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Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien:
On January 4, 1942, O'Brien was still in port, undergoing a refit and awaiting its transit to the Pacific which was to begin on January 15.
Background - U. S. S. O'Brien - Events of 1941In the early months of 1941, O'Brien continued on the Neutrality Patrol. There was also a Fleet Landing Exercise in early February at Culebra, P.R. that lasted for 10 days and involved the whole Atlantic Fleet. March 2nd was the one-year anniversary of the commissioning of O'Brien. Below are some pages from the ship's fantail newspaper - called the Little Giant Scoop - from about this time. Some of the references are hard to figure out, although bean jokes are universal.
Some notes:
- It seems that there had been little or no liberty during the Neutrality Patrol judging by the cartoon on the second page.
- The play on words regarding "strikers" on page 2 refers to two things - the large number of strikes happening in the war industries in 1939-1941 - these were very controversial with war material needing to be built up. The other reference is to Navy "strikers" - these are sailors who are working toward a rating in one of the general occupation fields in the Navy (such as airman, fireman. signalman, etc.).
- Culebra-atic in the third page is in reference to the base at Culebra, P.R This was where the recent fleet exercise was held, and also was probably a common port of call during the Neutrality Patrol.
