by Dorien Grey
I have gone over my arrival home a countless number of times in my mind; all of it is, of course, glorified and will not be at all like that in reality. Still, it will be fun.
As for the presents—my all too few acquisitions in Europe—I plan to send you into the kitchen while I spread them all over the living room. Then you can come in and see them all at once. Unfortunately there are not nearly so many as I should have liked, but you will understand. If only we could have a Christmas tree!!
Last night I wrote a letter to Marc and Michel (in English) and one to Michel entirely in French, which is quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself. It was done with a French-English dictionary, and I only hope Michel can understand it.
One night in Cannes, Marc asked us what we ate on our ship. When we told him, he seemed duly impressed, and then asked what we drank. Both he and Michel were astonished that we didn’t drink wine. When we told them no alcoholic beverages at all were allowed on board, they seemed downright disappointed—especially Michel, who drinks wine as if he were a fish in water. And when I told them about Prohibition in the States, I think they didn’t believe me.
The three major physical differences between America and Europe are: 1) Europe—or what I’ve seen of it.—has very few rivers—lot of river beds and streams, but none even the size of the Rock, not even the Seine. Secondly, the absence of green grass—it is almost nonexistent. Third is the absence of wooden buildings; only in Turkey did I see a wooden house.
Well, the day after tomorrow will be my last day in Europe. I hope, through my letters (infrequent as they may be) that you’ve gotten some idea of what Europe is like. When I return, with you, I hope, I shall have studied much more language, so that I won’t seem quite so lost. As soon as I get home, let’s start a travel fund of quarters and half dollars—and every three or four years, we can take a nice long trip—to Europe, to Hawaii (first), and anyplace else we want to go. ($10 a week for three years is $1560.00)
Meanwhile, time is happily flying….
Today was quite busy, considering that I didn’t do anything of importance—went to the movie this afternoon, read a book (“The Haploids”), and wrote this letter. Had a wonderful sleep last night, and got up this morning around 0900.
Tomorrow I’m going to try to go ashore for some last-minute buying—mainly some good snuff for Grandpa if I can find any.
For the past few weeks I’ve been living completely in the future, dragging the present along behind me like a little red wagon.
No mail now for a God-awful time. I certainly hope there is some waiting for us in Gibraltar. How are you both? Fine, I hope.
Well, since I am now reduced to basic cordialities (the next question in line being: “How’s the weather up there?”) I think it best .to close. If you hear nothing more from me for ten days, don’t worry—I’ll be at sea on my way home.
Love
Roge
P.S. In fact, at the moment you are reading this, I am somewhere in the Atlantic, bound for the New World and untold adventures….
Undated, unknown author
THE CRUISE OF THE TICONDEROGA
1. On the ten day cruise from Norfolk to Gibraltar, two died of a heart attack (one CPO and one Lt. Cdr.)
2. One AD (Ens. Barnes, VA35) noses over, pilot dies on way to sick bay.
3. One F9F lost landing gear, no one killed.
4. An F2H-3 on night flying crashed on landing, killing seven as the plane swept over the bow and fell into the sea.
5. One AD lost over the side on take-off; pilot saved.
6. F9F into the barrier; no one hurt.
7. F7U made a good landing, then hit Tillie with wing tip.
8. Another F9F into the barrier, same pilot as No. 6.
9. On landing, an F9F crashed into an F7U, pushing it into one
AD and scraping another AD; one airman hit on the head with a jury strut.
10. AD on landing nosed up, fell back on tail wheel, and buckled the fuselage; same crew as No. 5.
11. F7U nose gear collapses on landing; pilot taken to Sick Bay on stretcher.
12. F2H-3 given a wave off; tail hook caught a small barrier, pulling the plane to the deck just aft of #2 elevator; plane skids across elevator, explodes, and falls into the sea with the pilot (Martin) Date 1/17/56.
13. Same date as No. 12, an F2H3 was shot off the catapult without permission; the pilot (Doane) was lost with the plane.
