The U.S.S. Oglethorpe (AKA-100), was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey, for the U. S. Maritime Service, and converted to the U. S. Naval Service under current emergency war acts. The keel of the vessel was laid on December 26, 1944, and the ship was launched April 15, 1945. Mrs. Ellsworth Buck, wife of Representative Buck of New York, sponsored the ship at launching. The ship is named for Oglethorpe County, Georgia, which in turn, was named in honor of James Oglethorpe, founder of the State of Georgia. The vessel was completed on June 4, 1945, made its trial runs on 4 and 5 June, 1945, was accepted by the U. S. Navy on June 5, 1945, and commissioned for duty on June 6, 1945, at Pier "J", Berth 15, U.S. Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York. The ship's company was on board at the time of commissioning.

From The Ship and Her Travels On February 21st, 1945, the General Leroy Eltinge was comissioned at San Francisco. When we fell in on top of Hatch No. 5 for the ceremony, the band was playing and visitors were gathered in the 20mm. gun tubs. The ship was presented to Captain Wakefield and he replied with a short speech of thanks. After the chaplain gave the benediction, the commissioning pennant was run up. We were through with ceremony and ready for work. There was plenty of that--we went across the bay and loaded stores for 48 backbreaking hours in an all hands evolution. During the days that followed there was much to be done to get things "squared away" in readiness for the shakedown cruise. At last, on March 4th, we got underway for San Pedro. On the way down we held speed runs, gunnery exercises, and dozens of other tests to find out everything we could about our new ship. And everything went well. After we reached San Pedro we went out for more gunnery exercises and for simulated strafing attacks and things still went well. We were ready for sea.

"U.S.S. Missouri. Over this spot on 2 September 1945 the instrument of formal surrender of Japan to the Allied Powers was signed, thus bringing to a close the second World War. The ship at that time was at anchor in Tokyo Bay. Latitude 35° 21' 17" North -- Longitude 139° 45' 36" East"--Cover

The U.S.S. New York, whose career spans a thirty-one year period embracing a volume of tradition which might well be the envy of any ship of the Fleet and whose name has been borne of six vessels of the United States Navy through 170 years of naval history, has the unique distinction of having played a noteworthy role in two world wars.

Her name, the U.S.S. Neshoba. Like most of her sister Attack Transports, she was named for a county in the United States. Neshoba county is located in the state of Mississippi, but the ship was built many miles away from there. One of the 130 ships of her class, the Neshoba was built by the Permanente Metals Corporation of Richmond, California, and launched on 7th of October, 1944. She was commissioned as a ship of the United States Navy on November 16th, 1944, being sponsored by Mrs. Wendall E. Adams of Berkeley, California, and placed in command of Commander Martin J. Drury, USN Commander Drury was later promoted to the rank of Captain. The conversion to an attack transport was made at Hunter's Point Ship Yard in San Francisco. The conversion consisted of installing Navy Radio and Radar equipment, armament, adding welin-davits for landing craft, and the landing craft. At the conclusion of this conversion, the Neshoba was a fullfledged, ready to APA. From time immemorial, every Navy ship has had its shakedown cruise. The Neshoba was no exception. Her shakedown brought her from San Francisco to San Diego. It was during this coastal run that she attained her top speed of 19 knots. At San Diego, she was committed to Amphibious Training at which time the new boat crews got a feel of their craft. She acted as flagship, for Transport Squadron Thirteen whose commanding officer at that time was Commodore John G. Moyer, USN. The training was supposed to last a period of two weeks, but sudden changes in the Pacific Fleet organization made the Neshoba's entrance on the scene of action very imperative and the training was cut short. She proceeded to San Pedro, California, where final repairs and checkups took place.

