Category: Stories

Another ‘Reightler’s Ramblings: This one could be entitled “Elevator Error” or “Compaction” but it would have the semblance of being humorous which it is not. So I will call it “Beavers’ Dilemma”   One day in August 1945 while the Task Group was cruising off the coast of Japan, a group of us Airdales were …

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The Gus Bivona Story   This session I’d like to deal with our 1944/45 Ship’s Band. Those of you unlucky crew members who followed after WWII never got to hear that wonderful group of very talented, entertaining Musicians. Like all Ship’s musicians they took care of the routine Navy ceremonies under a career Navy CPO but …

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KEN REIGHTLER’S VISIT TO THE USS. FRANKLIN   This Reightler’s Ramblings will concern my official visit to the USS Franklin(CV-13) at Pearl Harbor. I have told this story numbers of times but I’m sure there are members from the 1944-45 crew who do not know about it.This happened sometime in late March, early April 1945 …

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These are photos that were sent in by Leroy Pettis IC/2 1964 – 66                                        

    Text and photos (Though sent in be Kurt Spitzner) were taken from the October 1965 issue of News Horizon. U.S.S. Shangri-La’s monthly news magazine published aboard and by the crew of the U.S.S. Shangri-La (CVA-38).   COLLISION !! “COLLISION, collision, starboard side forward !  All  h a n d s, man your battle …

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  I’ll call this story the “Shangri La oils the French Riviera” I know there are some out there other than me who will remember. While at anchor in Cannes on the French Riviera late in May 1965, Someone inadvertently made a bad valve line up while pumping tanks around for ballast and pumped literally …

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….AND THERE WERE TIMES THAT I WISH I HAD STAYED IN THE NAVY… I too have a 1970 Shang story….. In 1969-70 I was in Viet Nam with the 101st Airborne Division. I managed to get a 3 day ‘in-country R&R’ to Saigon. One night I was walking down the main drag in Saigon and …

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I received this Christmas Card from Frank Smith PO/2, VT85 1944 – 45  And it come with the following note:Tom – Here is a repro (computer)of the Christmas Card  we were given from the Shangri-La in 1944. My wife Melba saved everything pertainingto the Navy, from my enlistment in 1942 to my discharge in 1945. I have a great scrapbook.Maybe …

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I am Cdr. Jim Reid Reid, USN ret. and the last  Shang A/C Handler. I made the final WESTPAC cruise then was part of the decom crew in Boston. Please recognize that this is a 31 year old tale and some of the delatils may have faded., but the memory is special: SHANG Nostalgia (File: …

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