guns would have to be sweptthe Channel free of minesin thetarget area. Some of theplanes dealt with. Of these, the most danger- the greatestminesweeping operation in carriedparatroopers; others towed ous battery,because of itsstrategic history.They preceded the invasion gliders.More than 1,000 troop-carry- location,was on a jutting cliff well armada and swept a path to the very ing aircraft were used. above thesea. It consisted of six shores of Normandy,working in the French model 155-mm. gunswith a shadow of thebig German coastal The RAF heavy bombers began range of25,000 yards.The second batteries. theirattack on the invasioncoast mostdangerous battery was judged Plans for the invasion provided for abont midnight. One thousand of them to be four 280-mm. turret guns with fourseparate preparatory phases : concentrated on thetarget area, and 49,000 yards’ range. forthe first time in this war some landings by airborne troops and para- The American had larger troopersin the rear; atremendous bombersmade two and even three sortiesin oneday. gunsthan the Germans and more of full-scale night bombing theby them. The uss Arkansas, oldest battle- RAF on thelanding beaches; a sea Just before dawn, at 0535, the war- ship in the fleet, withtwelve 12-inch bombardmentby more than 600 bat- ships of the two task forces moved in guns,steamed up to within 6,000 tleships,, monitors and de- and began a furiousbombardment of yards of the shore and at point-blank stroyers,andfinally a daybreak thecoastal batteries. The Western rangepeppered the beach defenses bombing attack by thefull strength NavalTask Force, commandedby and pillboxes. Thestout old uss of the U. S. 8thand 9th AAF just Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, USN, es- , withten 14-inchers, stood off after dawn and just before the initial cortingthe American part of the at 12,000 yards so as to get the proper landings. invasion fleet. attacked some 28 Ger- elevation to reach the batteries on tor, Thefirst airbornetroops hit the manbatteries prior to, during.and of the cliff and fired with everything in k early in the morn- immediately after H hour,German shehad. The uss Nevada, which the JUNE 1994 11 ships of the United StatesFleet, pounding out a heroic part in a battle I 'We Are Getting Into a Fkht' I that could hardly have been conceived Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, USN, paredpositions held byGermans, of when they were built. commander of the U. S. Naval As- who havelearned from their past Cruisers stood close inshore and sent saultForces, issued the following failures. They have coastal batteries G- or S-inchshells screamingtoward statement to his command on the eve nndminefields; theyhave bombers of the invasion: andE-boats and submarines. They t?e beach. Among these were the USS We of theWestern Naval Task will try to use them all. We are get- A.ugusta, the uss Tuscaloosa and the Force are going to land the Ameri- ting into a fight. new USB Quincy, tasting battle for the canArmy in France. From battle- But it is not we who have to fear first time. ships to landing craft, ours is in the the ontcome.As theGerman has Destroyers moved in almost as close main, an Americanforce. Beside us lcarnedfrom failure, we have as the depth of water would permit will be a mainly British force, land- learneci from success.To this battle 2ndpoured out a hail of firefrom ing the British and Canadian troops. we bringour tested methods, with Overhead will fly the Allied Expedi- many newweapons and overwhelm- their 5-inchers. Theshelling was so tionary An Force.We all have the Ingstrength. Tides and currents intense that a Britishdestroyer, the same mission-to smash our way on- presents a challengewhich, fore- HMS Twatside, had exhausted all her to the beaches andthrough the varned, we know how to meet. It is ammunition by 0800. It was estimated coastaldefenses, into the heart of the enemy who is afraid. that 2,000 tons of shells were fired by the enemy's fortress. In this force there are , supporting warships in the first 10 to In two ways the coming battle dif- cruisersand destroyers. There are 20 minutes of the attack. fers from any that we haveunder- hundreds of landing ships and craft, takenbefore: It demandsmore scores of atroland escort vessels, A number of British warships were seamanshipand more fighting. We dozens o? specialassault craft. in the Western Task Force, including mustoperate in the waters of the Every man in every ship has his job. thefamed HMS Warspite EnglishChannel and the French And these tens of thousands of men cndthe new British , HMS coast, in strong currents and 20-foot and jobs add up to one task only- Black Prince. tides. We must destroy an enemy de- to land and support and supply and fensivesystem which has been four reinforcethe finest army ever sent As the invasion armada approached yearsin the making, and our mis- to battleby the U. S. the coast of Normandy, three German sion is one against which the enemy In that task we shall not fail. I destroyers stuck their noses out of the xi11 throwhis whole remaining await with confidence the further Bay of Biscaywith a fleet of mine- strength. proof, in this, the greatest battle of sweepersriding ahead, but this did These are not beachesheld by an themall, that Americansailors and notdivert evenone shipfrom the apatheticenemy or defendedby seamen and fighting men are second Allied force. Instead, word was flashed hastyfortifications. These are pre- to ncne. to the KAF Coastal Command and in ~~ a fewminutes rocket-firing Beau- Japs "sank" at , opened of the enemy'sheavy batteries corn- fighterswith a Mosquitoescort were upwith her ten 14-inchers. She and mandingthewesternmost landing out to handlethe situation. Before the British monitor Erebus, with her beach. longrockets were seen crashing into two15-inch guns, dueled with some Herewere the three oldest battle- hulls and through superstructures. All

WESTERNEUROPEAN INVASION COMMAND

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IVMVnL

ALL HANDS dfflcial U. S. Army Air Forces photograph I Alliedbo,mbers-smoke pouring from one-drop explosives on Nazi installations in support of troops. threedestroyers were in flames as withbig gunsin those concrete em- stroyer has the firepower of an artil- they fled. placementsashore.’’ lery regiment, while battleships firing Shortly afterdaybreak aforce of Once onthe beaches, thesoldiers at point-blank range were able to pul- 1,300 Fortresses and Liberators swept crouchedbehind jeeps or tanks, or verize the most powerful gun emplace- down on the invasioncoast and de- any cover they could find. Rangers ments the Nazis had. I livered t.housands of tons of explosives scaled cliffs and attacked prearranged Along theCherbourg peninsula a on thecoastal defenses, followed by targets. One detachment climbed up Britishbattleship, assisted by the themediums and fighter-bombers of a tall cliff and had captured gun po- uss Quincg andseveral destroyers, the9th AAF. The American and sitions 15 minutes after it landed. pounded awayfor 36 hoursto level Britishheavy bombers plastered the Small, wooden 83-footCoast Guard some especiallytroublesome fortifica- beaches with 10,000 tons of explosives cutters patrolled about a half mile off tions. The battle wagon, anchored out between midnight and 0800, and Allied theinvasion coast, picking up sur- about three miles, hurledshells from planesmade 7,500 sortiesinthis vivorsfrom sunken vessels.They two and sometimes three turrets from period. rescued at least 444 soldiers and sail- midafternoonuntil late evening. Its At about 0630 assault boats moved orsduring the first two days. One targetswere wireless stations on a inpast the iron obstacles which the cutteralone picked up 126 survivors hill, and a nest of German 88-mm. Germans had planted offshore. Infan- from ttree stricken ships, guns about five miles from the Amer- trymenstormed ashore, followedby Warships often were called upon to icanpositions. The hill was ploughed tanks.At some pointsNazi machine assisttroops ashore when a particu- with giant furrows and not a thing on guns wiped out some of the troops as larlytough battery was encountered. itwas left standing. Even the trees the doors of their landing craft swung Militaryexperts estimate that one de. disappeared. open. Atother points the bombard- menthad so pulverizedthe defenses that there was little opposition. When thetide went out some of thesmall boats were stranded high and dry atop theiron barriers. Somemines in the water and on the beachexploded be- fore they could be rendered harmless bydemolition parties. War Correspondent Ernie Pyle sent back thisgraphic description of the underwater obstacles : “The Germans had masses of those great six-prongedspiders made of railroadiron and standing shoulder high in places justbeneath the sur- face water forour landing craftto run into. They also had huge logs buried in 1 thesand, pointing upward and out- ward, their tops just below the water. Attached to these logs were mines. In addition to theseobstacles, theyhad floatingmines in the beach waters, land mines buried in the sand beach and more mines in checkerboard rows in the tall grassbeyond the sand. . . . “Thefirst crack in the beachde- fensefinally was accomplished by terrificand wonderful naval gunfire whichknocked outthe big emplace- ments.They tell epic stories of de- stroyers that ran right up into shal- Offlcial U. S. Navy photograph low water and had it out point-blank Big guns of u. S.S. Nevada batter Nazi positions in France.