Beginning of The Baltimore Story: Now at Wars' End the Story of the Heavy Cruiser U.S.S. Baltimore Can Be Told! Like other battle seasoned and scarred heavy cruisers, the USS Baltimore has lived a full war life, sampled its first battle with a bombardment of Makin island, stormed through the Gilbert, Marshall, and Marianas campaigns, leveled the synchronized fury of its nine protruding eight-inch rifles on Satawan island in the Caroline group; but unlike many less fortunate cruisers, the Baltimore had run the gamut unscathed. Some of her actions and deeds--like carrying the late President Roosevelt to his historic triumvirate at Pearl Harbor with five-star Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur-were tagged as "top secret", thus remained untold 'til war's end. But probably the main reason for her silent satirically and smothered blackout was that in doing a thorough workmanlike job for over two years, the Baltimore's skippers (Captains Calhoun and Fink), officers, and crew had clearly defied, coldly thwarted, and precisely out maneuvered every Nip attempt to register a single hit on its six hundred and seventy feet of armored deck and superstructure.Not once did she wear a hurt, martyred look, or limp into the news as a battle casualty--not a man did she lose through enemy action. But the Baltimore was always there, as her crew so loudly and proudly echoes: "They don't wear service stars for nothing!"

The keel for a new salvage vessel was laid on 24 November 1948 at the Basalt Rock Company, Napa, California. Launched on 1 April 1943, the ship was sponsored by Mrs. Benjamin Elliot, wife of the assistant officer in charge of civil construction, and was henceforth known as USS CABLE. CABLE began her career as a rescue and salvage ship at 1400 on 6 March 1944, at commissioning ceremonies along side the Southern Pacific Dock, Vallejo, California.

"... The accomplishments of the Seabees have been one of the outstanding features of the war. In the Pacific, where the distances are great and the expeditious construction of bases is frequently of vital importance, the construction accomplished by the Seabees has been of invaluable assistance. Furthermore, the Seabees have participated in practically every amphibious operation undertaken thus far, landing with the first waves of assault troops to bring equipment ashore and set up temporary bases of operation. In the Solomon Islands campaign the Seabees demonstrated their ability to outbuild the Japs and to repair airfields and build new bases, regardless of conditions of weather. There can be no doubt that the Seabees constitute an invaluable component of our Navy." From the official report by Admiral Ernest J. King, Commander in Chief, United States Fleet, and Chief of Naval Operations

Foreword: A ship is only as great as the men who sail her . . . This the story of a great ship ... U. S. S. George F. Elliott Auxiliary Passenger Number 105, affectionately and aptly known to her men as . . . "The Fighting Fox"

Foreword: The primary purpose of our book is to provide a pictorial record in time sequence of the journey of conquest, work projects, and related activities of our battalion in the Pacific Ocean Area. In no other way is it possible for us to have a true and compiled portrayal of our proud accomplishments, notable achievements, and fine associates. The past two years have cost immeasurable energy. We have forgone many civilian pleasures and activities. Accordingly, all this has greatly delayed the progress of our life's planned work. It is our sincere hope that this record be as complete and accurate as possible. We trust that it will give you many fine, complete, and proud recollections of true and sincere fellowship. With this goes a great satisfaction. The contributions of our battalion have enabled the armed forces to successfully travel the road to complete victory. We cannot measure our accomplishments in personal sacrifices or monetary gains or losses, great as they might have been. Rather it is for each of us to accept proudly the responsibility of our work and be humble in our acceptance of the glory in a great achievement. Let us proceed to use wisely the long and costly victory.

