PIN-UP WAR GAMES
By Bob Orleck and Fred Worthen
This may be hard to believe but on a dark night off the coast of Japan, as invaders came alongside the USS ORLECK, the crewman stood by and just watched as they boarded the ship. The ORLECK crew did absolutely nothing to repel these intruders. As the attackers climbed aboard, totally unhindered by the crew that had now gathered in larger numbers, they moved as a unit that had a known goal. It wasn't until an officer noticed the strange events and cried out for help that this evil was confronted. Most of the officers had gone to an aircraft carrier in the area for a conference. The remaining officers engaged those intruders struggling with them, trying to keep them from a critical part of the ship where these men had hoped to accomplish their mission. It was a "furious battle" noted Lt. Jim Faddis. Even in the midst of this struggle the crewmen of the USS ORLECK stood by, sometimes even laughing at what they saw, as their officers struggled. They were able to throw two of them in the sea from the MT 44 gun tub but they were rescued by their waiting whale boat. Two more "were ushered off with fire hoses, down the accommodation ladder. The nefarious scheme of these marauders was thwarted and ORLECK kept the sought after precious cargo until she returned to States in June of 1950 when she gave her valuable possession to another ship staying in the area. Shocking as this sounds to you I know, its true and it happened back on 6 March 1950.
More in the way of explanation is needed and the following comes from CMDR Fred Worthen. The sought after possession was a photo of Esther Williams and the game involved wardroom officers of destroyers deployed to WESTPAC during the ORLECK's first tour of duty in the Korean War.
"The time frame for these crazy events involving the ORLECK's personnel began in early 1950 after we rejoined our destroyer division in the Seventh Fleet. During one of our in-port periods for R & R, ORLECK's personnel were introduced to this diversion from the more serious happenings of the day.
The ships organization called for the deck and ordinance personnel to be assigned to the quarterdeck and sentry watches as a part of the ship's overall in-port security assignments. It was because of these requirements that the deck watch personnel were made aware, and informed, about the need to be especially alert for any unusual activity on or near the ship. Without too much more information available, the 'mess deck scuttlebutt' had it that a security exercise of some sort had been instituted. As it turned out, the need for the extra alertness while on watch was only required if the ship had the so called 'Fighting Copy' posted on its quarterdeck.
The picture of Esther Williams appeared to be a standard promotional pin-up of the era. It had the standard salutation to a fan and admirer, and also was the source of the diversion activities that was born because of it.
The fan and admirer in this case happened to be a young junior officer, serving on a ship, at the time, similar to the ORLECK. He and another junior officer serving on the same ship, also were assigned to the same state room and apparently shared the same interests; especially the admiration for Esther Williams. As fate would have it, the enormous build-up of naval forces in the Far East required the reassignment of personnel to augment ships with shortages of certain personnel. In this case it resulted in the transferring of one of the young friends and mutual admirer of Esther. Though the transfer did not involve a great distance, it was the cause of the creation of this game of diversion between the several wardrooms of the destroyers when they were in port. From that, the diversion spread out so that any destroyer that was in port could join in the fun and activities.
It became known that when the young officers were separated, the departing one decided on taking the picture of Esther home as a keepsake from his friend. Well, naturally, this wasn't a good idea and from what I understand, several efforts were made to retrieve it. Apparently these efforts resulted in failure, but a rivalry between the ships developed. This rivalry then developed into a group of rules and so forth. Everything appears to have progressed from there and became as much fun for the ships officers as it was for the enlisted men watching them.
Apparently, as things worked themselves out, two copies of this picture became available, as a part of the game; the 'Fighting Copy' and the 'Trophy Copy'. Each copy had a distinct role according to the rules, and to violate the rules by a wardroom meant exclusion of that ship's wardroom from any additional participation in the fun and activities.
The 'Trophy Copy' was a nicely framed edition of the one that was taken, as was the 'Fighting Copy'. The differences being that the 'Fighting Copy' could withstand all forms of abuse; water, mauling, banging and other forms of roughhousing. The 'Trophy Copy' was to be treated at all times as a lady that she (Esther) was.
The 'Trophy Copy' was always displayed in the host ships wardroom, while the 'Fighting Copy's' station was on that ship's quarterdeck in plain view. The 'Trophy Copy' was only relinquished to another ship if the 'Fighting Copy' had been properly captured according to the rules-of-the-game. The rules-of-the-game, though not clear, could involve many forms of rough-housing, abuse, skullduggery, or mayhem against a possessing host ship. This meant anything that was legally or illegally recognized in the rules