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.
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