This book is divided into two parts to accommodate quicker download speed. Foreword This volume is essentially the overall story, in log form, of the 87th U. S. Naval Construction Battalion--a hard-working Seabee outfit, which did everything asked and expected of it from the Solomons through war's sudden end on Okinawa. It is, of course, no better or worse than the approximately 1,300 officers and men who carved out its multiple achievements with their sweat, blood and, at times, even tears. This trip book has been designed to cover the period between 20 February 1943 and 9 October 1945--a span of approximately 31 1/2 months. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken between 9 October and 7 November when the remaining 361 men finally embarked for the States in their twenty-seventh month overseas. The photographer and assisants had all gone home. The story of the tour has been purposely kept vague or general so that each man might be free to relate his version of the sequence of events as he saw them. This publication has been prepared for the men of the 87th, their families and friends and is not intended for general publication or circulation. Moreover, the opinions expressed in this volume are those of the editors and their staff and are not intended to reflect those of the Navy Department or the service at large. Every reasonable effort has been made to keep the written portions of this trip book as objective as possible. And an honest effort has been exerted throughout to make the book as factually accurate as existing facilities for assembling and checking information would permit. However, conceived and launched just prior to leaving New Caledonia and finished in foxholes and amid post-war confusion on Okinawa, the job, a spare-time project until 12 August 1945 , was accomplished under just the worst circumstances imaginable. At its best, THE EARTHMOVER could never hope to depict the overall impact inflicted on each man during the several years spent on these far-flung Pacific islands. but the editors herewith submit it as a fair resume of the 87th's role in World War II.

From the Introduction: "This booklet is designed to give a general picture of the Second Infantry Division in its operations from the time it reached the Siegfried Line in Germany on October 4, 1944, until it arrived in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, its location on V-E Day, May 8, 1945. A preceding booklet told how the Second, which was activated in France in 1917 and which probably gained more renown in World War I than any other division, opened its campaign in World War II when it came ashore on Omaha Beach in France, D plus 1, June 7. The story described the manner in which the wearers of the Indianhead patch fought their way through Treviers, Cerisy La Foret, and then, in one mighty effort, crushed the powerful Nazi defenses on Hill 192, grassy slope holding up the advance on St. Lo. In the speedy breakthrough South that followed, the Second stepped out in front and pushed through St. Jean des Baisants, Vire, and Tinchebray in victorious but hard fighting. It was next ordered along with two other divisions to take Brest, heavily defended seaport which the Germans had used as a submarine base. After a bitter four-week struggle, in which the Nazis fought desperately to prevent the port from passing into U. S. hands, the garrison formally surrendered to Major General Walter M. Robertson, Division Commander, from Nelson County, Virginia, on September 18, 1944. The division then moved by truck and train across France and Belgium to the Siegfried Line, where this story begins.

This is the story of a Seabee Special Battalion, a rigger or stevedoring battalion, whose principal function in the Navy of World War II was the working of the vital cargo and materiel necessary for the prosecution of the War. Special battalions were not permanently employed on Stateside duty; that was a job for civilians. Like all Seabee units, the Specials were rigidly trained and indoctrinated for overseas duty and the inevitable hazards of war. They became the life blood, the dominating force of the supply lines, radiating from Allied ports of loading to the front lines of the farthest theaters of war. Participating in actual invasions, they helped conquer new territory for their supply line, then maintained those extensions as our forces pushed forward toward the enemies' homelands. Ships and craft of every size and denomination, flying the flags of every Allied nation, were worked by the Seabee stevedores, the Special battalions. This, then, is the story of one of those stevedoring battalions, and it chronicles its wanderings from its birthplace in Virginia across the United States; its duty in the frozen wastelands of the Aleutian Islands and the farthest Arctic outpost at Point Barrow; its return to the States for rehabilitation and re-assignment; and finally, its tour of duty in the South and Central Pacific. From Point Barrow to New Guinea, from Virginia to the Philippines-thousands of miles, months that stretched into years, are written into this history, a story not only of the battalion but of the men, the individuals themselves, who loaned that part of their lives to the service of their country that this history might be written. It is to them, then, the men of the Fifth Special Naval Construction Battalion, that this history of their outfit is dedicated. Frank L. Holland, Lieutenant-Commander, USNR, Officer-in-Charge

