Captain R. L. Bowman, U. S. Navy, Commanding Officer of the ESSEX during the final assaults against the Japanese Efhpire "there will be no routine General Quarters on the way home" "there will be lots of leave and liberty . I

contribute to life. He will appreciate many kindly, true, and beautiful influences he had, before the war, taken for granted. The near-neurotics will try to make the world give them a living, will more and more tend to live in the past nursing their grievances, pathetic creatures who won a war and lost their souls. Shipmates, we cannot go back, only for• ward. All of us having a lot of living yet to do. We can make the years ahead great in accomplishment, rich in satis• Vol. 2 Aug. - Sept. 1945 No.'s 5-6 faction. We had what it takes to win a tough war, we cannot fail to win our per• THIS ISSUE MAY BE MAILED sonal victory when we return to the .ways HOME NOW! of peace. " May you all be blessed with that inner Commanding Officer strength and peace which the world can Captain R.L. BOWMAN, USN neither give nor take away. Executive Officer Commander L- O. MATHEWS, JR., USN The Staff. Humor: G. O. Kemp, PhMlc; Sports: E. K. Dobson, Sp(A)3c; Typists; W. E. Drink- Commander L. O. MATHEWS, Jr., for• ard, Y3c; Circulation: T.C. Jones, Sic; mer Air Officer, climbs the ladder anoth Photos: Photo Laboratory: Artists: D. G. er rung as he takes (Tver as Executive Of Peterson, MMlc; H. C. Thompson, S2c ficer. Printers: R. W. Comer, Prtr2c; C. E. Miles, Prtr2c; H. Harris, Prtr3c; Contributors; E. W. Rufp, Sp(Y)lc; Chaplain V. H. Morgan, USNR; Chaplain R. P. Doll, U.S.N. Collateral Duty Public Information~(3Tficer Lt. J. L. POUCHER, (D), U.S.N.R. Published monthly on government equip ment with appropriated funds in complia• nce with SecNav letter 45-526 NDB, 31 May 1945. HOME IS THE SAILOR, HOME FROM THE SEA The long days at sea are ended. Only in restless dreams we will hear "Set Condition One in the Gunnery Department" or "Pilots, man your planes". We are on the way back. Chaplain Victor H. Morgan, senior ESSEX As the years lead us 'orward memory Padre, will see his family soon. Mrs. Morgan will, with increasinf fondness, recall the and three children, Gail, 9. Henry, 6, and shipmates who proved their worth at Rab- Michall, 3, await his arrival at Orinda,Calif. aul, Truk, the length and breadth of the Veteran of two world wars the Padre was a , at Tarawa, , Okinawa field artillery man m the last war gets and on to the heart of the Empire. Those kidded about his swim on the forecastle when Commander S. C. STRONG, former Ex who flew in planes ar.d fought them, those Jap near-miss flooded the bow with deluge of ecutive Officer, prepares to leave for N. who kept them flying, those who fought water. The story goes that he thought he was A. S. Atlanta, Georgia, where he will as• the ships, those who performed the count• knocked into ocean and was seen frantically sume his new duties as Commanding Of- less duties that enabled the ship to make trying to swim. icer. a mighty record, all these have made the ESSEX glorious. All of us are share• holders in the fame of the Mighiy E. Yes, we are one the way back. Back to wives, sweethearts, children, parents, and friends. Back to the ways of peace Yet we can never go back, only forward. We will not find conditions just as we left them. The buildings, the land, the trees will still be there, but we cannot expect to find people unchanged. Those with whom we worked and played, many will not be there; others will have devoloped new friends, new interests, different habits. Even we ourselves will not be quite the same. Men who have had to face the pro• bability of death day after day, week after week, will always look at life through dif• ferent eyes. The normal man will have a keener appreciation of the values that

