The Invasion .Is On Buy More War Bonds
r
June, 1944
PUBLISHED FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SHIPBUILDING COMPANY
Vol. 2, No. 10
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V & -,JZA
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Typical Mother
U.S.S. TOffiANCE, OUR FIRST AM, LAUNCHED
,
Miss DeKay
Sponsor Of
NavalVessel
We Must Complete
Schedule By End
Of The Year
MARITIME DAY SPEAKERS Observance of Maritime Day here was marked by a short
program at which three men. each well qualified to discuss some phase of the Amencan Mer
chant Marine, spoke briefly at the lunch period. Shown above at the microphone is Captain W. C.
Renaut, of the Grace Line, and seated, left to right are H. V. Mason, Principal Hull inspector of
the Maritime commission here, who reviewed the shipyards' role in the war; Storer P. Ware, Sec
retary, who introduced the speakers; Lieut. N. W. Brooker, of Naval Intelligence, and Commander
Ralph E. Mills, who talked of the importance of the Merchant Marine to the armed forces.
Merchant Marine's War Role
Reviewed By Three Speakers
:
Yard Pauses To Ob
serve National Mari
time Day May 22
We, like many of the other
600,000 shipbuilders in scores
of Maritime commission yards,
paused a few minutes to observe
Maritime Day on May 22 and
receive a brief but comprehen
sive review of the achievements
of the Merchant Marine in help
ing win the war.
In addition, we were com
mended for our part in building
the largest .Merchant fleet any
nation has ever boasted.
Three well-qualified men
H. V. Mason, Principal Hull In
spector of the commission here;
Captain W. C. Renaut, of the
Grace Line, and Commander
Ralph Mills, USN spoke brief
ly during the lunch period. Each
dealt with an important phase
of shipping in this global con
flict and showed how the team
work of the men and women pro
viding the ships and those sail
ing them to our far-flung fronts
is defeating the Axis. r
"We are proud of your work
proud of the job you are do
ingproud of the record you
have established and I am proud
to be one of you," Mr. Mason
said.
"Each and every one of us
can feel justly honored and
privileged to play such an im
portant role in the task of win
ning the war. Today there is
but one thought, one purpose
and that is Victory. As this
day commemorates Maritime
Day let us hope it will not be
long to v Invasion Day and ulti
mate victory so that our loved
ones can be returning home,"
he continued.
Exnlaininer the purpose of the
day was to honor the patriot
ism, courage and sacrifice and
labor of "you men and women
who have toiled long hours to
build these ships" and also the
men who have given their lives
or are risking them today to
(Continued on page 4)
Brooks Goes To War
On Vessel He Helped
Build In N. C. Yard
Norwood O. Brooks, of
Seaside, in Brunswick coun
ty, made the voyage over
seas to the Italian front
aboard one of the Liberty
ships he helped build while
employed here.
Brooks, who worked in
the Shipwrights, department
for about two years before
entering the Army, recently
wrote friends about the trip.
Because of security reasons,
the name of the North Caro
lina built vessel cannot be
disclosed.
At the time the letter was
written, he was stationed
on the Anzio beachhead.
He says a foxhole is worth
more than a king's palace
at times but is not finding
the life of an Infantryman
as tough as many believe
it to be.
Fifth Bond Drive
To Start June 12
Prominent Speaker Will
Address Employees;
Army Band Plays
4
U'J IS
' 7
Our participation in the
war effort reached new
heights on the.mor,ning...of
June 6 as we launched the
U. S. S. Torrance, first of
several AKA's (Cargo
ships, attack) we will build
for the United States Navy
as it expands its offensive
operations.
Because of the urgent
need for these vessels, the
launching was comparable
in imnnrtanr.e tn th'at'nf our
first Liberty ship, the S. S. Mrs. Johnson Presented
Zebulon B. Vance, and the lily In Remembrance
MRS. LUCY C. JOHNSON
Mothers Honored
At Yard Service
With arrangements being
made for one of the best opening
programs of its type ever pre
sented here, the Fifth War Loan
drive will get under way in the
yard on June 12 and will con
tinue, through July 8.
A prominent speaker will ad
dress the employees and music
will be furnished by a band from
one of the Army posts in this
section.
The program will have some
other interesting features and
should attract the largest crowd
since Actress Constance Bennett
awarded us the Bond "T" flag
at the launching of the 100th
ship on May 25, 1943.
Early indications are this will
be the biggest and best bond
drive we've staged.
