Best Loved by her WWII Crew this Image of the "Fighting
Hannah" which the Crew could buy in the Ship's Store - donated by the late Capt Herschel A. Pahl along with
the "Hancock Poem"
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The Hancock Poem
by Lt. George 'Hector' Rodgers -
Fighting Squadron 6

Lads, you hold to the annals of courage
The hooks with Honor bound.
And you roll the names that you read there
And faith, 'tis a pleasant sound.
Then think as you're walking the foc'cle
The HANNAH Hull down on the sea;
Think of the men who man Her -
And the men who memory be.
Aye, feel of the throb of Her innards
And look't the sweep of Her prow.
And know by the likes of your feelings
There's trouble ahead of Her bow.
Then know that the fleet's a-waiting
For Her and your kind in the West;
Aye lad, when they've need of full courage,
The HANNAH will rank with the best
They'll tell of Her guns and Her skippers..
The tales of "WAY BACK WHEN"
And each of those lines will be singing
The praises of gallant men.
They'll write of a mad Old Lady
Who was always willing to fight;
Who spit at the foe until sundown
And searched for it through the night.
Then think, If your soul is Christian
And allowing someday you'll die:
I hope when it comes that I'll find Her
OLD HANNAH afloat in the sky.
Then lad you can sail for centuries..
No watches and double sea pay,
And the sailors of Heaven will envy you..
You men of the Fighting HANNAH today!
The 'Official Hancock CV/CVA-19 Poem - 1945 by Lt. George 'Hector'
Rodgers - Fighting Squadron 6 - Originally submitted
by 'Hector' who called himself an "Overpaid Sailor" - and originally contributed to The Hanocck Memorial
by the Late Capt Herschel Pahl, USN (Ret), our past WWII Representative and Author of 'Point Option' - a wonderful
WWII War Epic seen through the eyes of a Naval Aviator, during the last 2 1/2 years of the War in the Pacific.
You can visit his Book Site by clicking Here
or you can purchase the "Point Option" in our Ship's Store Here. |

Submitted to the USS Hancock CV/CVA-19 Memorial
by Captain Hersch Pahl, USN, (Ret)
Read more about this Poem Here
© November 11, 2006
All Rights Reserved
Visit
Lcdr D. Garvey's "Hannah" - a Vietnam War Poem 
Visit
Cpl Daniel C. Snuffer's 'Epic Uss Hancock CV-19 
Visit
Cheryl Jaccard Cowart's "Fightin Hannah"
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