Hf TRIED TO Mitt h PIH IN HlOUbblE !f GEMS ALONG THE WAY TO VICTORY Page 3

.0{your fleet ""•"ice anrt f ">to th -...nee and supremintP oe thos seamanshie watersp . oIfn you addir t r ,./'es tooth* elT -lion The Commander in Chief. Pacific Fleet desires to express to all the officers and men of the fleet, 'ef. thi0 sachi nride e and gratitude for the courageous and agressive manner in which they have done their utmost utso destroy the enemv in the recent fighting in the Pacific. To those who have fought in the air on the all in and hi oZ submarines "Well Done". To those brave men who have gallently given their lives ve victory for our country our reverent and lasting respect. Their high example will inspire the completion of our task of destroying the enemys of the United States.. * "

o the oici gu • ..eking Wl sinCere admiration,V>> ththee figholdt gs o quickly. •. >at w and getting back into thFrome Ugm: ConiCruDi_ v 17n BOX SCORE_ TO DATE Gj, PLANES DOWNED' BY SHIP'S AA 33 t's .4. by 4} I PLANES DESTROYED BY AIR GROUPS ,4? O Os A. , • IN TH7+E0 AIR ON TH79E 16WX1N 0 70I L <* fA

CARRIERS 1 2 5 I •• to to ?E 44 X" £ 7 A? BATTLESHIPS 1 to A•to w. qa. ^o5 Ar to <; 2 2+ CRUISERS •to ^> . <4 4- K is £ O 4B Baa' DESTROYERS £ t> TAto ,* • wA$' - *v 1 5» O Cr a to.% v to\o . Su\. 4? « to SUBS 1 217 *\ £ ?? to' ^ -O AUXILIARIES 92 f> p- a «* ' (4 to ESSEX HAS STEAMED 2+1000 MILES 44 4.1b to AIR-GROUPS HAVE MADE A >5 „^ O too % "2 ^

6 lot V* c0uL4TO - PV c« . " TV° \VY 3 an e^e^iytCW*' Yesterday's action and that of the day before made history jr cv^e that will stand in the annals of the American Navy as long as there is a Navy. This Task Group bore the brunt of the enemy's tx>4n AS ' \e*>e^S all out air attack and wiped out the cream of his carrier and A shore based air. During and following this and in spite of the ^to+t> loss of the daring and gallant Princeton we contributed our share with the other Task Groups of its major portion. With justi• fiable pride in the forces under my command, I say "Well Done" which words seem inadequate to express what is in my heart. FREDERICK C. SHERMAN This has been a hard and historic operation. At times you have been driven almost beyond . - vto^ , -,014 endurance but only because the stakes were high. The enemy was as weary as you were, and the lives of many Americans would be spared in later offensives if we did our work well now. We ,44^> have driven the enemy off the sea and back to his inner defenses. I am so proud of you that no words can express my feelings. Superlatively "Well Done" HALSEY Page 4

Sea -going Mari- ke pride in their Vexing problems of logistics are solveo equipment. Cp . Roy broussard of Lafayette , aboard the ESSEX as the entire ship s La., Sgt. Anc .ew Yurko of Sharon, Penna., company "turns to with the Supply OU X ROVING and PFC Albert F. Gurback of Painesville, Department PHOTOGRAPHER Ohio, put this 40MM in order from which Jap• anese planes have felt the thud of hot steel in tense moments of battle

Formerly production manager of WMRM. Marion, Ohio, QM2c Lou T. Marsh steers a The Fantail is manned graciously to receivi straight course. Mrs. Marsh and children Uncle Sugar mail from destroyer. Here, Sic Nancy, 6, Jamie, 4, and Louie, Jr., 2, live in John Danlwicz, New Briton, Conn., Sic Robert Marion.- Moses, Neodesha, Kansas, and Coxswain Allen rust mail call in six weeks found mailme,. R. Scroggins, Columbus, Georgia, do the honors worki ig feverishly. (L to R) Here, MaMlc C. while Chief Boatswain G. L. Parker, . C. Lynch, Pickens, S.C., MaM2c J.F. Rager, California calls the score. Lt(jg) C. E. Summers, Belmar, N.J., and Sic R. V. Hohensinner, Opelika, Ala., (in background) tries to pawn Kansas City, Kansas are making their contri• guard mail. bution to a happy shipboard life..

