v
SEPCa
July, 1944
PUBLISHED FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SHIPBUILDING COMPANY
Vol 2, No. 11
CONTRACT AWARDED FOR 15 MORE SUPS
3
YOUNGEST BOND BUYER IN FIFTH WAR LOAN DRIVE HERE
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Barney M. Hayden, five-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Havden. of Maffitt Villaee. is shown
receiving a $25 War bond for the $18.75 he saved in his bank. While his mother looks on, Master
nayaen tens sax. wuson ne wants tne money used to "neip buy a torpedo to beat the Japs." The
youngster's father is an employee of W. & J. Sloane Company and his mother works on the Second
shift of the Hull Construction staff. Before coming here, the family lived in Burlington, N. C.
, i
Fifth War Loan Drive Here
Exceeds Quota of $250,000
Sales Total $308,825.00
Several Days Before
End Of Campaign
Inspired by the invasion of
Europe a few days before the
Fifth War Loan drive opened,
Shipbuilders were advancing to
ward new bond buying records
as we went to press with a total
of $308,825.00 worth of extra
ones purchased to surpass the
$250,000 quota largest we've
ever been assigned by 123.5
per cent.
Indications are that when all
reports are in after July 8, the
formal closing date, the cam
paign will go down as the best
ever conducted in the yard.
Not only did we exceed the
$242,000 record set in the Fourth
campaign but many more extra
bonds were purchased. Scores,
including departmental solicitors
and others who helped advertise
the drive, gave their time and
efforts and the spirit as a whole
was the best we've ever seen.
The campaign opened on June
12 with a program that includ
ed music by the Marine ;. Corps
Women's Reserve band . from
Camp Lejeune and talks at two
of the lunch periods by Major
J. C. Bell, USMC, of Camp te
Jeune. He told us what our bond
buying means to the men fight
ing in the Pacific and France
and urged all to "buy more than
ever before." The distinction of
being the first to buy a $1,000
bond was won by F. R. Shoe
maker, crane operator in the
Erectors department. Since
that time many more "big ones"
have gone across the counter at
the Treasurer's office.
; Interest continued high and
on June 21 two veteran air aces
from Bluethenthal field Cap
tain Mac Arthur Powers and
First Lieut. James L. Smith
spoke in the yard and stressed
(Continued on paje 5)
Shipbuilder Offered
To Former Employees
Now In Armed Forces
Several months ago we
announced that The Ship
builder would be mailed
free to former employees
now in the Armed Forces.
This offer still stands and
friends and relatives of for
mer shipbuilders are again
asked to help us make the
publication available to
them, no matter where they
are serving.
We believe that anyone
who worked here any appre
ciable length of time is still
interested in what we are
doing to win the war. The
Shipbuilder is a link with
former friends and acquaint
ances in the yard.
If you are interested in
getting , the monthly paper
to a man in the Army, Navy,
Marines or Merchant Ma
rine, just call the Editor and
give his address. If it isn't
convenient to call, then just
drop a card. The address
should be as complete as
possible.
160 World Warfl
Vets Bufld Ships
Have Been Hired With
in First Six Months
Of This Year
Approximately 160 former
servicemen of World War II
have been employed in the yard
during the first" six months of
1944 and are today building
ships as well as they served
their country while at Army
posts, Naval stations or over
seas. This number is a substan
tial percentage of the total num
ber of persons hired in recent
months.
Many of the men worked here
before entering the service and,
after their . discharge from the
Army, Navy or Marines because
of medical or other honorable
reasons, returned.
Some were in uniform but a
few months. Others' military
records date over periods of five,
seven or nine years. Several
have fought in the South Pacific
and North Africa and still carry
the memories and scars of some
of the hardest battles the world
has ever known. Because they
have' seen and know the great
need of supplies to keep our
armed forces going against the
enemy, they realize the neces
sity of building more good ships
(Continued on page 5)
Job Follows
Land's More
WorkReport
Commission Chief
Denies Program
Reduction
We received another as
signment contract for 15
additional C-2's and AKA's
from the Maritime com
mission late last month and
the award is tangible sub
stantiation of Rear Ad
miral Emory S. Land's re
cent statement that most
major Maritime commission
yards are going to receive
more work.
