Page 57 - Mastheads Jan-June 1945
P. 57
THIRD ANNIVERSARY EDITION
U.S. Naval Training and Distribution Center
SECTION
TWO
VOL IV - No. 1 TREASURE ISLAND, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. FEBRUARY 17, 1945
T. I. a Wilderri·esS When Pioneer First Logged In
Base Was in
Air Sea Rescue Kit Full of Supplies Looks Good, Eh, Mate? • • •
Shambles as Late
As January, 1941
"If coyotes could have found
their way to Treasure Island," de-
clares Chief Pay Clerk S. A. Biehn,
one of this station's pioneers, "they
would have been running around
wild when I first saw it."
Known as the Section Base, San
Francisco, Treasure Island was a
shambles in January, 1941, when
Mr. Biehn reported aboard the Delta
Queen, an old sternwheeler moored
at Goat Island. She was headquar-
ters for the staff that was to turn
the desolate site of the Golden Gate
International Exposition of 1939-40
into a great Navy base.
Buildings Sagged
"Around the bandcircle," . Mr.
Biehn recalled, "huge empty build-
ings sagged, with fallen plaster
lying about them. They had been
erected to last a short period of
time only. The ground was littered WHEN THERE ISN'T A CROWD-The food at the King George Hotel
with broken glass and other debris.
canteen is good judging from the looks of the three Marines enjoying a
The Island had few roads. snack. Left to right are Pfc. Wallace G. Joiner (360283), 222 East Broad
"Where the Chapel now stands, Street, Tampa, Fla., veteran of Bougainville; Cpl. Mildred Madrick
there was a field overgrown with (772244), 816 Hollywood Ave., New York, N. Y., comely Marine Wo-
men's Reservist; and Pfc. John Coady (373604), 151 West 106th Street
weeds as tall as a man. The Expo-
New York, N. Y. Coady is also a veteran of the Bougainville campaign.
sition lake, in which swan boats Shown in the inset Is Rev. J. Edward Oslund, Lutheran pastor, who op-
had operated, was a stagnant pool erates the King George Hotel.
of junk. The hospital is located on
that spot today." 411,368 Negro Soldiers_ Hotel Offers
Everyone Pitched in
Moving into the Administration Now Serving Overseas Welcome to Allied
Building, Rear Admiral Hugo W.
Osterhaus and his staff held daily WASHINGTON (CNS)-Of the Fighting·• Men
conferences. Everything had to be 701,678 Negroes in the Army at the
done, and their problem was to se- end · of September, 411,368 were To allied fighting men passing
lect the most pressing of a thousand serving overseas, the War Depart- through San Francisco, to and from
urgent tasks. ment revealed. A partial breakdown the battlefields of the world, the
- "In those pre-Pearl Harbor days of Negro strength showed: Infan- name "King George Hotel" means
we had virtually no equipment, and try, 49,483; Coast and Field Ar- something.
funds were short. Even the ques- tillery, 36,302; Engineers, 133,180; The King George Hotel is oper-
tion of a lead pencil was something Air Corps, 73,685; Cavalry, 867. ated exclusively for servicemen by
to consider." Commissioned Officers total 5804. Lutheran pastor Rev. J. Edward
The entire · crew pitched in, of- The first tank destroyer battalion Oslund. The hotel has 150 rooms
ficers and men alike. Captain G. C. made up of Negro Officers and EM with private baths, and each rents
Tasker, Supply Officer, could be
already has seen action figuring in for $1.50 a night regardless of how
seen hard at work putting up the capture of Metz. many soldiers, sailors or marines
shelves at his headquarters in the
occupy the room.
Industrial Section. The First Lieu-
OCTOPUS HARA-KIRI Any serviceman with a .problem
tenant and his men gathered olives
from trees here and sold them, buy- The octopus always tries to de- is a specialty for Rev. Oslund. He
SHIPWRECK KIT-Packed in the distinctive brilliant yellow water- ing two second hand trucks with vour itself when captured, . accord- secures plane reservations for those
proofing of all Air Sea Rescue kits. The open zipper top shows the wanting to fly, offers advice on any
blanket wrapped around the crate which contains signaling materials, the proceeds. Junk too was sal- ing to the Associated Press. domestic situation, and provides
first aid kits, water and food rations. It is dropped by plane to men vaged and sold to procure essential first of the present four messhalls. entertainment in the lounges and
adrift at sea to aid them until the rescue boat arrives. materials.