* Im•

ACMM, R.G. Graves, Sheveport, La. builds, probably more rejoiceful in a personal way - rCourteous and tactful is Sic A. J. Cox, St. than anyone else, that leave is in sight for his Petersburg, ....gets important dis• morale in Air Department. His sense of hu• shipmates, is Chief Spec. W. B. Taylor, Hollow patches delivered on time....plans to be• mor has broken into BUCCANEER pages many Rock, Tenn....devoted much time and effort to come a mechanical engineer. times former restaurant owner. Has son recreation parties at and Leyte in James Conrad, age 10 battle wields a 40MM gun....earned degree of Master of Arts at Peabody; earned title of "big brotherbn the ESSEX. Page 5

At home in Shipfitters' Shop, these metai- The situation is in doubt as Ensign O.W. urtists keep the ship welded together fo. Donnelly of Baltimore, Maryland, patroni• long periods at sea. SF2c M..h. REDWINE, zes ESSEX cafeteria run by officer's coon Maynard, Arkansas, tries to convince MMlc third class J. G, Barker of Sherman, Texas; D. G. Peterson, Salt Lake City, and SFlc G. StM3c L. G. Pittman, of Newport News.V... , Ward, North Blate, Nebraska. Ward plans ana StMlc J. Harris of Cleveland. Ohio. to go into the welding business after the war.

Wartime training will provide solid bash A good shipmate is QMlc. L. A. Reed, for regular Navy career plamned by GMlc Dearhart, Oregon....plans to return to J. H. Dean, Clarendon, Arkansas. He sur• Senior plank owner of the ESSEX Commander civil service and his family after war... vived the'first CT.S.S. WASP and is a plank Henry P. Wright. Jr., USNK, has been safely. " has written stories for press and BUCCA• owner of the U.S.S. ESSEX fired into 30 through all seven hells with the "fightingest NEER....proud father of two daughters, of 33 Jap planes downed by ESSEX. ship in the Navy" sel a record when he re• Barbara Jean, 10, and Patricia May. 8. ceived 23 destroyers alongside in one day dur• ing OKINAWA operation...as First Lieutenant, was commended by Admiral W. F. Halsey when the ESSEX resumed launching aircraft in hall hour after being hit by Jap suicider.