JUNE.1994 13 British Offlcial Photograph British naval Commandos creep across Normandy shores, removing mines and other obstructions. The uss Tuscaloosa “tookon” the Eventhe Tuscaloosa’s heavyguns gun position withouttouching the town of Montebourg on 8 June to pave could not completelyknock outthe tricky tin-can. the way for its subsequent capture by well-protected gun emplacements. A Theaerial pre-invasion softening groundforces. The Nazis were well direct hit would not destroy the guns up process, which started months ago, dug in around Montebourg,their im- but the concussion killed some of the hadgradually increased in intensity portant gun positions casemated with Germansinside and deranged some until, in May, more than 118,940 tons walls of earthand concrete 12% of thesensitive equipment, such as of bombs were cascaded over Germany feetthick. Their big guns used very range finders. Therefore a directhit andthe occupiedcountries. Allied finesmokeless powder that made it would neutralize a batteryfor 10 to planesmade 94,000 sortiesand impossible to spotgun sites unless a 30 minutes while theGermans re- dropped bombs at the rate of two and spotterhappened to muzzlcsee placedequipment andrushed in new one-quartertons per minute. Only flashes. The Nazis also used the trick cannonfodder. occasionally did the rise to of sending out billows of smoke every Adestroyer alongside the Tusca- givebattle, but on these rare occa- timeguna fired, from a position loosa joined in the battle and used a sions it sufferedheavy losses. Dur- safely removed fromthe actual bat- fewtricks of its own. As German ing May,1,877 enemy aircraftwere tery. shellsbegan falling closer, the de- destroyed in the European theater of However, officers on the Tuscaloosa stroyerbegan belching blacksmoke, operations.TheAllies lost 1,517 wereable to get the guns by watch- as thoughabout to move. The Ger- planes in operations from British and ingthe splashes as shells hit the mans swung their guns and straddled Italian bases. waterand started “walking” toward perfectlythe position thedestroyer Our 8th AAF, going into action 27 thecruiser. They were ina straight would have occupied had it gone for- daysduring May,completed more line,and by following them back it ward. But the had reversed than 30,600 sorties-over 16,400 for was possible to eventually land shells its engines and gone full speed astern. the bombers and 14,200 for the fight- on the guns and knock them out. Thus, the Germans had exposed their ers.The 9th AAF mademore than

Official U. S. Navy photograph OfRcial U. S. Signal Corps Photograph NAZl SECRET weapon: U. S. Navy men dismantle FRENCH GlRL k bobby socks (left) comes out of miniatwe robot tank packed with high explosives. ruins of lsimv as Yanks mo~SP snibers, Britishlanding barge, kitchei,-feeds inuaderi, Safely up beach, troopstake “breather”-then push on.

30,000 sorties into enemy territory to andhangars, 11 attacks on aircraft intothe war. Soon afterthe Quebec attack 100 differeht targets. factqriesand 11 attacks on synthetic conference last September,Admiral The9th, operating against tactical oil plants.Twelve industrial works, Harold R. Stark, USN, Commander, or semi-strategic objectives-primarily including threeshipyards, were dam- U. S. NavalForces, Europe, com- rail, road and canal traffic in northern aged in Berlin and five other German menced a great expansion of the base Franceand -droppedover cities. One of the mostimportant and of trainingfacilities throughout 20,000 tons of bombs, anincrease of single targetsattacked was the Ger- theBritish Isles. Inless than one 60% over the April figure. man Army’s tank and armored vehicle year naval stations and base facilities Although itsoperations were di- depot at Konigsborn,which was a!- of variouskinds were secretly built, rected against traffic over every navi- most totallydestroyed. andthrough them have been“pro- gableriver in northern France, they Inall these operations, the 8th’~ cessed” thousands of officers and blue- wereconcentrated on the Seine and B-17s and B-24s shot down 428 Nazi jackets. Meuse. Inthe last 10 days of May, planes and lost 310 bombers, less than Crews weretrained in the special Marauders and Havocs dropped more 2% of thenumber dispatched. The techniques of amphibious warfare ; than 4,000 tons of bombson10 8th fighter pilots destroyed 475 enemy officers and menwere taught protec- bridgescrossing the Seine. This planes in the air, many others on the tive measures against gas; thousands mighthave tipped off the Nazis to ground, and we lost 171 fighters, less of Seabeespracticed the construction the point selected for the invasion, ex- than 1%of those sent out. of docks, causeways,jetties, barges cept that bombs werefalling every- TheNavy had begun its invasion andferries; and in cooperationwith where with almost equal intensity. preparations by expandingnaval the Army, many actual landing exer- Long-rangeFortresses and Libera- basesand establishing others in the cises andfull dress rehearsals were tors of the 8th AAF made 48 attacks British Isles. Several large bases, held. during May on marshalling yards in particularlythe one at Londonderry, The mere assembly of the vast fleet France, Belgium,Luxembourg and NorthernIreland, have beenused of landing craft used in the invasion Germany, 36 attacks on airdromes since shortlyafter the U. S. entry (Contimed on Page 52)

OfBcial U. S. Army Signal Corps photographs LIBERATED French -villagers tell Americams how ciu- CAPTURED NAZIS spend their time behid barbed ilian at right killed Germara sprawled on groud. wire while Allied troops continue their drive inland.

