Page Two
THE BLUE BONNET
- : THE BLUE BONNET : A weekly publication of the ship's company
of the U.S.S. Houston, Captain G. N. Barker,
U.S.N., Commanding and Commander C. A.
Bailey, U.S.N., Executive Officer.
Editor:
Lieut. (jg) E. A. McDonald.
Assistant Editor: Ensign J.P.M. Johnston
Associate Editor: Stefan Sivak, Jr., SKlc
Associate Editor: W. J. Bannen, Bkr 3c
Cartoonist:
W. C. Ridge
Circulation:
John Boris, Y3c
Printers: H. E. Dillahunt, CPrtr., S. J. Swiderski, Prtrlc., C. H. Schick. Prtrlc., D. W.
Owen, Prtr2c., J. T. Rakowski, Prtr3c., E. L.
Foltz, Prtr3c., R. L. Beckwith, Seale., R. W.
Surratt, Seale., J. E. Elliott, Jr., Sea2c., A.
M. Franklin, Sea2c.
-
EDITORIAL
NAVY DAY was started by a woman. Most of us have readily associated this day with Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, yet few know that
its observance was suggested by a
woman.
Mrs. William H. Hamilton, founder
of the National Navy Club of New
York, went to Washington in 1922
and suggested that a certain day be
set aside on which to honor the Navy.
The following letter is self-explanatory:
Navy Department
Assistant Secretary's Office
Washington
November 11, 1922
My Dear Mrs. Hamilton:
I have just returned from a five
weeks' campaign. The first thing I
wish to do is to thank you personally
for having suggested the idea of Navy
Day. It was your original idea. It
worked out excellently, and, I believe,
gave a real momentum to a correct
understanding of what the Navy
means to our country.
With all good wishes,
(Signed) Theodore Roosevelt
At present Mrs. William H. Hamilton resides at 130 East 57th Street,
New York City. Although in the twilight of her life she is still one of the
Navy's staunchest supporters.
.......
Wood and Stone were standing on
Ocean and Pine in Long Beach when
they saw a girl coming down Pine.
Wood turned to Stone. Stone turned to Wood they both turned to rubber and the girl turned into a beer
joint.
HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON
(Continued from Page 1)
On 13 March, 1933, the Houston left
Manila on a good will tour through
the southern Philippines, visiting Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, Dumanquilas Bay,
and Zamboango. On 29 May, 1933, a
good will tour was made to Japan, visiting Yokohama and Kobe, returning
to Tsingtao, China, by the way of the
famous Japanese Inland Sea. On 17
November, 1933, after being relieved
by the U.S.S. Augusta, the Houston
departed from Shanghai for San
Francisco, stopping at Yokohama enroute. After an overhaul period in
the Puget Sound Navy Yard, she joined the Scouting Force of the U.S.
Fleet, in Long Beach, California, and
departed with the fleet for Atlantic
ports.
On the evening of 1 July, 1934,
President Roosevelt boarded the Houston at Annapolis, Md., for a cruise of
11,783 miles. In company with the
destroyers U.S.S. Gilmer andU.S.S.
Williamson, which were later relieved
by the cruiser U.S.S. New Orleans,
stops were made at: Cape Haitian,
Haiti; Mayaguez, P.R.; San Juan,
P.R.; St. Thomas, and St. Croix, Virgin Islands; Cartagena, Columbia, S.
America; Cristobal, and Balboa, Canal Zone; Cocos Islands; Clipperton Islands; Hilo, and Honolulu, T. H.; and
then Portland, Oregon, where our
President and good shipmate disembarked.
On 15 May, 1935, the Houston took
another member of the Roosevelt
family, the- late Henry L. Roosevelt.
then Ass't. Sec. Navy, on a tour of
inspection of Honolulu and Pearl
Harbor. After sailing from San Diego, staying in Honolulu for four days,
and conferring with Admiral Reeves
on the completion of Fleet Problem
16, the Ass't. Sec. Navy finally disembarked at San Pedro.
During the summer, the Houston
accompanied the rest of the Scouting Force on a cruise of Alaskan
ports, stopping at Cordova, Seward
and Auke Bay. The cruise was completed by short stays at Blaine and
Seattle Washington..
On 3 October, 1935 the Houston
again broke the flag of the President
of the United States for the Second
Presidential Cruise, a vacation cruise
of 12,000 miles. This trip took the
Chief Executive to many interesting ports, among them being Cerros
Islands, Cape San Lucas, Magdalena
Bay, Cocos Islands, Tiger Islands, and
Charleston, S.C.
The 29th of April, 1936 saw the
Houston southbound out of San Pedro, stopping at Panama, and crossing
the Equator on the 20th of May. It
arrived at Valparaiso, Chile, 29 May
and then took leave on the 2nd of
June. Long remembered by the Houston crew was the big time had by
all in the Chilean port. Thirteen days
of steady steaming and the ship was
again in Long Beach. On July 6 the
Houston left for the North, visiting
the following ports: Seattle and
Bremerton, Wash.; Portland. Oregon;
San Francisco, Calif., returning to
Long Beach on the 22nd of August.
April 16, 1937, we left for Fleet
Problem 18, visiting the Hawaiian
Islands and arriving in San Francisco on 28 May for the opening of the
Golden Gate Bridge. Many a sore foot
went to bed aboard the Houston after
that was over. We returned to Long
Beach and after a few days visited
Ventura, Calif. On the 28th of June
the ship left for Astoria, Ore. From
6 of July to 11 October our ship remained at the N.Y. Mare Island for
overhaul. We returned to Long Beach
on the 12th of October, and remained
in that area until Fleet Problem 19,
when we again visited the Hawaiian
Islands.
(Continued on Page 4)
COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE HOUSTON
Captain
Captain
Captain
Captain
Captain
Captain
J. B. Gay
R. A. Dawes
W. Baggeley
W. B. Woodson
G. E. Baker
G. N. Barker
Retired 30 June, 1936.
Chief of Staff & aide, 12th Nav. Dis.
Comdr. Destroyer Squadron ONE.
Judge Advocate General.
Duty connection Argentine Navy.
Present C.O.