A FIGHTING LADY SPEAKS

[Music] e [Music] from somewhere in the Yellow Sea between Japan and Korea I speak to you as the voice of the Navy's fighting ladies with my escort ships I speed to the shores of a friendly Nation a nation attacked by those who would quench the fires of Liberty and freedom upon my Island superstructure and Below decks are the more than 2200 men who give me unhesitating service my guns speak as the determined voice of more than a score of Nations and upon the wings of my minion Plains are carried the hopes of democratic peoples everywhere men of Daring and judgment guide me to my tasks while within my broad expanse my warrior Sons each day prepare the acts of courage and determination for which I am justly proud come in from a point directly beneath the clouds and head for home 180° it ought to bring you right back good luck [Music] Jen of those who rush so heedlessly and yet so calmly to their appointed tasks I look upon yet once again to imprint on the scroll of my memory their ever familiar faces from Maine to Arizona from Georgia to Oregon from the shores of the Chesapeake to the wide reaches of the Plains they have come to serve me they are my striking power and my shield they are members of the Navy's fighting team and of that larger team that strives for peace and cooperation in the world of Nations they are pledged as I am to a nation and to a people to a dream and to a reality upon their shoulders rest my shity and in the Roar of their departure travel my hopes and my [Music] blessings this is my moment now I am truly a fighting [Music] lady from carrier such as the Philippine Sea Valley Forge and badom straight fighter planes such as these take off our for their targets in Korea in no other military operation in history has the extreme effectiveness of carrier based aircraft been so clearly demonstrated the carrier is in reality a traveling Airfield moved to the point of greatest military need as the occasions of War demand our Pilots have been flying two and sometimes three missions a day we will follow them on a typical day's work by means of automatic cameras placed in the wings the first targets are innocent appearing water craft utilized by the enemy to F ammunition and [Music] Men [Music] [Music] one of the finest examples of precision teamwork has been the close air support of ground forces our Pilots working on radio call from ground controllers with the forward elements have struck within 50 or 100 yd of the front line crippling enemy resistance and aiding the advance of our ground forces the dive bomber in addition to its armaments of machine guns and 5-in Rockets also carries two or more bombs of the 500 1,000 or, 1600 to variety with these many of bridge and many of factory and enemy strong point have been [Music] decimated [Music] safely at rendevu within my Convoy my men the men of a fighting lady tensely searched the skies for their returning Brothers this is a ritual to which no man is immune this anxious waiting this careful searching we wait we hope when suddenly the first word is passed and there they are roaring into us from across the water as they come we begin to read the numbers on the fuselage each plane is a man and each man a name silently repeated within a thousand throats as that plane and that man come winging into us from hazards once more met and once more safely vanquished my fame rides on the wings of these men and on the courage and the faith of those there to receive them and to guide and protect them 2300 strong a mighty [Music] family [Music] a [Music] the last plane comes riding in beneath my flag the last pilot unbuckles his safety belt and descends with a deserved smile of satisfaction to The Familiar deck I head on to another rendevu to another Dawn when once again the enemy will feel the brunt of my striking power I fight for a future day a day when by my Passage through these Waters I leave secure in my wake the sanctity of peace and [Music] democracy