Lorain's Deck Logs
Here are three of her smooth deck logs from the National Archives. The Quartermaster of the Watch records info in the rough deck log and then a yeoman types up a smooth deck log (in some cases).
The first records the death of her first Commanding Officer on the bridge during the first Med cruise. Reading the logs of this cruise revealed the extensive operations of the ship. COMSIXTHFLT was on board and there were many exercises, landings, gunnery shoots, etc. All to insure that the Mare Nostrum would not be lost to Communist aggression. The Sixth Fleet was a very positive influence on the countries in the Med. The tempo of operations may have contributed to CAPT DuBois' death. He was a victim of the Cold War.
The second is the cryptic report of the truck ramp fire thursday, 15 Nov., 1962. We were returning from the Cuban Missle Crisis deployment and had been in a gale with 30 - 40 ft seas. During one watch the ship made sternway over the four hours. I was in my rack when the GQ alarm sounded and knew it would be a long swim in very heavy seas. The guys in the Ops compartment nearest the fire grabbed fire extinguishers and put out the fire. Luckily the marine sentry was on his rounds and not sitting in the jeep under the ramp.
The third log records the transfer of the ship to the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility and the hauling down of the colors, jack, and commissioning pennant.