Navy experience will contribute good Recording ESSEX war record is the job of judgment to the future law career of PhM2c these photographer's mates. (L to R) S.J. W. K. McBride, New Albany, Indiana. He Yish and R. J. Sullivan of Bridgeport. Conn., plans to study at Purdue. and P. J. Madden of Boston, Mass. "THERE I WAS " Lieutenant (now Lieutenant Commander) T.H. Reidy, Commanding Officer of VBF-83, of 273 Central Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois, shows pilots in his squadron how he shot down his tenth Jap plane on the last day of the war, August 15. It was the last Nip 10 feel the sting of an ESSEX pilot's guns, and that was only 30 minutes before recall. On hand to hear the Commanding Offiqer tell nis story are, Left to right: Lieutenant W.P. Harris, Waldron, Ark., at Lieutenant Reidy's elbow; above him, Ensign Adolphe C. Le Fevre, 4129 "M" Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Ensign Charles L. Wilcox, 1013 Robinson Street, Knoxville, Iowa; and Lieutenant (jg) Peary D. Stafford, 1605 Allison Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Partly hidden behind Lieutenant Reidy is Lieutenant Harry Jacobs, 936 Morningside Avenue, Jackson, Miss.; and above him is Ensign Harold A. Lloyd, 202 West Suffolk, Dallas, Texas. Also partly hidden at top beside Ensign Lloyd is Lieutenant (jg) John C. Marcinkoska, 2135 Logan Street, Murphysboro, Illinois. Breaking into a huge smile as the C.O. tells his story is Ensign William D. Farnsworth, Route 1, Box 78, Chandler, Arizona, and hands on hips looking as if he were about to explode with "I'll be darned," is Ensign Theordore L. Andrew, Amity, Pa. to the far right is Lieutenant (jg) Robert B. Morrissey, 4308 Jackson Boulevard, Chicago. Page 7 "AND THEN I LET HIM HAVE IT." his return. They reside at 273 Central and slower and finally stopped. Avenue. "I ^uess the airplane knew the war was Graduating with a Bachlor of Science over' , he said laconically, "But I did degree in business administration from Credit for the last enemy plane to be have a little carburetor trouble during Lehigh University in 1935, Lieutenant shot out of the sky on the last day of the the fight." Commander Reidy was employed in the war by a pilot from this carrier goes to A loud cheer went up from the crew sales-engineering Department of the Lieutenant (now Lieutenant Commander) after his engine quit and Lieutenant "Com - Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Chicago T.H. Reidy, 32, Commanding Officer of mander Reidy was startled, thinking, before he went to the Navy three years VBF-83, the corsair bomber-fighter something was wrong. He soon learned ago. squadron attached to this leading flattop. the crew had just been informed that his As a half back he played three years a headline athlete in the Middle Atlantic last plane to land and that the war was of varsity football at Lehigh and was the during his college days, Lieutenant Com• over. fastest sprint man in the league in 1934. mander Reidy did some headline shooting After more than two years in the heat He took the middle atluntic champion• in the Pacific. In the thick of the Okinawa- of the Pacific battle, the leading lady of ship by covering the 100-yard dash in 9 Kyushu battles earlier this year he had the ESSEX carriers was on her way home 4/5 seconds and the 220 in 21.6 seconds. scored five Jap planes for his ace rating. in early September, carrying a huge load But now the war is over and the Com• On August 15 he scored his last Nip and of Navy men. Among them were the manding Officer VBF-83 is back in the the last one for the venerable ESSEX to members of Air Group 83 and the C. O. States and once again is Commanding bring his score to an even ten. of the fighter-bomber squadron. Officer of the T.H. Reidy household? At He was leading the first flight from the Now his thoughts were turned to his home a captain's inspection undoubtedly ESSEX for a strike in the area Highland Park, Illinois, home where his carried top priority because he had never early that morning when they spotted a wife, Mrs. Barbara Tennant Reidy and seen his youngest son who was born Myrt about 50 miles from shore. One their two young sons, Dustine H., 1 1/2 while he was in the Pacific. section of the group jettisoned bombs and ' years, and James T., 6 months, awaited peeled of to wish the Jap a warm "Good Morning." It did't take long to finish the job with Lieutenant Commander Reidy ESSEX PILOT FIRST TO LAND ON HONSHU swooping in for the kill. During their briefing the pilots had been One of the strangest air-sea rescue advised to be on the alert for a recall stories to come out of this war occurred should the Japs make up their minds to in the closing days of the conflict near the hoist the white flag. But no word had Ominatu Naval Base at the northern end come to them over the radio so they man• of Honshu Island August 10. euvered into a cloud formation preparing In an exaggerated view, the upper end to descend on the target. of this Jap Island looks like an eagle's It was just 30 minutes after the ESSEX beak, the ea tern projection of land form• ace had splashed the Myrt and just when ing the curved portion of the bill, jutting the attacking planes were ready to spray a north then suddenly westward at the upper rain of lead on the target that they rec• end. A strip of land also protects the west eived word to return to their carrier, end of the body of water and the NavalBase "The war was over." is on the north side of the bay. On their return trip after all bombs had The story begins on the afternoon of been jettisoned, the pilots played around August 9 when Lieutenant (jg) Vernon T. in the sky like in the old days when they Coumbe, VBF-83 pilot from the USS ESSEX were carefree cadets back in the states. dived his corsair on a freight transport in They had set some records in the Pacific the Ominatu Bay Area. After dropping his but were glad that it was all over. This 500-pound bomb he was retiring from the AFTER THE RESCUE squadron led the list in combat time, scene when his plane was hit by 25 MM having flown 36,841.1 hours. Durin the fire from the east shore. The oil cooler Lieutenant (jg) Vernon T. Coumbe, 103 Okinawa campaign they raised the ESSEX had been hit and the engine froze. Greenfield Avenue, Lombard, Illinois, in one day total from 68 1/2 Jap planes to a Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe ditched the plane the cockpit of a Corsair, flashes a smile round 70 for a new ship record. And this five miles south of the Ominatu Base, of genuine happiness after having been was done when the hunting was not as good climbed into his raft and awaited develop• rescued from under the nose of the Jap• as in the days of the "Mariana Turkey ments. Hoping for a rescue mission that anese out of Ominato Bay in Northern Shoot," nearly a year before. afternoon, he held his position against a Honshu. After a night on the island, it With the tension of war suddenly gone, strong west wind that threatened to blow took two Kingfishers to rescue Lieutenant these pilots returned to their ship with a him to shore. (jg) Coumbe in one of the strangest exper• feeling of relief; but getting into the land• No help arrived that evening and during iences of the war but the job ended suc• ing pattern Lieutenant Commander Reidy the night he managed to nap for about 45 cessfully. found he had one more little battle of his minutes. At 0300 when the eastern sky own to, fight that moring. The plane's began to lighten, the pilot awoke to find he Ave., Riverside, Calif., proceeding direct• flaps wouldn't come down into landing had drifted nearly seven miles due east ly overhead to the ditching position of the position. and was within one mile off the shore of day before. Just in case he should have some trou• Nakanosaw, a small fishing village. The sun was too low to use a signal ble which might damage the well worn fli- A mile north of the village he spotted a mirror but Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe didn't hgt deck and delay the othe pilots The . ,*i beach with a small wooded area be• need the sun. He fired a very star pistol squadron CO. circled until his, was the hind it. Beyond the wooded area was a and waved a white scarf. He was spotted last plane in the air. Durin this time he railroad track. Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe by Ensign Joseph W. Jones, 38 North State managed to work the flaps down into pos - paddled furiously to reach the beach, ar• Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, and the posi• ition and brought the corsair in for a riving on the shore about half an hour lat• tion was relayed immediately back to the normal landing. er. combat air patrol. The plane was brought to a quick stop. Taking his raft into the wooded section Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe again took to After being released from the arresting which started about 100 feet beyond the the water, paddling his raft about 300 gear, the traffic director gave him the beach, he hid himself and the equipment in yards off shore. He held this position for signal to taxi forward. Easing the throttle the oak, spruce and pine underbrush. He three hours against the wind but could back a bit he waited for the engine to was half asleep at 0600 only to be awaken• hold no longer. He retired to the shore swing,the prop a little faster. There was ed by a familiar droning sound; it was the again watching from the north side of the no reaction. Lieutenant Commander Reidy first flight of corsairs from the ESSEX woods for a possible rescue mission, glanced at the prop. It was going slower ledby Lieutenant Jack H.Tripp, 35tt4 Park cont. on page 9 The indomitable floating airdrome,' U.S.S. ESSEX, leading lady of the mighty carrier armada. Page S FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE! Ulithi and Leytv Gulf. She was the first coot, from page 7 of her class to land planes with destroyers alongside both port and starboard quarters Al about noon a rescue mission of three and a tanker along the starboard side. corsiars and one hellcat from the ESSEX Aboard the USS ESSEX off Tokyo Bay led by Lieutenant T.H. Reidy, Command• September 3, 1945, -- The indomitable She was a unit of the first task group ing officer of VBF-83, of 273 Central Ave floating airdrome, USS ESSEX,( not .he to hit Tokyo with carrier based planes; Highland Park, Illinois, and two Kingfish• class but the individual ship herself), dub• also Okinawa, Iwo Jinia, Formosa, Swa- ers from the North Carolina. bed the "Flghtingest ship in the Navy "as tow, Pescadores, , The first step in the rescue process far back as December 1944, is homeward Saigon, Camranh Bay, Kyushu, Luzon, proved fatal for one of the corsair pilots bound, after remaining in the combat zone , , Truk and Hokkaido. when he dipped low over the water to drop for seventeen continuous months - t he Her good luck bespeaks tribute to her a raft. What happened was not definitely longest unbroken period for any carrier. outstanding gunners, many of whom are determined but his plane went into a steep Hovering off Tokyo with her crew alert survivors of the ill-fated first U.S.S. turn and plunged into the water.There was and her planes poised for instant battle WASP.. no survivor