Gardiners Bay Model

A recent search at http://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/navy/uss_gardiners_bay.htm
produced notes from dozens of sailors, relatives and friends affiliated with the Gardiners Bay (AVP39). Among these many notes was one from Jon Walton, the ship's supply officer from 1955 and 1956. Correspondence through that site resulted in a picture from Jon of a 1/16th scale model of the Gardiners Bay he commissioned through Arnold Ship Models. He sent a picture of the model which is included below in high definition, as well as the following comments:

Jon Walton's comments (December 4, 2003):
Glad to read Bob Settles comments about our deployment June thru Nov. 1955. (see: 1955 Ports of Call) He forgot about the peacock hunt in the boon docks outside of Nha Trang. While tied up there two U.S. Army officers came aboard. They had been sent to advise S. Vietnamese army..very hasty departure from U.S..and they were begging any supplies..food, mosquito nets etc. we could provide. They and 12 others at other sites were the fore-runners of the 600,000 eventually sent.

Until I read these comments I was not aware of the peacock hunt outside of Nha Trang. At the CO's and Supply Officer's directions I was converting money with the mayor, and purchasing potatoes in the open market (see: Spuds and Slit Skirts) so the sailors could have fresh vittles, while Jon and others were hunting peacocks.

The other detail I learned recently was that leave for the crew was not authorized in Nha Trang, the better to protect the men from ladies who chew beetle nuts, and potatoes grown in night soil. We brought two native baskets of potatoes aboard so they would not miss out on all the thrills. Until I read Jon's comments I never knew that hunting peacocks in the boon docks outside of Nha Trang was one of the local thrills!! Read the story at AVP to the Rescue, with thanks to Cdr. Art Mix for details from the bridge.