Public Works performed miracles game rooms on the main floor.
Five or six hundred shovels con-
in resurrecting ghostly oid build- These lounges and game rooms are
16th Naval District SOS ... SOS ... Wanted: tributed by the WPA were traded ings an<i constructing new ones. open to servicemen and women.
for more necessary equipment.
Roads and docks were built. A There is a canteen where every-
Ship's Service today is a huge
Reappears As Our Volunteers for Undersea activity with many branches. At wilderness was turned into a great thing is free and is open afternoons
naval station capable of pumping and evenings. The canteen is staffed
Fones Take P. I. Demolition Team that time its whole staff was G. E. a vital stream of skilled fighting by volunteer San Francisco women.
Roots, CSK, now retired. He had
For men of the Lutheran faith,
A wireless to "The New York Volunteers from officers of the a counter in the corner of one men into the fleet and bases of the there is a chapel where services
Pacific.
Times" revealed recently that the rank of lieutenant commander and building, selling cigarettes, candy Mr. Biehn has to marvel when he are held regularly. But Rev. Oslund
old Sixteenth Naval District, which lieutenant for duty in connection bars, and some sandwiches. compares the original quarters of doesn't believe in enforced religion.
practically disappeared when the with underwater demolition teams Disbursing Hazards the Disbursing Office with those it The chapel's walls are sound proof
Japanese swept southward through have been called for by the Bureau "We built our disbursing office in occupies today. so that men not wishing to attend
the Philippines in 1941, has been of Naval Personnel. the Industrial Section," Mr. Biehn "Then we had just a cubbyhole will not be forced to take part.
set up again under the title of All candidates should have dem- related; "It was nothing more than aboard the Delta Queen. It could
Philippine Sea Frontier. onstrated leadership and adminis- a large box with a door. We were hold only a few people at one time. The hotel has been operating
The p.ew sea frontier has its trative ability in their present as- entirely dependent upon artificial Now, in our spacious quarters over under the direction of Rev. Oslund
headquarters on Leyte, not far signment, be under 35 years of age, light, for we had not a single win- the post office, more than a hun- for the past three years. During
from where . American troops first and be in excellent condition with a dow. dred work, and there is light and that time, the King George Hotel
landed in their reconquest of the minimum vision of 18/20. They "The disbursing staff had to air for all. has provided accommodations for
island. Rear Admiral James L. should also be good swimmers, ac- carry flashlights-at any moment "In June, 1941, our monthly pay- 500,000 overnight guests. More than
Kaufmann, veteran of the Ameri- cording to directive. the electricity might fail. When it roll amounted to $93,000. In De- 1,350,000 servicemen and women
can and Pacific theatres of the war,_ Requests for this extra hazard- did, we immediately secured our cember, 1944, we paid out $1,792,- have visited the canteen and game
is in command. ous duty may be submitted via funds under lock and key and 000. Treasure Island has come a rooms in that time.
It .is Rear Admiral Kaufmann's official channels to the Chief of waited till the lights went on again. long way, and it's still going for- The Reverend is assisted in his
job to administer the task of pump- Naval Personnel with the com- Often they would not remain on ward." work at the King George by Rev.
ing to forward areas hundreds of manding officer's endorsement in- very long, either." Chief Pay Clerk Biehn joined the A. B. Swan, Corpus Christi, Texas.
tons of supplies needed by Vice dicating suitability and availability. Miracle Performed Navy in 1909. During the last war In World War I, Rev. Swan was
Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid's Despite many handicaps, Treas- he saw escort duty in the Atlantic. a gunnery sergeant in the Marine
Seventh Fleet, as well as those re- A woman is as old as she looks ure Island as it is known today He retired in 1928 and came di- Corps. Another assistant is Rev.
quired to back the American army but a man is old when he stops quickly began to assume shape. rectly here when called back to Walter 'E. Kraemer, Salinas and
now driving through Luzon. looking. Federal GalleY. was o ened, the activ dutY.. lifornia.