of the crash. should the Japanese waver, the gallant Only once has she been hit and then ' At this time Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe leading lady of the mighty carrier fleet by a Jap suicide single-seater. She was abandoned his old raft. Being a good swim• witnessed the final signing of the Nippon• launching planes at the time. Within 30 mer, he put out .into the bay. One of the ese surrender then set her course toward minutes the fire was extinguished, a Kingfishers piloted by Lieutenant Jacobs the rising sun for a victorious voyage to metal plate placed over the hole in the landed in the bay and taxiied to within60 the United States, the first big carrier to and launching resumed. cont. on page 10 return since the war ended. Her flag-staff was decked with bright new battle colors signifying the victory over a savage and treacherous enemy which she had fought so long and hard to defeat. As her proud bow settled on an eastward course, her happy crew stream• ed a specially made "Homeward Bound" pennant, 2,694 feet long - one foot for every crew member. It was detorated with 312 stars - one for every officer aboard. The first of her class, built and com• missioned after Pearl Harbor, the ESSEX has set a formidable list of records some of which are "firsts" for Naval History. Chief among these is her record for operating combat aircraft for 79 con• secutive days during the occupation of Okinawa. Also, she produced the leading individual Navy Ace, Commander David M'Campbell, who shot down 34 planes and the leading air group forcombat hours is Air Group 83 last aboard, who flew 36, 841.2 hours up to August 15, the war's end. The USS ESSEX was the first carrier to receive bombs aboard at sea in the com• bat area and the first carrier to take a Marine Air Group into combat. Reporting to Admiral Nimitz for duty May 18, 1943, the ESSEX has fought in combat operations against the Japanese, starting with Marcus and Wake, straight through all the stepping-stones to Tokyo. Her own anti-aircraft guns have shot down 33 attacking planes, her air groups have destroyed 1,531 Jap planes - an ad• ditional 800 probably destroyed. Her aviators have sunk 25 Jap warships and 86 noncombatant vessels. Ships of all types sunk and damaged add up to 419 with a tonnage of 1,692,310. Long in need of a new flight deck, planes still take-off and land safely on her over-age "strip" on which 31,015 landings have been made. The ESSEX has steamed 233,419 naut• ical miles since commissicning; since last seeing continental UJS., she steamed 152,909 miles up to the war's end. During her record breaking 79-day continuous launching cruise off Okinawa, she steamed 33,865 miles without anchoring. She has never had an engine room casualty. Among other "first" set by the leading lady, the ESSEX was the first of her class to transit the Panama Canal and cross the Ea.uator, first to enter Pearl Harbor and anchor at Majuro, Saipan, Kossol Passage Page 10 eont. from page 9 yards of the shore. Against the strong surf, Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe swam within 25 feet of the seaplane. To help the swim• mer, Lieutenant Jacobs put one foot out on the wing, keeping the other in the cockpit on the seat, when the plane lunged in the surf. The Kingfisher pilot's foot evident• ly kicked the throttle open. The plane went scooting off in the water, knocking the pilot overboard. Now there were two pilots to rescue in• stead of one and to make matters worse artillery fire had opened up from the naval base, two shells landing within 50 yards of the two pilots. But the picture wasn't clear to the pilots i he air. Seeing the plane taxi away ft-... the beach, Lieutenant Reidy went down low for a look.. He saw no passenger in the rear cockpit. His first thought was that the pilot had been scared out. He took another look and saw no one in the front cockpit. This was too much. "I thought I was dreaming," Lieutenant Reidy says. "The plane was taxiing in a straight course better than most pilots This ship's stores, numbered .one and could do." "THE SERVICE DIVISION" ; He swung around for another look re• two, take care of the neces" 'ips and lux• assuring himself before reporting what The Service Division of the Supply Dep• uries for the crew. A steady flow of he had seen. artment consists of the cobbler, tailer , humanity passes by both stores daily and on paydays, or when candy is to be had, After it became clear what had hap• and barber shops; laundry, clothing issue pened, Lieutenant (jg) Oliver in the sec• room, two ship's stores, and the soda the number exceeds one thousand. A normal day registers from four to six ond Kingfisher landed, taxiied to within fountain. Their primary purpose is to 50 to 75 yards of the shore and picked up provide a convenient means for the pro• hundred, purchasing anything from candy, nuts, and tobaccos, to razor blades, tooth the two pilots. He made a good tafte-off curement of necessary allowed articles, in fairly rough water. which are in constant demand by the ship s paste, and various other items that are company, in a reasonable variety of too numerous to mention. The large lines In the meantime the pilotless Kingfish• brands, and to render the best services are handled quickly and in a matterof er was serving its purpose too by draw• possible. hours are dispersed or reduced to a min• ing the shell fire away from the rescue imum. operation. But its usefullness had ended. The Service Division under Lieutenant It was strafed by Lieutenant Reidy and Commander U.L. Bennett (SO USN., is The clothing and small stores issue room takes care of the necessities