14. Pilot of F2H-3 shot off with a “dead” catapult saved (Jessie Miller, CAG-3).
15. AD lands, noses up; “struck” (complete loss).
16. An F2H-3, coming in too low, hooked the edge of the flight deck instead of an arresting cable, sheared off the shoe, damaging the tail section of the plane. Pilot (Manfredi) unhurt; 3/15/56.
17. Same date as No. 16, another F2H-3 missed all arresting cables but was stopped by the barrier. The pilot (Werner) unhurt, the plane a total loss.
18. Plane giving demonstration of dog-fighting went into a dive and did not pull out; pilot lost.
19. April 4, 1956; AJ turning up, man walked into the propeller.
20. Same date as above, an AD coming in on a GCT (Ground Controlled Approach) missed the ship completely. Pilot (Melhorn) and crew picked up by Destroyer.
21. July 17, 1956; F2H-3, G.F. Haggquist pilot, landed so that the tail hook hit the gutter along the flight deck, forcing the tail hook back up into the tail section; the plane went on into the barrier. No one hurt.
22. F7U Cutlass pilot made a normal landing, when his tail hook snapped off; the plane went on into the barrier and the nose landing gear, ten feet tall, collapsed; as the plane fell forward, the landing gear went through the fuselage, killing the pilot. As a result of this crash, all F7Us were removed from the ship.
TICONDEROGA LOG
August 26, 1955 (Friday): Assigned to Ti, went aboard for the first time
September 3–6, 1955: Philadelphia
September 16–18, 1955: Norfolk
September 18–21, 1955: At sea
September 21–25, 1955: Norfolk:
September 26, 1955: At sea
September 27–??: Alternating between Mayport (Jacksonville) Florida and at sea
October 12–24, 1955: Norfolk Dad visited
November 2, 1955: Mayport, Florida
November 4–13, 1955: En route to Med (Left Mayport at 1250 on the 4th)
November 14–16, 1955: Gibraltar
November 17–18: At sea
November 19: Anchored off the coast of Sardinia
November 20–21: At sea (6 killed during flight operations the night of the 21st)
November 22–30: Cannes, France (Tour to Paris, 22–26)
December 1–2: At sea
December 3: Anchored off Sardinia
December 5: At sea
December 6–11: Genoa, Italy (Took a tour of Genoa, Rapallo, Porto Fino on the 9th)
December 12–17: At sea
December 18–26: Naples (Tour to Pompeii/Mt. Vesuvius the 21st…shore Christmas party the 23rd.)
December 27: At sea
December 29–January 2: Naples (Returned to Pompeii Jan. 1st)
January 3–6, 1956: At sea
January 7–9: Anchored off Island of Majorca
January 10–11: Palma, Majorca
January 12: At sea
January 14–16: Gibraltar
January 17–21: At sea (passed erupting Mt. Stromboli the 20th)
January 22–24: Anchored off Augusta, Sicily (Tour to Catania/Syracuse 24th)
February 2–8: Cannes (Tour to Monaco “Monday”)
February 9–11: At sea
February 12: Anchored off Sardinia
February 13: At sea
February 14–28: Naples (Tour to Rome, 21st thru 24th)
March 1–2: At sea
March 3–8: Rhodes, Greece
March 9–10: At sea
March 11–16: Beirut, Lebanon (Ti breaks her moorings 15th)
March 17�
�22: At sea
March 23–April 1: San Remo, Italy
April 2–6: At sea
April 7–15: Valencia, Spain (Called home 8th)
April 16–20: At sea
April 22–23: Suda Bay (Soudha Bay), Crete
April 24–30: At sea
May 1–7: Athens, Greece
May 8–13: At sea
May 14–16: Rhodes, Greece
May 17–21: At sea
May 22–23: Rhodes, Greece
May 23–24: At sea
May 25–3 June: Istanbul, Turkey
June 4–8: At sea
June 9–10: Suda Bay
June 11–15: At sea
June 16–23: Genoa, Italy
June 24–2 July: At sea
July 3–16: Cannes, France
July 16–21: At sea
July 22–23: Gibraltar
July 24–August 2: En Route to U.S.A.
August 2: America