The Key West citizen., 1952-10-04

MAS here was nicknamed Rags"
When we were youngsters my
brother used to play a record with
a ragtime tune on it over and over.
On one side there was 'Oh You
Great Big Beautiful Doll and on
the other, 'Raggety Rag"
Capt. Parish said his athletic
career mentioned in his personal
history record was just youthful
enthusiasm. In high school he woD
letters in football, basketball, and
baseball. At the Academy he was
captain of the basketball team dur
ing his last years. I'VE have fine
basketball team and both hard and
softball teams on this Ship" he
beamed.
81 went to Georgia Tech for one
year before entering the Naval
Academy" he said. ''The year I
wanted an appointment, it seems
every boy in Georgia wanted
to go to Annapolis. / had to wait a
year."
He was graduated in 1926 and for
the following two years was as
signed to destroyer duty. His re-
cord continued and when World
War II broke out he served in raids
on the Gilberts, Marshalls, Marcus
and Wake, Tarawa, Kwajalein,
Bougainville, Guam, Hollandia,
Morotai, Leyte, Two Jima and
Okinawa. This last was the time,
April, 1s45, when 100 feet of the
stern of his ship, the USS Sigsbee
ODD -502) was shot away, yet he
managed to keep her afloat. Capt.
Parish has 10 decorations, but he
didn't mention them.
Before assuming command Of
the Roanoke, Capt. Parish was
Chief of Staff of the Naval Operat-
ing Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sometime before the end of Octo-
Der, he will become Chief of Staff
at Norfolk, Va. The change of COM
mand will take place in Key West
waters.
BY the time we bid adios q lot
of the crew were getting ready to
60 on liberty, so we couldn't tour
the cruiser, but we did stand on
deck and were properly awed by
the big guns and the terrapin like
turretS.
DisregardinE = sign that said,
Admirals, Passageway, mo thoro
fare" we stepped on sacred cor
ridors and went to the big CON-
Portable wardroom for coffee and
fresh pears. Excellent watercolors
Of the USS Hornet and the SUBJ
marine Narwhal are part Of the
decoration. There Is also q fine
reproduction Of a Reubens Nativity
scene given the ship by the people
of Antwerp. Belgium.
Last April, the ships bi-monthly
publication came out with exciting
stories and pictures of activity in
Europe which included a wild boar
hunt in Turkey and in 1851 the per-
sonnel got a look at Marseilles,
Venice, Tangiers, Genoa, Sicily.
the Riviera and oran. VINO said
join the navy and see the world
through . portfolio. These boys
went ashore and even posed with
disdainful camelS for which they
didn't have to walk q mile.
Ships proudest possession Is q
magnificent and complete set of
silver from smalIa bowls and
tureens through an enormous pune
bowl set with cups with the seal of
the State Of Virginia on the elabo-
rate craftsmanship. q gift trans
ferred from the old battleship. Vir-
ginia, which was given to that ship
in 1906 by the commonwealth of
Virginia.
During this past summers cruise
to Antwerp, Lisbon and then to-
Cuba, there were $50 R0TC mid
shipmen aboard from 80 schools all
over the nation. Capt. Parish
said, "The midshipman stood
watches and they went into every
department in rotation, engine,
gunnery. etc. They got thorough
insight into how we operate"
The final question was whether
or not the skipper allowed his men
to grow boards. II came about over
cartoon in "The Look Out en-
titled, "Hair Today.--Gone To-
morrow"
"WelI, TIL ten you" Capt. Pa
rish drawled. Il found out how to
settle the beard question up in the
AIeutians. A man with flaming red
hair asked for permission TO grow
beard, and | gave il. Came the
day when he had leave to visit his
wife. Then he wanted to shave. ]
reminded him of our bargain. :.
when I let him grow q fine set Of
whiskers he also had to get my
permission to shave them off. He
spent several uncomfortable days"
And that's the way 10 beard .