I Jr INF 1994 15 ship losses inthe Atlantic, but these would return to the Atlantic when the occurred among ships not escorted by invasion started,but this threat is Amphibs Hit the fleet. “not yet in evidence,” Admiral Inger- It was expected that U-boatpacks sol1 said. (Continued from Page 11) was a matter of months. Most of the Big Days in the War in Europe landing craft and smaller naval units From the Invasion of Pokand to the Invasion of France employed were built in the U. S. The smallcraft had to be transported 1939 12 Dee.-British chase Italians from acrossthe Atlantic on the decks of 1 Sept.-Germansinvade Poland. tankers or cargoships, many LCTs, 3 Sept.-Britainand France declare Jun-ermanswh. EUssia. 24 Nov.-Russians begin flrst winter forinstance being carried on the Sept.-Newon Germany. Zealand and Australia counterattack. decks of cargo vessels inthree sec- declare war on Germany. Fighting 11 Dec.-U. S. declares war on Germany begins on Maginot Line. and after they declared war on tionsand reassembled inBritain. 10 Sept.-Canada declares war on Ger- many..”” us. TheLCVPs and other small craft 27 Sept.-Warsaw surrenders. 1942 wereall brought across the ocean 14 “piggyback” on the decks of the 1940 9 April-Germansinvade Norway and 26 larger ships. Only the larger landing .Denmark. craft types-seagoing LSTs,LSDs 15 April-British land troops in Norway, 30 10 May-Germansinvade Belgium, The and LC1 (L) s-made thecrossing and Luxemburg. 20 under their ownpower. 14 May-Dutch army capitulates. 28 May-KingLeopold orders Belgian 1 TheLSTs had no troublecrossing forces to surrender. 4 29 May-British troops begin evacuation the ocean.And the LC1 (L) s, while from Dunkirk. 19 small-and somewhat lively when the 10 June-British evacuate Norway. 17 sea gets rough-all crossed the ocean 14 June-Germans march into Paris. 23 22 June-French sign armistice with under their own power, some wjthout Germany. 7 escortand many manned by officers 12 Aug.-500 German planes raid Britain. 3 Sept.-U. S. announces trade of 50 11 and crewswho had never made the over-age destroyers to Britain for crossing before. leases on naval and air bases in Western Atlantic. 27 7 Sept.-Heavier night raids on Lon- Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll, USN, don begin, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, was 28 0ct.-Italians invade . 1943 responsible for keepingthe sea lanes 20 Nov.-Hungary joins Axis. 18 Jan.-Russians break siege of Stalin- 24 Nov.-Slovakia follows Hungary and grad, drive westward. open for this flow of traffic across the Rumania into Axis alliance. 23 Jan.-British capture Tripoli. Atlantic.He reported that since 1 2941 27 Jan.-Heavy bombers make flrst all- January 1942 theAtlantic Fleet has American assault onGermany. 1 March-Bulgaria signsAxis pact, 7 May-Allies take and Bizerte. escorted more than 7,000 ships across Germansmarch in. 9 May-All Axis resistance ends in withthe loss of 10. None of these 6 April-Germany attacks North . andGreece. 17 May-RAF blasts twoRuhr dams. wasa troop ship. There were other 27 April-Germans take . 11 June-Italians surrender Pantelleria.

How Casualties From Beach Were Handled Amphibious ,warfare calls for new derway. Here is the system used The roomy LSTs were found most medical techniques,and the Navy was on the Allied beachhead: efficient craft for the journey across ready on D day with its own complex At 20 or 30 minutes after H-hour, the Channel. Theyhad previously organization to handle theflow of cas- the Army sent ashore battalion land- beenstocked withan abundance of ualties from the beaches. Because of ing teams, composed of two medical medicalsupplies andsurgical equip- lessons learned at Sicily, Salerno and officers and 32 enlistedmen. They ment,and LST crews were specific- theSouth Pacific, theNavy had a taggedthe wounded(men of the ally trained to do their share in em- higher ratio of doctorsand hospital firstwaves were given aid by their barkingthe wounded. Afterthe corpsmen than ever used beforein any own comrades)and marked their tanks had roared ashore, litters were military operation. positions for later collectors. lowered to the tank deckwhich has While wcrking as a team without TheNavy sent ashore medical bracketsfitted along the bulkheads any stars, theArmy and the Navy sectionshore parties, composed of to receive the litters, three deep. hadtheir responsibilities clearly al- one medical officer and eight hospital Goingback acrossthe Channel, lotted inorder to avoidconflict of corpsmen. Theyset upa beach authority.The Army medicos take doctors check their patients’ tags, on evacuationstation, received cases which were recorded name and num- care of their men until they are em- sent or broughttothem by the ber,rough diagnosis and report of barked.Then the Navy looks after Army’scollecting teams,gave addi- treatment.Operating roomswere thesoldiers until they reach the tional first aid and prepared the cas- set up on the after part of the tank high-watermark on theinvasion ualties for evacuation. shore.On the beach,however, both deck or in the crew’s messhall for Small craft were obtained through emergencyoperations. Since LSTs Armyand Navy medical personnel the beachmaster to transfer the cas- are notoriousrough-riders, and the givefirst aid as needed and collect ualtiesfrom the evacuation station Channel was very choppy during the the wounded for evacuation. toships off shore.Army “ducks” The Navy’s heaviest responsibility first few days, both surgeon and pa- were very useful for this purpose be- tient sometimeshad to be lashed to is, in the very heat of battle, to fill cause they are as much at home at the operating table. evacuationships with injured men sea as on land.They would take a andget them back to the embarka- load of eight or ten litter cases from Whenthe casualties were on dry tionpoint, giving all possible medi- the beach, put out to sea, and drive land once morethe Army resumed cal or surgical treatment whileun- up the bow-ramp of a waiting LST. responsibility for its soldiers. lvlealrer- 10 July-Allied forces invade Sicily. 6 Nov.-Russians retake Kiev. 11 March-U. s. oomDers mom 25 July-Mussolini resigns. 9 Nov.-U. S.. Britainannounce 150 raneanarea beginheavy raidon 1 Aug.-l75U. S. Liberators from Mid- months.Balkans. six in U-boats sunk 28 Nov.-president Roosevelt,Prime 8 April-Red Army Sweeps intoRu- dle East blast Ploesti reflneries. mania. 3 Aug.-RAF makesninth attack on MinisterChurchill Marshal Stalin Hamburg in IO-day, 8.000-ton record- meet at Teheran.&an three-way at- 10 Aprjl-Red Armyretakes Odessa. breaking blitz. tuck on AxisEurope. 91 Apnl-13 May-Allies’ planesdrop 17 Aug.-Conquest of Sicily completed. 24 Dec.-Gen. Eisenhower named to lead 130 000 tonsArmy of bombs recaptures on Europe. Sevasto- 3 Sept.-British 8thArmy invades invasion of Europe. , Italy. Dol. 8 Sept.-Italy surrenders. 1944 11 May-AlliesT+nlrr big begin offensive in 9 Sept.-American-British5thArmy Arm.... 4 Jan.-Red Army smashes across Pol- 111” Mav-Cassino- ~ ~ ~~~ falls to Allies in Italy. lands at Salerno. ish border. 20 May-Allies resumepre-invasion 10 Sept.-Germans seize Rome. 21 Jan.-Red Army lifts siege of Lenin- bombing on huge scale. 11 Sept.-Most of Italian fleet escapesto grad. 2 June-Flying Fortressesestablish Allies. 82 Jan.-Allies landbehind Nazi lines shuttle-bombingservice between Eu- 19 Scot.-Italians seizeSardinia for the at Anzio. ropeantheater and U. S. basesin Ailies. 7 March--800U. S. heavybombers Russia. 25 Sept.-Smolensk fallsto Russians. makeflrst big daylight raid on Ber- 4 June“B+hArmy captures Rome. 1 0ct.-6th Armytakes . lfn. 6 June-Allies begin invasion Of West- 13 0ct.-Italy declares war on Germany. ern Europe.