of the left sinking. comprised of one chief pay clerk and Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe and the King• fifty four enlisted men of various ratings crew in the line of wearing apparel. Com• plete stocks are maintained at all times fisher pilots arrived at the USS North It is their job to keeptheService Division Carolina at 1615. Returning to the ESSEX functioning properly and to render the whenever it is possible to obtain them, and dispensed quickly to from two to three the following morning, the corsair pilot best possible service under the most try• was well suntanned, hale and hearty. ing conditions. Let's take a look and see hundred daily in need of various items of clothing. Many men have stories to tell their what the various branches are doing. Grandchildren but Lieutenant (jg) Coumbe Eight barbers are assigned to handle 'The total money value of stock carried won't have to wait that long to tell a good the hair cutting of the ship's company. on board averages one hundred seventy story. Two cobblers and two tailors try to ac• thousand dollars. This tremendous am• commodate the many customers desiring ount of stock requires a replenishment of INCOME, WEALTH AND TAXES to have shoes repaired and uniforms pres• approximately thirty five tons a month. Eighteen month* ago William K. Vsnderbili died and left an eatai: of $33,000,000. It is now reported sed or altered. Nine storerooms are used to stow this that Federal taxes took $25,000,000 and New York Suite The laundry comprises twenty seven material and are taken care of by five taxes another $5,000,000. thus leaving $3,000,000 for the heir. The news Item points up the extent to whicn men. Their job is the hapless one of men. Items not available, as is most our tex lews havdgone In redistributing weelth. The trend his been sharply accelerated during the war. laundering everything aboard ship and it generally the case, necessitates rationing. Federal taxes on individual incomes now take 50 per is a tremendous task. Machines have been The ship's stores will eventually be en• cent when taxaole income ia in excess of $14,000. 75 per cent when it ia in excess of $44,000. and 92 per running constantly for two and one-half larged, enabling operators to handle a cent when the $109,000 mark is reached. In fact, less greater number of customers more ef• than $30,000 (before State texeel il retained out of the years without overhaul. These Boys are first $100,000 of earnings, and only $7500 out of the doing a good job. ficiently. second $1003)00. With such steep tex rates, incomes have been leveled in o manner never previously seen The soda fountain or "Ceedunk Locker" These activities are not maintained in our history. is well known and patronized accordingly. without expense. When stores are re• In Use face of such taxes It ia virtually impossible to accumulate large fortunes. Thus Trusts and Es• You can't possibly have escaped noticing ceived short in shipment they must be tates Magazine has recently published estimates which showed that after e modest allowance for living ex• the tremendous line of men each awaiting surveyed. The cost of operation of the penses, in order to accumulate $100,000 under today's his turn to buy a "geedunk". The top laundry amounts to approximately five tax schedules, it would be necessary to earn $$5,000 a year for 10 years To accumulate $250,000 would capacity of the freezers is fourteen hundred dollars a month. Extra compen• require annuel earnings of $600,000 for e 10-yeer sation to the various non rated men work• period, or $190,000 e year for 20 .years. To accumulate hundred cups of ice cream. A ration of 11,000,000. annul] earnings of $2,130,000, for 10 years or eight hundred twenty five cups of Coca ing in the laundry, cigars and cigarettes $1,075,000 for V years would be required. Of course, if such minings were accumulated, large estate texee Cola are dispensed daily to patrons num• on holiday meals, beer for recreation on the accumulation would than have to be paid to bering from seven to nine hundred. They parties, prize money for the Buccaneer the Government, upon death. Even after poet-war tex reductions ere considered. It seems Improbable are served quickly and efficiently by three news letters, crew's ice cream, and var• that It sell] hi- poatahle to earn large fortunes. Ike ret* of accMmtitatlon could he speeded, up by meene men in less than four hours. Many, after ious other items, as authorized by the of tncrmsae in capital values because the capital gains "sweating out" the line are turned down, Commanding Officer, are charged again• tor Is lower then the Income tax, but this merely but we hope to remedy this as soon as the st the ship's store profits. menu tbdt a Sugar share srculd be taken by aetata alterations to the soda fountain are made. These WgnfsulWU come at a surprise to many per I pf the continued emphasis by some This will increase the present capacity I 4m qoed le redistribute income and eighty gallons. The soda fountain also Even if money grew on trees, there poems i>. cy In I Sim ties To correct ie-J are many persons who are so lazy they comev • s S-or emphasis. e Incomes before taxes. The tact acts as a clearing house for the various Is. however, that the distribution of Income ell, activities which require chits for service wouldnt climb the 'drees to gather' it. wealth has been equalised to en extant ttkV M»! rendered. ^^n^renld hot have been thought panMqpJBflf It was raining cats and dogs and there were poodles in the road. Girl: "My dad takes things apart to see why they don't go." Boy Friend: "So what?" Girlt'You'd better go."

