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EXTRA!!!

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U.S.S. DES MOINES CA-134
Care of Fleet Post Office
New York, New York

THE CRUISER RACE

The Macon, Salem and the Toledo
Started off in a race for San Pedro
All ships were fit, but their fuel was low
So they all stopped over is Sasebo

No liberty was granted, so the morale was low
But those big heavys were hot to go
All had four screws and plenty of steam
And did their bright work ever gleam

But though you might think they were a bit slow
Those doggone heavys could really go
And to you folks that don't dig this jive
That's four big boilers and an overdrive

All were cruiser men, and likely knew
They would race all night until something blew
With bows out of water and fantails low
They resembled race hounds in a high class show

Now along about the middle of the night
The Macon turned and blinked her light
Blew her whistle and rang her bell
For all main engines had gone to hell

The crews were pale, all nervous wrecks
and the sweat ran down the back of their necks
But they didn't care, for what the heck
Those other two cruisers were neck and neck

Now over the ocean they did glide
A steaming high and a steaming wide
All hands of those ships, how they cried
For those two cruisers stayed side by side

They looked over their sterns and saw us a coming
Thinking it was a jet by the way we were humming
Those cruisers knew it was the end of the race
Cause old 134 had found her pace

When we zoomed by, they looked the other way
The guys on those cruisers had nothing to say
This news reached those ships the following day
"The Des Moines had anchored in San Pedro Bay"