Navy DepartmentCommunique No. 523 Atlantic 1. Theescort carrier us8 Block Islarcd was sunk in the Atlantic during May 1944, as the result of enemy action. 2. The next of kin of casualties, which were light, have been notifled. PEARLHARBOR, Pacdfic Fleetannounce- ment-Several enemypatrol-type vessels were sighted west of Truk Atoll on 2 June (West Longltude datc) and attacked by a singlesearch plane. One wasprobably sunkand all were heavily strafed. On 3 June another search plane sighted the dis- position andmade an attack whichre- A self-propelled pontoon known as a “Rhino Ferry” moves much-needed equip- suited in the sinking of one of the auxili- ment across the during World War II. The ferries could be aries and severe damage to another. Liberators of the11th AAF bombed linked together to form docks, convoys or ramps on enemy shores. Ketoi Island in the Kurils before dawn on 4 June. No opposition was encountered. A singlesearch plane of FleetAir Wing 4 bombed ParamushiruIsland before dawn of U. S. 9th AAF mediumbombers took Cnntinuousflehter~ ~ cover ~ wasmain- on 4 June. upthe air bomardment of gunemplace- tained over the beaches and for some diS- All of ourplanes returned from these mentsand defensive works in support of tanceinland, and over naval operatlons operations. landing operations. inthe Channel.Our night flghters played CHUNGI

18 Above: Painting “Morning of D-Day from LST” by Mitchell Jamieson.

Right: Painting “Rubber boat and men cleaning rifles” by Mitchell Jamieson. certain death. The situation looked hopeless when, all of a sudden, at 10about a.m., a destroyer loomed out of a sea swarming with dozens of landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Even though she wasn't listing or smoking, my first thought was that she had either struck a mine or taken a torpedo and was damaged badly enough that she was being beached. While I was coming up mywith reason for the destroyer to head in, she started to turn right and before she completed the turn to be parallel to the beach, all her guns opened fire. At the same time I saw smoke leave the gun barrels, shells landed a few yards above us. As the destroyer proceeded toward the westernof the end beach, I continued to watch her and wondered how she couldso close be without taking any artillery or mortarI watched hits. her go farther and farther from me and expected to see her pull out to sea any minute, when suddenly I realized she was backing up and her guns had yet to pause since commencing fire. She backed up almost to where she had started, went dead in the water for the second time, still to my knowledge without taking a hit, and again headed toward the of other the end beach with all guns still blazing. When she reached the western section of beach, she pulled back out to sea. There is no question, at least in my [Frankford] mind, if had not come in as close as you did, exposing yourselves to [great danger],I would not have survived overnight.I truly believe that in the absence of the damage you inflicted on German emplacements, the only way any GI was going to leave Omaha was in a mattress cover or as a prisoner of war. My best to each and every of one you and many, many thanks. Cordially, James E. Knight

20 ALL HANDS For reasons that became obvious later,we never had clear targets on the beach. Unfortunately, German camouflage was excellent,so from that distance we could not seewho was where or pinpoint anything to shoot. The intide our was favor at the moment. Navigatingby fathometer and seaman'seye, we went in close enough to use our optical rangefinder, rangingon the bluff above the beach, against the

~ stops, 300 to 400 yards away. The camouflage on the beach was still good. We could not spot a target, and frankly we did not know how far our troops had advanced. Then one of our light tanks thatwas sittingat the water's edge witha broken track fired at something on the hill. We immediately followed up with a five-inch salvo. The tank gunner flipped open his latch, looked aroundat us, waved, dropped back in the tank and fired at another target. For the next few minutes he was our fire-control party. Our rangefinder optics could examine the spots where his shells hit. By this time, we knew none of our troops were on the hill, so we used the rangefinder to pick out targets, including apparently at least one artillery emplacement. We did have the satisfaction of seeing our soldiers take some prisoners out of one of those bunkers. When we had expended our limit, we returned to our screen station, but not before seeing our troops moving up the hill toward the crest. Owen F. Keeler

r JUNE 1994 21 Combat divers Story and photos by J02 Kevin Stephens I

arine Cpl. JasonJ. Mook couldn’t see his buddy right behind him or his hand three inches fromM his face. It was that dark. He had to be at a specific place at a specific time, but of course there was the dark thing which meant he couldn’t see where he was going. If that wasn’t enough to get his adrenaline pumping, he was also surrounded by wild animals. Sure, most of them were pretty small and harmless, but he was painfully aware that someof them weren’t. And one more thing, he was underwater. A few weeks before Mook found himself at thebottom of St. Andrew Bay off City, Fla., looking at the dark and listeningto the sounds of sea critters, he had exactly zero experience as a diver. But that was OK with him. For Mook and his fellow Marines going through the combatant diver course at the Naval Diving and

Right: Cpl. Anthony J. Cardinale, a student in the Marine combat diver’s course at theNaval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Fla., emerges from the seaon a reconnais- sance mission. Cardinale and his classmates are trainingto clandestinely enter a hostile area from beneath the ocean’s surface.

22 ALL HANDS Right: Sgt. MS. Shea keeps watchful eyes on the surrounding woods while his fellow Marines cache their gear during a training patrol nearSt. Andrew Bay in Panama City, Fla. Below: Having completed their assigned patrol, Marine combatant dive students must swimto their pickup point nearly a mile away. The Marines use aLAR V bubbleless underwater breathing device that allows them to remain virtually undetectable while submerged.

JUNE 1994 Salvage Training Center, learning to They’vealso been to amphibiousMook. “When you’re underwater, you dive is one meansto an end, not their reconnaissanceschool, where they always have a buddy. The biggest final objective. “For us, this is just a learntheir recon skills. We don’t re- thing I’ve learned here is teamwork - way of getting to work. Our primary teach them how to do a patrol, but we working together. Nobody would mission is to insert into an area from requirethem to do thathere,” said survive in this line of work alone.” a the water, go on a patrol and gather Ashton. information, and report that informa- Teamwork also plays an important tion back to our commanders,” said part in the school’s training philosophy. Mook. “Younever do anything alone,” said Stephens is a photojournalist for All Hands. Any learning experience can be intimidating, but the pressure dive students face is especially high as a simple mistake could result in serious injury. “The way the instructors present the material is very professional. They start you from the basics, and sure, a lot of it’s trying and difficult, but that’s what it’s all about. They work you up and you always feel safe,” said Mook. According to instructor Marine Staff Sgt. Richard W. Ashton, the seven- week course, a little more than a year old, was developed with the unique duties of Marine reconnaissance divers in mind. “It’s an idea that’s been around for a long time that’s finally being imple- mented,” said Ashton. “Marines used to go to Navy scuba school. There they learned how to work wrenches and things like that underwater.So when they came back to a Marine unit they still had to be trained to be combatant divers. Before this we never had a formal school.” The school is part of a series of courses Marine combatant divers face. “These students’ need to have certain skills before they come here that compliment what we teach, surface swimming, for example.

Right: Cpl. Jason J. Mook checks his gear moments before he and his fellow Marine combatant diver students roll out of their 1O-man Zodiac and into the dark waters of St. Andrew Bay near Panama City, Fla.

