Monday, October 16, 2023-Story behind the story-No ice cream for the Seabees on USS Amsterdam. Tuesday, October 17, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Amsterdam underwear advertised in Times Square. Wednesday, October 18, 2023-From the Archives Episode 175, August 4, 2017, Baltimore sports writer John Eisenberg discusses his book “The Streak: Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken Jr., and Baseball’s Most Historic Record.”  Eisenberg tells the story of baseball’s legendary Iron Men, Cal Ripken Jr. and Lou Gehrig, who each achieved the record of most consecutive games played. Thursday, October 19, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Amsterdam’s war on alcohol. Friday, October 20, 2023-Episode 496-David Pietrusza on organized crime in the 1920s in New York City, Gangsterland.

No ice cream for the Seabees on USS Amsterdam

By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History

   The USS Amsterdam sailed back to America from Japan when World War II ended, picking up Seabees in Guam. 

   The passengers brought a different perspective on war to the Amsterdam’s sailors. 

   “We had a laundry, hot food, a ship’s newspaper and ice cream almost every day,” said former Seaman Steve Fitz. “As we were traveling back to America one of the crew in line for dinner shouted out there was no ice cream today.  One of the Seabees said, ‘Isn’t that a shame.  We haven’t seen ice cream in two years!’”

   Fitz, a native of Schenectady, was given a choice of three ships when leaving boot camp and chose USS Amsterdam because it reminded him of home. 

   When his Navy service ended, Fitz became a talk radio host.  His last radio work was commentary on Amsterdam's WVTL in 2012.

   The USS Amsterdam was named after the city by President Franklin Roosevelt, following a campaign organized by James T. Bergen American Legion post.

   Work began on the light cruiser, nicknamed the Flying Dutchman, in 1943.

   Mrs. Frieda Hasenfuss christened the ship April 25, 1944 at Newport News, Virginia.

   Mrs. Hasenfuss, who lived on Northampton Road, was Amsterdam’s first World War II Gold Star Mother.  One of her nine children, Army PFC William Hasenfuss, Jr., was killed at Hickam Field in Hawaii in the 1941 Japanese Pearl Harbor attack.

   “I was thinking of William when I smashed that bottle.” Mrs. Hasenfuss said as the vessel slid into the James River. 

   Andrew Lawton of Youngstown, Ohio, was captain.  The ship had a crew of 1,400.

   “About 55% of the crew was right out of boot camp,” Fitz said. “There was a decent amount of old salts who knew their way around ships.

   “The Amsterdam never crossed the equator, usually an occasion for something like a fraternity hazing for greenhorn sailors.  The ship did cross the International Date Line and veteran crew members convinced the captain to have some hours of frivolity at the expense of the new recruits.”

   The Amsterdam protected aircraft carriers sending planes to bomb Japan in July 1945. 

   Fitz said, “All of us were happy when they dropped the nuclear bombs.  We knew we would be part of an invasion of Japan and there would be a great loss of life.”

   The USS Amsterdam was among the American ships anchored in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrendered.

   Through his range finder, radar operator Fitz could see General Douglas Macarthur and Japanese officials who were on the battleship Missouri for the surrender.

   The Amsterdam was decommissioned in 1947 and scrapped in 1972.

   Fitz said some local politicians were reluctant to let USS Amsterdam veterans stage a reunion in the city, fearing things might get out of hand.

   The reunion took place in Amsterdam without incident.

   Fitz found the reunion very emotional, “It taught us that you’ve got do what you’re told and when you’re told.  It made men out of a lot of boys.”

   A model of USS Amsterdam was handmade by the late Albert M. Swager of Pennsylvania, a former crewman, who donated the model to Walter Elwood Museum in Amsterdam in 1995.  The eight foot replica was loaned for a crew reunion in central New York in 1998.  The model ended up at Sampson Memorial Museum in Romulus. 

   It was located through the efforts of Amsterdam history fan Stanley Krolikowski and returned to the Elwood museum September 30.

   Anyone who wishes to contribute time or money to the USS Amsterdam exhibit may contact Mike Parillo at the museum.  With artifacts, documents, and photos contact City Historian Robert von Hasseln.

An encore performance of Historians Podcast Episode 408, first aired on February 4, 2022-WGY radio’s 100th anniversary-featuring Kolin Hager, Martha Brooks, Howard Tupper, Earl Pudney, Don Tuttle, Elle Pankin, Diane Ward and Bob Cudmore.  WGY news anchor Mike Patrick describes podcasts he has recorded with many WGY veterans.  The station aired special programming on February 20, 2022, the actual 100th anniversary of WGY.

Mohawk Valley Weekend Weather, Sunday, October 15, 2023

46 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:21AM 

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