Because of our good records
as bond" buyers, the Treasury
has asked us to purchase a mil
lion and a quarter dollars worth,
maturity value, during the cam
paign. This will include those
bought through payroll deduc
tions. The Treasurer's office has
made arrangements to see that
(Continued on page 8)
first C-2, the S. S. Storm
Kinjrr -
With Rear Admiral Jules
James, of Charleston, S. C., Com
mandant of the Sixth Naval dis
trict, representing the Navy,
and W. H. Blakeman, of Phila
delphia, assistant regional direc
Of Annual Day
Many of us noted Mother's
Day at the weekly religious pro
gram on May 14 with a program
highlighted with presentation of
a Deautitui potted my to Mrs.
tor of the Maritime commission, Lucy C. Johnson, selected as the
representing tnat .organization, yards "typical mother" of 1944.
Mrs. Johnson graciously ac-
tne U. s. a. Torrance was
christened by Miss Marlene De
Kay, of Pinehurst, grandniece
of Rear Admiral Emory S. Land,
Chairman of the .Maritime com
mission. Her attendants were
her mother, Mrs. Emory DeKay,
her sister, Miss Carol DeKay,
also of Pinehurst, and Miss
cepted the flower from her fel
low employees for, and in behalf
of, the many mothers employed
here as a token of our remem
brance and honor of the day.
She is employed in the Steam
Launching Honors Senior Class
Eleanor G. James, of Charleston. Engineers department and has
Others Underway two sons in the service. She
We received the AKA assign- lives on Wilmineton route
ment, in recognition of splendid vr a
past performances, several W0 u u r
months ago. Several more of The sermon was Rev
the craft are in various stages Russell H. Caudill, Boys' Work
of completion on the ways and Secretary of the Wilmington
ail , under tne ' contract must be Y. M. C. A., and he preached
delivered to the Navy by the end v, . - nv.-wvi
of the year. Some of them, in- on the topic of 'Motherhood,
eluding the U. S. & Torrance, Ralph Richards, of the Indus
will be completed by the Navy trial USO, sang a solo, "Dear
Little Mother of Mine." He was
accompanied at the piano by
Mrs. Richards.
The second ' annual New
Hanover High school
launching honoring the Sen
ior class was staged on May
26 with Miss Charlene
Register, who was selected
for the honor of sponsor by
her classmates, christening
the S. S. Game Cock, 162nd
vessel to near completion
here.
Miss Register is the at
tractive daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Charles H. Regis
ter, of 1612 South Fourth
St Her attendants were
Miss Byah Thomason,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
B. H. Thomason, of 313
Colonial Drive, and Miss
Betty Evans, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Evans,
of Wrightsville Beach.
Many members of the
Senior class attended the
ceremonies.
Appreciation : to the yard
for making a launching a
part of the annual gradua
tion exercises of the school
was expressed by Principal
T. T. Hamilton. The cus
torn was started in 1943 and
is expected to be continued
with the .Seniors selecting
the sponsor and her attend
ants.
while all work on the others will
be done here.
The dimensions of the AKA's
are similar to those of the C-2's
but considerable changes will be
made to meet the requirements
of the Navy and their tonnage
will be somewhat greater.
Explaining that the AKA's
will nave an "indispensable role
in the United Nations' plans for
victory," Rear Admiral H. L.
vickerv. vice unairman oi tne m.- a tr a ra'wi
Maritime commission, recently vlT-- nomt Ar
io !, w MV Ko building are being named tor
AKA Type Vessels
Are Being Named
For U. S. Counties
declared that they must be ready
on time. Because these ships
will "carry the attack" their
counties of the United States.
The first, the U. S. S. Tor-
good and fast construction is ranee, Dears tne name oi a coun
even more important to the war ty in New Mexico. Others to go
than our Liberty and C-2 pro- down the ways here soon and
grams. The order gives the yard the states whose counties they
a greater part in helping knock will honor are the U. S. S.
out the Japanese and the Ger- j Towner, North Dakota; U. Si. S.
mans and achieve final victory. Trego, Kansas, and U. S. S. Tol-
oecaue o nveKn land, Connecticut
new importances the individual a1,, i,ftVP Rftmft of
Fhe AKreldy forTheNavy them named for North Carolina
as soon as humanly possible has coimties is under consideration,
been asked. Already, an AKA launched m
We are, as Admiral Vickery another yard has been named
(Continued on page 4) for Bladen county.