24 ALL HANDS responds to city's crisis

Story and photos by J02 Ray Mooney ne clear message was sent when the Los Angeles 0area was rocked by an earthquake in the pre- Chatswortk n Fernando dawn hours: People needed help. When the call came, thousands responded, including the . In a town that's infamous for its traffic, having a major high- way interchange succumbto the forcesof nature only makes things worse. The6.6 temblor knocked out several stretches of highway, including the1-5/ 114 interchange that took com- muters to points northof the city.

JUNE 1994 25 IOPERATlONS 1

Below: Working sun-up to sundown, Seabees from NMCB 40 stripped the topsoil and vegetation off of fiveacres, then levelled the siteto construct a 1,000-foot train platform parallel to Metrolink tracks to provide alternative transporta- tion in an effort to relieve traffic congestion.

Above: Navy Recruiter SH2 Stacey Butler, wife Vivian and daughter Brittaney were one of many families left homeless by the earthquake. Every wall of Butler’s apartment, located one mile from the epicenter, was cracked. The family was given only 72 hours to pack and move from their damaged residence.

eaBees from Naval Mobile Contruction Bat- Stallion 40 in Hueneme, Calif., helped ease commuters’ pain by puttingin a commuter rail platform and parking lot in the small communi- ty of Vincent. This opened Metrolink, thecom- muter rail service that shuttles passengersto and from Los Angeles, but hadn’t reached far enough to serve those communities north of the damaged highway interchange. Using existing track, the commuter rail system presented a transportation option. It took the SeaBees four daysto put the 1,000- foot platform and parking lot in place. Nowcom- muters will be ableto park and ride instead of change,” said Equipment Operator2nd Class confronting highway detours that can take hours Glen Bachman, who hails from Pittsburgh. “To to navigate. help out in the community shows people here Part of the SeaBee’s mission is disaster recov- what we do overseas.” ery. Braving the rain, snow and wind in the moun- As the Seabees were building, eight sailors tainous area, the Navy’s construction workers with supply credentials were busy in another part were happy to help at home. of town. These storekeepers, mess management ‘‘I think it’s greatto work in the States for a specialists and ship’s servicemen volunteeredto

26 ALL HANDS “If I’m going to be a part of this community, I may as well be a part of this effort to help out.” - SK2 Hector D. Gorospe

the trucks and load them. That usually goes until about 9 a.m. Then the rest of the day we help with whatever else comes up,” said the St. Al- bans, W. Va., native. The orders for supplies come in from shelters and schools throughout the area.All food and medical supplies were donated by companies and private citizens. avy supply personnel are well-suitedto this ”I- type of job, according to SKI Eric E. Linden- bak, from SlMA Long Beach. “It’s the same job we do every day. They send in the orders, we get the sheet, we fill out the orders and give back,”it said the native of Poteau, Okla. But it’s more than just a chanceto use their supply expertise. It’s also a chanceto help some- one in need. “I live five miles from the epicenter,” said SK2 Hector D. Gorospe. “If I’m going to be a part of this community, I may as well be a part of this effort to help out.” Disaster brings out the best and worst in us. It may rock people back on their heels, but it can also stir plain people into greatness. a

Mooney is a San Diego-based photojournalist for All Hands.

I JUNE 1994 27

Above: Zoo sailors give 100 percent to a game of beach volleyball. There was no shortage of players and Kalamazoo’s sailors enjoyed competing with other visitors from around the globe.

Sailors get a live history lesson

Story and photos by 503 Jon S. Cupp

ime has silenced the gunfire that 50 years ago The Germantown sailors, embarked sailors of Assault Craft reverberated throughout a South Pacific atoll. Unit 5 of Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Marines of 3rd Com- However, emotional echoes could still be felt by bat Engineer Battalion, based in Okinawa, participated in the sailors and Marines who recently visited the several commemorative activities and community relation site of the bloody Battle of Tarawa, which was projects. Tfought NOV. 20-24,1943. Ceremonies began the first day at 530 a.m., with Ger- The dock landing shipUSS Germantown (LSD 42) recent- mantown firing a saluting battery and lighting flares to mark ly made a port visit to Betio Island, which is now part of the the precise moment the battle began half a century ago. Lat- nation of Kiribate,to participate in OperationRemembrance, er, Navy and Marine Corps drill teams and color guards along a series of commemorations on the 50th anniversaries of sig- Below: Kiribati locals gathered in large groups to observe the nificant World War II battles and operations. memorial ceremonies.

32 ALL HANDS “It was a scary

with membersof the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Bandtook part and also left with a feeling of appreciation for the people of in a parade. A memorial service, including the laying of Kiribati,” said Navigation Officer LT William Harber. “It’s al- wreaths at a monument, was held in front of the Betio Townmost like visiting a graveyard, especially when you’re looking Council Office. at an old sunken tank or ship. In many ways, it was a very More than 50 Marine survivors flew at their own expense solemn experience.” A to the islandto pay tribute to lost comrades. Thetrip brought Cupp is assigned to USS Germantown (LSD 42). back many memories. “It was a scary time and yet it was also one of the most exciting memories of my life,” revealed battle survivor John O’Brien, who was wounded in his shoulder during the battle. “We were luckyto survive it, many of usdidn’t.’’ “When I put myself in the place of the soldiers and imag- ine the heavy shelling, the feeling I get is one of unrelenting fear,” said SN Rickell Getfield, who was able to view first hand the ruins of gun turrets and other battle remnants. “It’s shocking to learn the men who fought here were very young and that for many of them it was their first time away from home.” The ceremonies concluded with afeast sponsored by the citizens of Betio. Dancers in traditional garb entertained while the celebrants dined on native dishes. “Germantown sailors and Marines left the TarawaAtoll with a better understanding of the Navy and Marine Corps’ glori- ous past as seen through theeyes of World War II veterans,

Above: Germantown sailors and embarked Marines compete against Kiribati athletes during a race, just one of many competitions held during the festivities. Left: John O’Brien,a former Marine who was wounded in his right shoulder duringthe battleof Tarawa, cameto the commemoration to pay tribute to his lost comrades.

JUNE 1994 33 Reservjsts turn-to for Mar& Gras Story by JOI Andrew F. Thomas, photos by Bill Cook n , “carnival” season brings millions of people into the city for the revelry of Mardi Gras. But a muchsmaller group of menI and women cometo Mardi Gras to work. They are Naval reservists assigned to shore patrol (SP), and who patrol the French Quarter along with their civilian counterparts in the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). “Our guys go out in teams, walking the streets. When they spot trouble, they radio into NOPD,” said Senior Chief Mas- ter at Arms Walter Dindlebeck, chief of police at Naval Support Activity New Orleans, who coordinates the Mardi Gras Shore Patrol. All of the reserve SPs are police officers in the civilian world. Many expressed disbelief at what they saw during Mardi Gras - acts they said would warrant a citation or arrestback home. “The size of thecrowds

Right: MA2 Bob DeAndria, a deputy sheriff from St. Petersburg, Fla., on patrol in the French Quarter, checks in with a young man who is enjoy- ing Mardi Gras.