Prologue: Soon after the treacherous attack on Pearl Harbor, the idea was conceived by the Navy Department of forming construction units which would do all construction work overseas that would arise from the exigencies of war. Less than a year later a bottle-neck developed in the unloading of ships which made it obvious that the Navy needed not only experienced builders but capable stevedores, as well. Hurriedly the "Special" Battalions were formed. Their personnel consisting of some life-long stevedores, but in great part, of men who had never before been on a dock for a purpose other than boarding a ship or fishing. These battalions came through in the best traditions of the Seabees and the U.S. Naval Service. From Port Hueneme, California, to the Philippines, from Davisville, R. I., to Burma. The "Steve-bees" have, in full battalions, detachments and units, performed miracles in speed of loading and unloading supply ships. The 28th Special Naval Construction Battalion is typical of the fast-working, efficient, stevedoring outfits that have done so much to facilitate the logistic angle of the war effort. At Pearl Harbor it received commendations for its speed and capability, for its record-breaking handling of all possible manner of cargo. In the Philippines it continued its excellent work. Soon after V-J Day the battalion moved to Japan, where it was decommissioned. When the 28th Special landed at the Philippine Islands, it found nothing in the form of living quarters waiting for them. A camp had to be built from scratch and there was no one around to do it but the stevedores themselves. The men fell to the job with a vengeance, determined to prove their versatility. Following in the footsteps of a Construction Battalion, they built a camp that was generally conceded to be among the best on the island. It is to these men who have sweated on the docks through all hours of the day and night; who have outdone themselves in an unaccustomed construction job that this book, the story of their lives in the 28th SI'ecial, is respectfully dedicated.

The story of an outfit is often a story of the individual experiences of its men, but this narrative is a chronology of the collective achievements and adventures of men working in unison, primarily the men who formed the original complement of Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 571. The charter members of this Seabee crew hailed from all walks of life and went on to carve out a bright record of attainment on lonely tropical islands unheard of and unimportant until war made their possession and exploitation necessary. The final, complete story of CBMU 571 is not over, because CBMU 571 is, at this writing, still commissioned, still doing a job, still adding to a record. But to the men who formed it, who carried the knowledge, the brawn, the guts, and the equipment into the islands of the Pacific, this chapter of their careers as Seabees is completed. These men may go on to other naval organizations or they may already be civilians again, but their first love as servicemen will be CBMU 571.

"This is a pictorial review of the overseas activities of the men who helped deliver the goods for the Navy. This may be interpreted as the story of your own Bill or Joe or Eddie, for within these covers we have endeavored to display the living story, in pictures, of individual personalities. How better could a Seabee Battalion be defined than " ... a sizeable group of individuals, each of whom possesses a knowledge of some specific trade or profession, is able to think for himself, to perform his duties under pressure, working together as a highly synchronized unit and willing to fight together if need be to preserve the freedom and personal right for which our great country stands."

Foreword: For three years these men have adjusted their individual characters, their own ways of doing things, their very natures to that vague method of procedure called "The Navy Way." It is at once the most efficient and most bungling method of getting things done. It is a conglomerate of logical procedure mixed with hopeless muddling, sound economy with profligate waste, rank incompetency with expert performance, nonsensical methods of operation with excellent results. Men exposed to the Navy Way for three years have drunk the dregs of despair and tasted the wine of life at its fullest. They have seen life at its worst and at its best. Men so exposed will never be the same. Such are the men of the Twenty-First. This is our story. This is the story of the 21st U. S. Naval Construction Battalion, the 21st Seabees, the Blackjacks--one of those groups of a thousand-odd men who helped to build and fight the way to the defeat of Japan. We were just one battalion, and thousands of battalions and millions of men and women made up our armed forces. Maybe our part was small in the whole history of the war, but we saw to it that this part was done with a let's-get-it-over-with-quickly, "Can Do" energy. These words and pictures are mostly about our second tour of overseas duty--our work in the Central and Western Pacific. Before this came our first "cruise" in the Aleutians.

