Page Two CLOUDBUSTER Saturday, August 19, 1944 Cruising With Covey By David Y. Coverston, Ylc, USNR Two weeks have passed since I left the “Hill,” and I’m still here at the RecSta in Norfolk waiting to get out, so you can see that I was not only optimistic about starting in on that 20% increase in pay—I was overly optimistic. In fact, I’m so fed up with waiting that I’m considering asking the FHA to build me a shack of my own down here so that I can have a little more privacy. However, liberty every night isn’t hard to take, and that brings me to the kind of liberty you’ll have if you happen to be sent down to this American version of a concentration camp. CLOUDBUSTER Vol. 2—No. 49 Sat., August 19, 1944 Published weekly under the supervision of the Public Relations Office at the U, S. Navy Pre-Flight School, Chapel Hill, N. C., a unit of the Naval Air Primary Training Command. Contributions of news, features, and cartoons are welcome from all hands and should be turned in to the Public Relations Office, Navy Hall. ★ CLOUDBUSTER receives Camp Newspaper Service material. Republication of credited matter prohibited without permission of CNS, War Department, 205 E. 42nd St., N.Y.C. ★ Lieut. Comdr. James P. Raugh, USNR Commanding Officer Lieut. Comdr. Howard L. Hamilton, USNR Executive Officer Lieut. P. O. Brewer, USNR Public Relations Officer ★ Editor: Lieut. Leonard Eiserer, USNR Associate Editor: Orville Campbell, Y2c On The Lighter Side... An old Southern darkey, father of 16 chil dren, was being lectured by the doctor for asking his wife to have so many children. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Ras- tus,” the doctor said. “Indeed I is,” said Rastus. “The next time it happens I’s gwine to hang myself,” Well, before very long, the doctor was called to Rastus’ house and sure enough an other visitor was expected. “Rastus,” said the doctor, “what are you doing here? I thought you said you would hang yourself if this ever happened again.” “Indeed, I did, doctor, an’ I took a big old rope, put it around my neck and threw it over a limb. Den,, would you believe it, just as I was about to jump offa that stump, I said to myself, ‘Rastus, you better be careful here. You might be hanging an innocent man’.” if * * * * She laughed when I sat down at the piano, but she got scared as hell when I came over to the divan. * Dizzy Gob: “I came to see my friend. How’s he getting along?” Nurse: “Oh, he’s getting along just fine. Did you wish to see him? He’s convalescing now.” Dizzy Gob: “That’s all right—don’t bother him. I’ll just sit down and wait until he’s through.” * * Our idea of an optimist is of the man who took the marriage vows at the ripe old age of 87 and started house hunting for a nice place close to a school. In the first place, Norfolk (known by other names which wouldn’t pass the censor) isn’t what is known as a good liberty town. It seems that this ancient seaport has had sailors in it from time immemorial. Wartime has only in creased the number of sea-going men on its streets, and they’ve never forgotten the rowdi ness that once marked men from the ships as indelibly as do the bell bottomed trousers and uncomfortable jumpers we have to wear. But if you look long enough (two weeks is a life time here), you’ll find places that aren’t so bad, and it’s about these I wish to write. About a mile from the RecSta, going North, is an amusement park called Fleet Park, which is operated solely for enlisted person nel and their guests. I was out there last week for an evening, and although it was very crowded, a variety of amusements enabled me to have a pretty good time. Fleet Park covers about ten to fifteen acres, and contains a skating rink, two swimming pools, indoor and outdoor, a gymnasium, out door dancing pavillion, horeshoe pits, picnic grounds, and a fairly large ship’s service. The ship’s service has a library, cafeteria, ping pong room, pool hall, and counters which sell soft drinks, beer, ice cream, and sandwiches. It also handles athletic gear, and footballs which may be used on the courts, fields, and diamonds which are a part of the park. Prices are low, and it provides entertainment for an evening. Eighteen miles from Norfolk, via bus. him and whispered in his ears, “Say, slugger. I’ve got a swell idea! Next time he hits you, hit him back!” * * * * * A general and a colonel were walking down the street. They met many privates, and each time the colonel would salute he would mutter, “The same to you.” The general’s curiosity got the better of him, and he asked: “Why do you always say that?” The colonel answered: “I was once a pri vate and I know what they’re thinking.” * m 1)1 ♦ North Carolina Farmer: “No, I wouldn’t think of chargin’ ye for the cider. That would eighty-six cents round trip from the city, lies Virginia Beach, a narrow sandy strip of ocean front bordered by a lengthy concrete seawall and board walk. As is usual with such tourist attractions, there are many things to do, but the prices are slightly on the high side. Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, cootchie shows, cotton candy, and all the other lures to get your nickels, dimes, and dollars fill the boardwalk, and it’s very easy to spend a day, and your pay, taking in the assortment they offer. Lockers for those who wish to swim are in evidence at a little above average price, and while not as elaborate as those in more sou thern states, they hide you until you can squirm into a pair of trunks. The ocean at this particular spot has a mean temperature of about 68 degrees, so the signs say, and makes for pleasant paddling and breaker riding. The beach as a place to play in the surf fails to measure up to Florida beaches, but that is to be expected. In Norfolk proper there are a good many motion picture houses, screening every type of film from the horse opera to the currently popular “Going My Way” and other first run hits. Most of them arte renovated silent pic ture emporiums and don’t have the lustre of modern day cinema palaces, but they are com fortable enough and have some of the best projectionists in the business. As in North Carolina, there are no bars that deal in hard liquor, but wine bars are plentiful and are generally full of paying customers. Novelty shops appear in almost every block, along with penny arcades and other “joints” to pass the time. SP’s fill the streets, keeping the scene fairly peaceful, continually barking the old “Square that hat. Mac,” but usually carrying out their duties in nicer fashion than the cartoons depict. Since a great deal of Norfolk is out of bounds to servicemen, I can’t say what goes on down there, but I imagine you can guess as well as I can. All in all, I suppose there are worse liberty towns than Norfolk (I don’t know where), but with a little ingenuity, you can usually find amusement enough to have a pretty good time without getting into trouble. Until next time, when I hope to be writing aboard ship, so long, and thanks again. At the end of the fifth round, the heavy weight staggered to his corner in a dazed and j battered condition. His manager approached be bootleggin’ and praise the Lord I ain’t come to that yit. The peck of taters will be five dollars,”