I joined the U.S. NAVY the 1st week of Sept. 1942 and went to San Diego, CA. for boot camp for 6 weeks. Then I was shipped overseas to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii's receiving station. I came aboard the USS SALT LAKE CITY the 1st week of Feb., 1943 as a ship's cook 3/c. I served aboard ship 34 months and was discharged Dec. 1945 as a "CCS" "Chief Commissary Stewart".

I was in "S" Division as a ship's cook and my battle station was 4 decks below the main deck, where the ammunition for the 5" anti-aircraft guns were stored (called the 5" Magazine). I and 6 other cooks and bakers passed the 5" shells to the guns on top side during battle.

During the war we had very little, if any, fresh provisions to cook with. Most everything was dehydrated or frozen.

Ship's cooks reported to the Galley at 0230 a.m. each day to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. They then closed the Galley at 1800 p.m. Each cook and baker had a 24 hour work shifts, 24 on and 24 hours off. We had approximately 1000 crewmen to feed each day including 100 Marines. The commissioned officers had separate quarters and special cooks.

We know of no sailor aboard who lost weight for the lack of food, yet ship's cooks were nicknamed "Belly Robbers".

Ship's Cook
Alvin B. Werner