This book is as nearly as possible an authentic history of the U.S.S. Franklin. The data was assembled from official action reports, ship's records, the history of Air Group Thirteen, and from conversations with crew members. The story was prepared by Lt. Marvin K. Bowman, U. S. N., with the advice and assistance of Mr. Paul Warrick, of Atlanta, Ga. ... All pictures are official U. S. Navy photographs. Credit for many of them is due Chief Photographer's Mate Luke J. Durante, who was killed in action 19 March, 1945. The art work, including the cover design, was prepared by Thomas Leo, Seaman First Class, U.S.N. R. Attempts to achieve accuracy of detail, especially in connection with individual's names, have been handicapped to a certain extent by meager records, separation of personnel from the service and partial destruction of photographic files and records during the action of 19 March, 1945. It is sincerely hoped that no grave omissions have occurred.

The ship was named after two naval battles which were fought near Savo in August and in October, 1942. In the first of these battles our forces were surprised, mistakes were made. and four cruisers were lost. It was a hard lesson, well learned. A few months later, one of our cruiser divisions intercepted a Jap task force near Savo and sank at least six vessels, cruisers, and destroyers. No great damage was done to our ships. The enemy was surprised, one of his cruisers was sunk before her guns were even trained out, and he was out-fought in every phase of the battle. As a result, this body of water, Purvis Bay. is known as "Iron-Bottom Bay." Savo Island is located in Sky Lark Channel between the Western extremities of Florida and Guadalcanal Islands. It is a product of volcanic upheavals, is only four miles in diameter, and consists of extinct volcanic peaks. Ships now anchor in waters that cover a village which subsided years ago as a result of an earthquake. Even today, there may be an occasional tremor. A few natives live on the island, and you will find very small villages and a mission station there.

Opening paragraphs: Bairoko Harbor is a small inlet on the North coast of New Georgia, one of the Solomon Islands. A Spanish navigator, coming upon these islands in 1567, and hopefully believing he had finally touched on the fabled and wealthy lands of the Indies named the group "Ilas de Solomon." Subsequent English explorers claimed part of the group for Britain, and at the outbreak of the war New Georgia was under the English flag. During the early part of 1942, in their effort to cut the Allied supply line to Australia, the Japanese seized the Solomons and began the construction of a series of air fields throughout the islands--at Vila on Kolombangara, at Munda on New Georgia, and on Guadalcanal. Vila and Munda were mutually supporting fields. Bairoko Harbor lay between these two airfields and was the port of supply for Munda. By the spring of 1943 Guadalcanal was secure and we had sufficient men and material to open the offensive against New Georgia. On June 30, 1943, Rendova Island was seized and Munda then placed under artillery fire. Marines and Infantry landed on New Georgia. In the heat and muck of the tropical jungle they met a bitter Nip foe enraged at the loss of Guadalcanal. Resistance was particularly strong near Bairoko Harbor. After six weeks of desperate jungle fighting the Munda airstrip was overrun, but Bairoko Harbor did not fall until August 25th. Its seizure marked the end of the fifty-seven day campaign for New Georgia. Bairoko signified the end of this early Pacific campaign--so the name of our ship is a symbol for that final victory which came during her shakedown cruise.

"The work which follows is by no means a thorough or complete history of the Twenty First Infantry Regiment in World War II. To my knowledge no such history has yet been written. I have, however, a number of official accounts of some of our actions. These I have edited and put together with whatever other information available in order to have at least some form of published record. I am publishing this work in response to numerous requests from members and former members of the 21st Infantry as a chronicle of our days together in combat. Most of the description concerning the Hollandia Operation was submitted by Lieut. Colonel Roy W. Marcy. The sketches after Page 37 and Page 52 were drawn by Mr. Lawrence E. Hickman another former 21st Infantryman. Great thanks are due to Lieut. Colonel Judson MacIvor Smith for the material on Pages 3, 4, 5 and 6 which were taken from his book "The Story of a Regiment"--a history of the 21st Infantry. Thanks are also due to Mr. Arthur Amos, Jr. for the cover, Miss Ruth Middleton for typing the manuscript and to Mr. T. L. Tuggle for supervising the multilith operations of reproduction. I would be glad to receive information from anyone who can furnish more complete data for inclusion in a future, more complete work. Also any corrections or suggested changes will be very welcome."--William J. Verbeck, Colonel, Infantry, Commanding Officer of Troops, U.S.M.A., West Point, N.Y.