The contract announcement
came four days after the Com
mission chairman slashed out at
irresDonsible rumors that the
shipbuilding program is about to
be reduced.
"The persistence of such ru
mors suesreste to me the source
might be interested in sabotag
ing the shipbuilding program at
the most crucial point m the war
by seeking to drive skilled work
men from the shipyards to look
for employment elsewhere, aq
miral Land said.
Will Increase Work
"Let me say emphatically
that the work load in those ship
yards is to be increased very
shortly and not decreased or cut
back. Our current construction
program and its projection into
1945 is based uiion firm recom
mendations of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff. The Joint Chiefs are
urging us to increase our cur
rent efforts to deliver ships in
every possible way and their
present requirements exceed
existing contracts for the most
important types of ships in the
program."
Admiral Land then forecast
additional work "in a few weeks"
and declared that "the job is not
finished."
Mclnnis Breaks News
Announcement of the new
contract was made by J. F. Mc
Innis, of Philadelphia, regional
director of the Maritime com
mission, in an address before
the June meeting of the Pro
peller club of the Port of Wil
mington. The state should be proud of
our production record, he de
clared as he termed it an
(Continued on page 5)
D-Day Speaker
U. S. Nary Photo.
REAR ADMIRAL JAMES
SS. Zebulon B. Vance Designated Hospital Ship
A veteran of war service
including tens of thousands
of miles travel to and from
the Allies' far-flung fronts,
the S. S. Zebulon B. Vance,
first of the 126 Liberty ships
we built, was recently desig
nated an Army hospital ship
and is now engaged on er
rands of mercy that will
doubtless save the lives of
many of our fighting men.
She has been renamed the
U. S. S. John J. Meany in
honor of a gallant major and
flight surgeon who died in
action on March 20, 1943, in
the North African cam
paign. In accordance with inter
national conventions, the
enemv has been notified of
the ship's new role.
Because she was our first,
no other ship built here has
won as much interest as the
S. S. Vance.' She was
launched on December 6,
1941, just a few hours be
fore the Pearl Harbor at
tack, with Mrs. J. Melville
Broughton, the state's first
lady, as sponsor. The S. S.
Vance was delivered on
February 17, 1942, and
was turned over to the
American Expoit Lines for
operation
Her maiden voyage was
from an East Coast port to
Halifax and then across to
(Continued on page 4)
N. C. Ships Take
Part in Invasion
Admired Tames Says
AKA's Will Carry
War To Japan
"Many ships both Libertys
and C-2's built by the North
Carolina Shipbuilding company
are taking part in the invasion
today," Rear Admiral Jules
James, of Charleston, S. C
Commandant of the Sixth Naval
district, told us and hundreds of
our guests in a short address
during the launching ceremon
ies of the U. 5. S. Torrance on
D-Day.
Our first AKA was christened
a few hours after Allied forces
stormed across the beaches of
Normandy. The launching was
a most timely and significant
part of our observance of the
great beginning of the migbty
offensive to liberate Nazi-held
Europe and crush its captors.
Many recalled that our first
Liberty, the S. S. Zebulon B.
Vance, went down the ways the
day before the attack on Pearl
Harbor. . ....
In his remarks, Admiral
James reviewed tne wars pa,
placed emphasis on the days
events and looked into the fu
ture. .
"We have been preparing for
this day since Pearl Harbor.
Nothing else could finish the
war within a reasonable time.
We definitely had to finish off
one of our enemies before we
could conquer the other.
"In our prayers for the suc
cess of the invasion and for our
loved ones taking part, we must
not forget to thank God that we
are invading instead of being
invaded, as came very dose to
being the case, due to the efforts
a -arolLmeiLninflr isolationists.
We almost delayed our entrance
into the war until our strongest
ally, England, was ; seriously
crippled. If England had fal
len, it would have meant that
Canada and all England's do
minions would have gone down
and they (the Axis amies)
would have been on our bor
ders." . ....
Looking to the future. Ad
(Continued on page 4)
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