34 is amazing,” said MA2 Tony Nicassio, a deputy sheriff in Los Angeles. “Back in L.A., this would be considered a riot. I can’t believe how well-man- nered the crowds are. Everyone seems to get along. We’ve had very little trouble.” This was MA1 Ralph Johnson’s first Mardi Gras, and it was an opportunity he appre- the crowds are huge and almost the French Quarter beat. “Not ciated. “I really feel I am working everyone is very young,” Ross only do they serve the military in my rate,” said the Riverside said. by coming here, but they like County, Calif., deputy sheriff. “Most of the [reservists] who Mardi Gras. They are a good “Plus, I feel I am benefiting my come to the district are anxious group of men and women.” & fellow servicemen.” to return.” said Seraeant” John Thomas and Cook are both with the public Operations Specialist 2nd Jrml a 44-year veteran Of affairs office, Naval Support Activity, New Class Neil Ross, an environmen- theNOPD, who’s in charge of Orleans. tal conservation police officer in New York, had beento Mardi Gras before, but this was the first one he worked. “In 1970 7 the crowds were much smaller and the people were older. Now,

Above right: MA2 Tony Nicassio pauses to chat with two revelers. Besides assisting the New Orleans Police Department the MAS were good ambassadors for the Navy.

Right: MA1 Ralph Johnson (right) gives directions to two sailors off USS Nassau (LHA 4). Nassau was the visiting ship for Mardi Gras, berthing more than 1,600 ROTC unit members who marched in various parades.

JUNE 1994 35 Letters from home Story by J02 Charles Achord sailor who goes to sea will be the first to tell you how important it is to get mail from home. Whether from a friend, a spouse or a moth- er, mail is important. ut how does a letter fromA Omaha, Neb., or Los Angeles get to Bthe other side of the worldto a ship on deployment? First the sender drops it in a local mail box. It then goes to a fleet post office (FPO). ForUSS George Washington (CVN 73) crewmem- bers, their mail goes through the New York FPO. Just like civilianpost offices, FPOs move a staggering amount of mail. FPOs handle more than 30,000 tons . per year. Once the letter leaves New York it travels to Europe, via a commercial airline, arriving in Madrid, Spain. There it’s placed on a truck and shipped to Rota, Spain. Depending on the ship’s position, a letter could d even go from New Yorkto Romeand then on to Sigonella, Italy. Once in Rota or Sigonella, the well-traveled letter makes its to way the ship either by plane or helicopter. lthough this process is lengthy, you would probablybe surprised Ato learn it averages around four days to get from the New York FPO to Geocqe Washinaton. Add thatto the standarddo- mestic time from the original mailbox to the FPO, and it’s realistic to expect a complete delivery time of five to seven days. There will be times when mail service is interrupted, such as the ship’s crossing the Atlantic at the beginning and end of the deployment. Occasional operationalcom- mitments could delay the flow of mail, but all-in-all, a one- week delivery should be the norm. 36 ALL HANDS By using the following exampleas a guide, you can make sure your mail is correctly addressed: J02 John W. uoe *Box 4 USS George Wastrlrrgrurl (CVN 73) FPO A€ 09550-2873 * If you don’t know the box numbe,, gut the sailor’s department and division.

To ensure the quickest delivery, there are some a full 30 days before the famous words “return things you can do to help keep your mail to sender” canbe stamped on frombeing delayed: ensure friends A hn- rejected a letter. and relatives have your cor- A In a continuing effort to en- rect address, and “Be sure sure mail gets safely from the the address is right on the crewmember to back home, letter or package,” Postal GW’s post office continues to Clerk 2nd Class Jason La- expand services. They current- Cross said. ly sell stamps, money orders “Some people want to and provide two-day priority put Norfolk on the address mail service. They also sell because the ship is home- - mailing supplies such as: three ported here,” LaCross added, “Lsizes of padded envelopes, “The letter will probably get here only if we’re L two sizes of bulk boxes, ship- in port, but it’s definitely going to be delayed.’’ ping tubes and bubble wrap. imple service?. “GWs post office For people who liketo send tapes, theysell audio cas- Ssaid incorrect addresses are one settes size boxes and will soon have boxes for video of their biggest examples of problem cassette tapes. mail.Another simple, yet correctable f,’ “We’re selling our

is just not clear. boxes and envelopes at Rest assured, the postal clerks Kt,’’said LaCross. put a lot of hard work into prop- lthough the mail has a long way erly routing the hard-to-identify to go, it’s in good hands. Just letters. They search through com- remember, before you consider spic- puter files, printed alpha rosters ing the envelopeup with perfume or and card files to find the missing cologne, it must have an accurate pieces of a puzzling letter. Be- address that’seasy to read. a cause of this extra effort, only about one of10 “mystery” letters Achord is editor of “The Guardian”, public have to be returned. Plus,it takes affairs office, USS George Washington (CVN 73).

JUNE 1994 37 0

38 ALL HANDS inferno

Clean-burning butane provides the flames as fire fighting teams attack three kinds of blazes: bilge, hull and electrical Opposite page and above: USS Nevada panel. A computerized control panel in (Blue) crew members undergo a one- a separate room monitors every aspect day class in advanced fire fighting techniques. of the evolution, including what agent is Left: MMl(SS) Wesley M. Morrell, from applied to the fire, how long it has been Riverside, Calif., mans the simulator’s applied and how much longer it willbe instructor operation station. before the fire couldbe extinguished by that agent. There is also a button, iden- fire fighting class in the trainer. tical to buttons inside the trainer itself, “I went through the course they used that can shut the entire system down, to teach here,” said Radioman1 st Class kick ventilation up to 100 percent and (SS) Douglas Martens, from Cedar Rap- clear the atmosphere in less than a ids, Iowa, also stationed aboard USS minute. Nevada. “This is much more realistic. The idea is to provide safe, effective “The other one was really small.You training while giving students a taste of could only get one hose team in at a the real thing, accordingto Senior Chief time. In this new one you can attack the Machinist’s Mate (SS) Lance Hagele, di- fire just like you do on the boat, with vision officer for the new fire fighting two hose teams.” trainer. “It’s as true to real life as obtain- Whether fire fighting students tackle able, while maintaining safety.” the basics, advanced techniques or “It’s a pretty realistic trainer as far as undergo team training, they leave pre- the length of the fires and the physical pared to face a deadly enemy. exertion it requiresto put them out,” said “I think it’s great,” Creswell added. Sonar Technician ()1st Class “With thisfacility, the first time someone (SS) Mark A. Creswell, from Kansas City, sees a real fire, it’s not life or death.”& Mo., stationed aboard USS Nevada (Blue) (SSBN 733). “I think it gives ev- Mooney is a San Diego-based photojour- nalist for All Hands. erybody a better understanding of what they’re goingto have to go through in a Left: HM1 Robin M. Hassell-Brooks, real casualty situation.” Creswell and from Orangeburg, S.C., keeps a close some of his USS Nevada shipmates eye on the students going through the were undergoing a one-day advanced fire fighting simulator.