The Log Tossing the first sixteen-inch shell to open the European offensive and firing the last big naval bullet in the Pacific campaign--these are the outstanding mileposts in the 39-month fighting career of the U. S. S. Massachusetts. The Japs have capitulated; details for carrying out the formal surrender ceremonies have been arranged for the official end of World War II. The stories that make the war history can now be released and "Big Mamie" has one of her own. It may not be spectacular, but it reveals a ship manned by resolute and efficient officers and men who turned in a workmanlike job and who more than once received "well done" from the Admirals. It wasn't always easy going and the grind was monotonous but ... here's our story. When peace came to the Pacific, Mamie could look back on a long and action-packed career. From the time of commissioning on May 12, 1942, until the end of the war in mid-August, 1945, she had logged over 225,000 nautical miles, her journeyings taking her all the way from Casablanca to Tokyo and the China coast. She had taken part in some thirty-five engagements with the enemy. She had sunk or damaged five ships, including the mighty French battleship, Jean Bart. She had taken part in nine bombardments of enemy territory, three of which were directed at the Japanese home islands. She had destroyed or assisted in the destruction of at least eighteen Japanese aircraft. Her scout Kingfisher planes had rescued seven aviators downed by enemy fire, often performing the rescues within sight and range of Jap guns. Thanks to her fire-power and speed, she had lent invaluable support to the fast carrier task forces as they carried out their mission of crippling Japanese air-power and seizing control of Pacific skies. Our ship has been a workhorse of the Fleet. She was always in there pitching when there was fighting to be done. She went about her tasks without ostentation and with a high degree of competence and skill gained from long hours of practice and of combat.

Two Years of Preparation: The 334th Infantry Regiment was activated 15 October 1942 at Camp Howze, Texas. For a regiment which was later to grind its way through the Siegfried Line, disorganize three of Germany's finest divisions in the Ardennes, and spearhead the Ninth Army's drive across the Roer and into the German heartland, the beginnings were not sensational. In 1942 Selective Service began to look more carefully into the manpower pool, and the Army began to develop a reservoir of Infantry. Many original men of the regiment had been classified 4F by lenient draft boards who subsequently reclassified them when the quotas were made more stringent. In October 1942 the War was nine months old, and while many men were convinced it should be fought, few were volunteering for the Army, and fewer for the Infantry. The Air Forces were called the Air Corps, a place for gentlemen and adventurers, and the Infantry was coolie labor, a tutored mob. The first men to join the regiment had a "raw deal" they told themselves around the beer tables in the PX. First, they didn't like the Army; second, they weren't physically fit; third, their talents were not being used. As the men looked around and listened, they invented a satisfying rumor, compensation for their "raw deal," a rumor that was going to last until we heard the first sounds of Long Toms and 240's outside Gulpen and Waalwiller, Holland: "We're a replacement outfit. The 334th isn't going anywhere. If it does, we're Army of Occupation. Man, they can't send this outfit into combat!"

At the Naval Construction Training Center, Camp Peary, Williamsburg, Virginia, on the first day of June, 1943, E. H. Honnen, then a Lieutenant Commander, on orders from the base Executive Officer, set up headquarters in Area B-8, and began the formation of the 96th Naval Construction Battalion. In a few days, officers and drafts of men, most of them recently out of basic training, began arriving in the area. Those were busy days.