Si •c"«'t worrv if „ y rc wiyrruj°b''S S,11;''' V 6 ^'member (),,,„ "**'•»*. V\5>" . 7ji V ol d

^ to Civiii.,,,. ^ "ice gi ...

: -e: «ow far ( o the ne*< town? " c - c o « an arrow into the air Little Miss Mullett Luting her cui

The mosquitos on Okinawa were supposed to really be large. One Marine tells us that one of them sidled up to a B-29 and said, "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?' 4

One of these'mosquitos landed on our flight deck and Harvey put fifty gallons of gas into it before he found out that it wasn't a SB2C.

n 4 She this. was liKe to.f the at *\ Kind looked to 9 of you *hat agir l 5- r ^" o_

If a man still has his tonsils, adenoids and appendix, s^ X % the chances are two to one that he is a doctor. ' \ a. o t. It. - o X to Did you ever notice that artists models make only a bare living? <, - -to S- A consultant is a man who is called in at the last minute to share the blame, a P -eX e Wit Skyles attributes his low number ol points to the fact that he was born so young. Worried mother; "My baby just swallowed a .45 slug. What shall I do? Doctor(over the telephone) "Just give him some castor oil and don't point him at anybody." It usually takes five to six years for a tree to produce nuts. This isn't true of a family tree. Little Eva: "Papa, did Edison really make the first talking machine?" Hen-pecked father: "No Darling, he just made the first one that could be shut off." A conductor noticed a red lantern hanging up in the center of a pullman car and called the porter to find out what it was doing there. "Well suh, "said the porter. "The rule book done said that when the rear end of a sleeper is exposed, hang a red lantern. if

GUNS In the gingervating ghastness of a momentary stance A Myrtle, Zeke or Judy does a cirro-stratus dance; It's the eerie, sultry stillness of the day or early night When the fated reels his maltruistic rite O'er the sunny slopes of ether, in and u through palls of flak, Though a-far and out of distance he is met with swift ack-ack. Nosing down into the ocean—pray? That's quite benign, Too bad, thou son of Nippon; the number's C V NINE! Whilst the clanging, twanging, fanging of the gen-er-al alarm starts the guns of every cal-i-bre to deal unusal charm! It's the rumble, trundle, grumble of the cannon's fast recoil arid the screaming, careening, preening of the banzai grad in foil. To the portside, to the starboard, on the f'csle and stern All the gunners on their stations; they'll subdue his final fears! All the fighters in their Hellcats—their pride! Their great coneern: To bereave the son-of-heaven of ill-famed ten thousand cheers! WhUstthe pouncing, rouncing, trouncing of a steep and lightning raid- It's the chatter, clatter, tatter of the sailor's tools of trade. All hands a-gaze to skyward toward a blinding, haloed sun, A pair of Zekes, a Myrt, and Judy perched in a deadly run; Standby! The Captain orders. Open fire! all hands that bear. And the pair, the Myrt, then Judy cleared of freedom's acrid air. Whilst the flaming, taming, shaming of a suicidal thrust brings a cheer from every shipmate and their hearts are full of trust; It's the marking, barking, harking of their masterful foray And the mutters, stutters, sputters that will splash the banzai brothers and flame the last and final of the Nipponistic sens. It's the frightful fight for freedom, man! of the guns, guns, guns! Contributed.