The U. S. S. WASHINGTON is four years old today. To her Captain, Officers and men I extend my congratulations.

She has sailed from one ocean to another to protect our own, and to seek out and destroy the enemy's forces. Never has she been late, or found lacking; her record is one of glorious achievement in which all of us are rightfully proud. Someday she will grow old, and sail away to the VALHALLA of all good fighting ships but in our hearts and memories she will live forever.

T. R. Cooley,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy,
Commander Battleship Division Six

Captain R. F. Good assumed command of the USS Washington on 16 November 1944 in the Forward Area. He came to our ship from the Staff of the Commander in Chief of the U. S. Fleet, of which he was Operations Officer for eight months.

Our Commanding Officer was born in Ohio on 13 March, 1897 and entered the U. S. Naval Academy in 1916 He served on the cruiser Columbia from 1919 to 1921. For the next 16 years he served in submarines in the United States, Panama, and on the Asiatic Station. His experience in that branch of the Navy included service in the 0-12 and S-15 and Command of the L-9, L2, and S-17. His last submarine detail was on the Staff of Commander Submarine Squadron 5. Shore duty, too, had close relation to submarines as our Captain took a postgraduate course in engineering and specialized in diesel engines. He has held several important positions involving diesel engineering.

In 1937, Captain Good joined the USS Arkansas as Navigator during which tour he made a cruise to Europe. In 1938 he was assigned to the USS Tuscaloosa as First Lieutenant and Damage Control Officer.

A series of staff assignments began in 1939 with the billet of operations officer on the Staff of Commander Cruisers, Battle Force. From 1941 to 1943, he was Assistant Operations Officer on the Staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet and Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. In 1943 he was ordered to the famed COMINCH Staff as Operations Officer and in that capacity, he was on the invasion beaches of France four days after D day.

Our Captain has seen the development of airpower and the carrier task force and brings to the Washington years of practical experience. Consummate seaman and shiphandler, he has the confidence of everyone aboard. On her fourth birthday, USS WASHINGTON is in competent hands and we pause to honor our skipper - a salute to Captain Good.

While the WASHINGTON participation in athletics was confined chiefly to running to battle stations, the past year still found the W's sailors "leading the league" against all comers.

The W's softball team, regarded as the best during our stay at Efate in 1943 and losers only to the USS Massachusetts, has been considerably "overhauled" during the past year. Mainstays of the Efate team; Lt. (jg) Brown, CSK "Sink" Yesinkevich, BKR 3c "Ci" Ciolfi, and "Limbo" Blank, gunner from the 4th Division, were selected on the ALL-NAVY ALL STAR team which defeated an ARMY ALL-STAR based on Efate. Since PSNY days, the club has been strongly reinforced by Marines Silvers, Stephens, Jones, Smith, and Solon, and also newcomers Henry, from the fire control gang, Tinta, pitching ace from the turrets, Rouer, second baseman from the E Division, and Jacob, an old-hand from the S Division.

In their latest game to date, the rusty W sailors defeated the USS New York, 5-1, on the sandy beaches of an unmentionable island. Tinta, a new recruit from the 2nd Division and pitching his initial game, was very effective allowing no hits; four walks in the 7th inning accounted for the lone New York run. Rouer was the hitting star of the game, while the entire team played errorless ball behind Tinta's hurling. Ciolfi, all-around "handy andy" of the club, was absent. due to an overdose of South Pacific sun. The lineup against the New Yorkers was as follows: Jacob LF, Rouer 2nd, Brown SS, Blank CF, Yesinkevich 3rd, Stephens C, Silvers 1st, Tinta P, Jones RF, and Henry SF.

The Wardroom softball team, holder of the Yokohama Cup since "way back when", retained their firm grip on the coveted trophy by defeating all softball challengers during 1944. Their latest conquest was the U.S.S. INDIANA by the score of 5-1 This cup signifying baseball supremacy will be awarded permanently to its holder when the battleships anchor in Tokyo Bay. The winner, who obviously will be the Washington, shall be obliged to fill the cup with an appropriate victory beverage to quench the thirst of the loser's. Boxing and wrestling were confined to local exhibitions on the "fantail".