...N E W S A R 0. U N D T H E N A'V Y.
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — (NAVNEWS) — It is customary for Commanding Officers to make
presentations to their men, but rarely do enlisted men have an opportunity to make
a presentation to their C.O.’s.
Yeoman Third Class, Mason D. Williams, serving on the staff of Commander Amphib
ious Squadron FIVE, recently had that chance*... The occasion was the publication of
a folk ballad Williams composed entitled THE GOOD SHIP PAUL REVERE by Melody Trails
Music Company of New York. Williams presented a leatherbound copy ofr.his ballad
to Captain A.S. Goodfellow, CO of the PAUL REVERE (APA 248), another copy to Capt.
R.B. Erly, Commander Amphibious Squadron Five whose flagship is USS PAUL REVERE,
and a third copy to the ship’s company.
Williams, who is currently serving a two year tour of active duty after five
years in the Naval Reserve, is a rising star in San Diego entertainment circles,
having appeared at many of the best known night clubs in that area. - As leader of
the Wayfarers Trio, a group he organized while a student at Oklahoma City Univer
sity, he appreared before President Kennedy (A Senator at the time) and night clubs^
in San Francisco, Denver and Dallas. His specialties are the 12 string guitar and^^
the 5-string banjo, but he is also proficient on the bass and recorder. In addition
to this, Williams has recorded two albums - one for Mercury entitled SONGS OF THE
BLUE AND GRAY, and lectured to classes at San Diego State College.
Shortly after his arrival on active duty the Amphibious Squadron FIVE staff went
aboard USS PAUL REVERE, Williams was so impressed with the ship’s crew, food,
cleanliness, and size, that he was inspired to compose his ballad. (EDITORS NOTE*
How about someone composing a song about Adak - maybe AFRTS can obtain a copy of
THE GOOD SHIP PAUL REVERE, for broadcasting here.)
MIDWAY ISLAND--(NAVNEWS)--Mobile Construction Battalion Eleven's First Class Builc^
or, Donald L. Wilard, with the help of the men of his group, has recently completed
an unusual people-to-J-people project. Wilard and his men have drawn up a geograph
ical and historical thesis on the Island of Midway, complete with a large map,pic
tures of the island bird life (including a story of a young boy who raised an
orphaned Tern) and a complete history and description of the island. This inform
ative and interesting study was prepared for the benefit of the grade school chil- ML
dren of the hamlet of Newburg Fief, located several miles out of Edinburgh,Scotlaoc^^
The motivation behind this project started several years ago when Wilard's uncle
started corresponding with the teacher of this small school. The school was to be
closed because of its size. The uncle felt that if sufficient descriptive liter
ature, correspondence, etc*., of foreign lands were forwarded, the school board might
reconsider its decision to* close it. In this assumption he was correct. The school
did not' close,
Wilard and his men, upon hearing of this, decided that if there was one place
that people knew very lit-tle about, it was Midway. With this in mind, he and his
men planned and built their project during their off-duty hours, and when completed
sent it to the Scottish children. Their pride and satisfaction in their project
have-been equalled by the children's enjoyment upon receiving it.
* Another instance where the ingenuity of the SeaBees and the "Can Do" have
benefited the people to people program of the Navy.