JUNE 1994 39 use a credit cardto order items over the phone and take advantageof bargains when you’re low on cash. Good credit etty officer second class enables youto get a loan for a new au- Story by MMI(SS) BrentBrooks John Doebought new a tomobile or a mortgage for a new home. home-entertainment Good credit can help you reach your system “on sale” for goals. $2,000. He used a Bad credit, on the other hand, can credit card that charg- create havoc with your financial goals esP 18.5 percent interest. His minimum and can impact your personal and pro- \ monthlypayment (like mostcredit fessional life. Inability to make timely cards) is based on 2 to 3 percent payments or defaulting on accounts can of the outstanding balance, cause far-reaching effects (such lossas and willbe readjusted as the of your security clearance) and can be- balance drops by$500 in- come extremely demoralizing. For these crements. So John only reasons, everyone should understand has to pay $40 a month how credit works and how it is con- untilthebalance trolled. comesdownto When determining whetherto extend $1,500, and then his credit, lenders look for three things: payment will drop to $30 a month. And it’s $4,500 only going to take him P 11 years to pay it off ... that’s right, 11 years. And the interest addedto the sales amount will bring the total priceof the unitto al- A=/ most $4,500 -- maybe not such a bargain after all. Debt is one of the nastiest four letter words in financial management, and the cause is often mismanaged credit. Credit is actually a very important part of any financial plan and, used properly, is a valuable tool. It can relieve you of the responsibility of carrying large amounts of cash, and help you get a quick loan in an emergency. You can

40 ALL HANDS 1. Character -- are you reliable and do you pay your bills? 2. Capacity -- do you have enough The best’way todetermine if you are income to pay your debt and other ex- over-extended is to determine your debt penses? to income ratio: 3. Collateral -- do you have enough assets? (This is only necessary for se- 1. Add up all your monthly bills (excluding your rent/mort- cured loans.) gage, utilities or insurance payments). Include car payments, If you are consistently late with pay- charge accounts, advance pay and overpay. ments or are overextended on expens- 2. Divide that total by your take-home pay (after taxes and es, you will probably be denied credit. There are many ways to build your excluding your BAQNHA if you get one). credit. The best place to start is with a 3. If the answer is less than.I 5 (15 percent), you’re in good savings plan, andgood management of shape. If the answer is .I5 to .20, you’re still okay, but be cau- your checking account goes a long way tious before taking on more debt. If your answer is a number toward establishing good credit. Y o u higher than -20, you’re already in trouble and may need helpto can apply for a credit card and purchase some items you would normally buy with bring your finances under control. cash, and then pay the bill when it comes due. You could even try getting a small loan and putting the money in savings to earn a little interest, and make regular payments for several months. After making a few months of regular payments, payoff the balance in a lump sum. Bottom line: Control your spend- ing so that debt doesn’t control your life. If you think (or know) you already have debt or credit problems, consult your command financial specialist, call the family service center or talkto your su- pervisor. a Brooks is the command financial specialist for Submarine Base, Pearl Harbol; . There are also some civilian, non-profit organizations that can help military and civilians alike to plan a financial come-back. These organizations don’t charge for their services, and will help establish a payment plan and act as a liaison with creditors. Creditors know reputable credit counseling organizations and $2000 often will accept smaller monthly payments or find other waysto help an individual get out from under debt load whencontacted through them. Beware of any organization that promises to “clean-up your credit rating” or alter records in orderto help you get more cred- it. These companies charge customers for their services, and can sometimes arrange for “a bill consolidation’’ loan, often at high interest, which only makes things worse.

41 Gulf War illness: what we know

Story by LCDR Tim O’Leary

lthough some Gulf War veterans have reported various physical complaints that have yetto be diagnosed, the vast majority of the650,000 service members who par- ticipated in OperationDesert Shie/d/Stormhave not re- orted the chronic symptoms (see left) that have come Ato be known as Gulf War illness. Because some veterans are reporting medical problems since their return from the Gulf,an interagency board from the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs (DVA) and Healthand Human Services has been formedto coordinate research. TheDVA has established a reg- istry to act as a clearinghouse and data base on the veteran popula- tion. You, don’t have to be sick to register with the DVA; if you served during Desert Shie/d/Storm you are eligible. In fact, you can register if you are still on active duty. So far, more than 16,000 veterans are registered. It is notknown if there is any single source of the illness some vets are complainingof, but nothing has been ruledout. Because attempts to determine the causes of Gulf War illness have been, to date, in- conclusive, additional research and clinical resources are being used to investigate the problem. a O’Leary is head, publishing division, Naval Media Center:

L 42 ALL HANDS P

i10 u ” ------Dog watch is the name givento the 4 to 6 p.m. andthe 6 to 8 p.m. watches aboard ship. The 4 to 8 p.m. four-hour watch was originally split to prevent the crew from always having to stand the same watches daily.As a result, sailors dodge the same daily routine, hence they are dodging the watch or standing the dodge watch. in its corrupted form, “dodge” became “dog” and the procedure is referredto as “dog- ging the watch” or standing the “dog watch.” BOAT ETIQUETTE

WHEN A SENIOR OFFICER IS OAT, JUNIORS GO FIRST ALWAYS =AND WHW A SENIOR PRESENT, EO NOT SIT IN STERN !%!k BOAT, SWIQRS40 FIRST ENTERS OR LEA=S A BOAT SHEETS UNLESS ASHE0 X, W Jo

SENIORS ARE ACCORDED THE i- MOST DESIRABLE SEA= ALWAS OFFER A SEAT TO A SWlOR

HAUL CLEAR OF LANDIN&S AND DON7 CF(D~SBOWS, CROW, OR K~NM GANGWAYS WHILE WAlTlNCQ PRESENCE OF A SElrllOR Reprinted from July, 1944 Allhands JUNE 1994 43 Bearings

ashington, D.C., with its many the US. Capitol for the address, where “he was happy he finally met me- like parks, museums and monu- the president talked about Jett in rela- I was the president.” W ments is a virtual tourist won-tion to his new Crime Bill. The article and President Clinton’s derland. One naval reservist recently After the speech, Jett met the presi- speech propelled Jett into celebrity sta- received an unexpected trip to Wash- dent and rode with him to the White tus. He’s done interviews for W, radio, ington, but he wasn’t thereto enjoy the House in the president’s limousine. newspapers and magazines. Although sights. He was there as a guest of Pres-“It was quite an honor,” Jett said. “Hehe’s honored by the personal attention, ident Bill Clinton. treated me like a son, and wanted to he’s most satisfied being a positive im- Master-at-Arms 3rdClass KevinJett, know all about my job. ageforthe Navy and the nation’s hun- a police officer and re- “When I met the president after his dreds of thousands of police officers. servist who drills with Naval Control of State of the Union address,” said Jett, Story by LCDR Carl Rusnok, a reservist as- signed to Navlnfo East Unit 102. Photos courtesy of the White House.

Navy reservist MA3 Kevin Jett was hailed as an outstanding police officer by President Bill Clinton during the state-of-the-union address.

Shipping Mediterranean Unit 202, Fort Schuyler, N.Y., was at the president’s State of the Union address, where the commander-in-chief referred to Jett as one person who is making a difference. His notoriety began when he was selected from the city’s2,700 officers in the community policing program to be highlighted in theNew York Times mag- azineJett’s article. story and “community policing” L A were both recentlyhighlighted ina 12- n page cover story in theNew York Times magazine. The president was so im- pressed by Jett that he invited him to -

44 ALL HANDS 1;.- Novv pilot weothers the storm

avy pilots are used to pushing Carlson said. Everyday Carlson, who’s the envelope, but LT Todd Carl- been sailing since he was eight years Nson pushed it at a much lower old, got weather updates from ‘South- altitude than normal. He spent 11 days bound 2,’ a ham radio operator back in in December fighting gale force winds . When they got into galecon- while sailing a 38-foot ketch from Flori- ditions, they radioed himtwice a day. da to Bermuda. Southbound 2 gave the crew daily Carlson says he developed a passionweather reports, and their current con- for the sport along the coast with his grandfather, which led him to in December where he bought his sailboat. Getting it back to Bermu- LT Todd Carlson da, 900 miles northeast of Florida, celebrates with proved to be a challenge. The seasoned sailboat enthusi- sailor, who teaches sailing back in Ber- ast Bruno Heff muda, said he wantedto sail alone but and L13 Scott Ross after his insurance company wouldn’t allow successfully it. To meet insurance requirements, he traveling from invited Lithographer 3rd Class Scott Florida to Ross who worked in the admin depart- Bermuda aboard ment at Naval Air Station Bermuda, to Carlson’s 38-foot sail with him. In Florida Carlson met sailboat. Bruno Heff, also a seasoned sailor and gourmet cook. Heff also sailed with ditions based on their location. That in- welfare and the safety of theboat. Your them. formation gave Carlson and his crew anleadership role means that no matter Carlson, who is assigned to the op- opportunity to prepare for the weather what condition you’re in, your crew erations department at NAS Bermuda, conditions they faced. The ham opera- doesn’t see your fear.” and histwo crewmen sailed through35- tor also relayed messages to Carlson’s Carlson said he’sproud of what they to 40-fOOt swells during the 1 I-day wife. did. “1 feel good about this accomplish- crossing. Meanwhile, his wife, Marianne, With a major storm coming, Carlson ment, especially knowing a boat nextto and shipmates back in Bermuda spent shortened the length of each watch to us rolled over. I pushed my crew and some anxious days wondering about thekeep his crew from tiring outtoo quick- the boatto its limits. In Palm Beach, Fla., 30-year-old mariner’s fate. ly. Carlson said he worried a lot, and someone askedif I was taking the boat News of another sailboat crew admits he didn’t feel too good the day for a shakedown cruise. I said, ‘Yeah, plucked out of the stormy ocean near he saw debris from another sailboat floatall the way to Bermuda.”’ Bermuda addedto Carlson’s friends and by. To prepare for the gale force winds The windsdid some serious damage family’s anxiety. Finally, friends spotted the crew shortened the sails and tied to the boat, but still the eight-yearNavy Carlson and his crew off St George’s extra rope around them. pilot says he’d do it again. “BeforeI die, Island, Bermuda. Carlson said sailing can be danger- I plan to sail around the world.” For now, The Paramus, N.J., native said the ous if not done properly. He also says it the fixed-wing pilot hasto be happy with weather was so clear and calm the first takes experience and a certain amount flying the Atlantic. four days out, they hadto motor sail. As of confidence in your crew. The tough- they got closer to Bermuda, the winds est job, accordingto Carlson, is thecap- Story and photo by JO7 S.D. Powell, as- picked up. “When you getinto gale con- tain’s. “A has a lot on his shoul-signed to Naval Air Station, Bermuda. ditions, a skipper hopes he’s prepared,’’ders. He’s responsible for the crew’s

JUNE 1994 45

Lincoln career counselors succeed through teamwork

avy Counselor 1st Class (AW) Ricky Young and Aviation Boat Nswain’s Mate 1st Class (AW) Paul Rutkowski have a couple things in common besides their paygrades: They both work in the command career coun- selor’s office, they both recently com- pleted their air warfare qualifications (within two days of each other) and to top it off, they willboth be attending the same five-week recruiting school in Pensacola, Fla. “We pushed each other,” Young re- marked. “1 started outin this programto be more competitive, but then I found the added knowledgeto be its own re- ward. It opens the door.” Navy counselors are made, not born. Nobody can becomeone straight out of boot camp. Only those whoare in pay- grade E-6 (and E-% eligible for E-6)

NC1 (AW)Ricky Young (left) andABFl (AW) Paul Rutkowski (center) work togetherto counsel a young sailor about his naval career aboard Abraham Lincoln. are considered for conversion to Navy counselor. Both Young and Rutkowski plan to become a part of the Navy Career Re- cruiting Force, a program designed for managing and training Navy recruiters.

Story byYN3 Greg Maragos, photo PHAN by David Stephenson, both assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

JUNE 1994 I . Shipmates

Tony Mendez, 9-year-old son of Juan Mendez, a Navy civilian employee in San Diego, recently protected a young neighbor from sniper fire in El Cajon, Calif. Ac- cording to Tony, “I turned around and saw the guy with the gun. I just covered [her].” Wounded by bullet frag- ments in his head and chest, Tony took the girl to his apartment, laid her on the kitchen floorso she wouldn’t get shot, then crawledto the phone and dialed 911.

Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Aaron Bhol- aramsingh, a Fighter Squadron 142, sailor embarked aboard USSGeorge Washington(CVN 73), was award- ed a Navy Achievement Medal for alerting thechain-of- command to a series of defective life preserver inflation assemblies. The , N.Y., native’s squadron in- formed the Navy Safety Center of the problem for Navy- wide release.

Storekeeper 1st Class Curtis Harris, formerly of Navy Recruiting District, Cleveland, was named Support Per- son of the Year by Commander, Navy Recruiting Com- mand. Harris, a native of Cincinnati, then an SK2, coor- dinated the logistical aspects of closingNRD Cleveland, ensuring everything was accounted for when responsi- bility was transferred to NRD Columbus. Harris is now assigned to USS Trenton (LPD 14).

Chief Aviation Maintenance Administrationman (AW) Kim L. Taylor-Fields was recognized as Counse- lor of the Year as acting director at the Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, Counseling and Assistance Center. Taylor-Fields’ dedication, compassion and knowledge of domestic problems in relation to substance abuse were praised. The Fillmore, Utah, native is assigned to Puget Sound Naval , Bremerton, Wash.

BM1 (SW) George B. Sasse was recently selected as Naval Air Station Pensacola’s Sailor ofthe Year. The Springville, N.Y., native is one of the chief dockmasters for the base, arranging all the services for visiting ships then acting as the ship’s liaison with the base. His ad- vice is to “take the time and learn everything you need to, so you can do your job right.”

Your shipmate’s face couldbe here! Does yourcom- mand have a sailor, civilian employee or family member whose accomplishments deserve recognition? Send us a short writeup and photo showing their full face. Black and white, color, print, slide or Polaroid will work. Our address isAll Hands magazine, Naval Media Center, Pub- lishing Division, Naval Station Anacostia, Bldg.168,2701 S. Capitol St. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20374-5080.

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3 d rl N lookout Watch onboard USSpmance Name: SN Hoang Do Hometown: San Jose, Calif. Watchresponsibilities: Reportevery surface or air contact. 1 I Job description; Deck Seaman - Daily job involves basic seaman work. Best part ofjob: “Planned Maintenance System (PMS), be- cause l am assigned a job and it’sup to me to get it done.” Hobbies at sea: Reading and working-out in the weight room. I Countries visited while in the Navy:, France, Spain, Italy, Jamaica, , Greece and Jordan.