V1945-04UT

Kearns UT to Guam by Boat

After requesting to be sent overseas I was sent to Kearns UT, where I met Hank, also an engineering officer and Fred of quartermaster corp and became buddies visiting sights in Kearns while our paper work processed – we were issued a new Identification card. "Kilroy was here" notations were everywhere – we took note of a girl walking ahead of us unaware of the "Kilroy was here" note stuck on the back of her dress. Utah had state run liquor stores, your choice in a brown paper sack. We were not there to party and went little light on that stuff. Training films were documentaries of real military operations. Later going over the side on ropes, it seemed like something we’d done before. Reality films were effective for training and conditioning. A boil developed on the back of my neck and the newly issued steel helmet smashed it during calisthenics and I was put in the hospital. Nurses seemed to delight in parting my hospital garb and stabbing penicillin in my rump during the next three days. I was one of the few officer patients and they asked me to join them for meals, I don’t know why I declined, they seemed disappointed, saying they read my service file. They opened the boil and worked the pus and cores out and the region healed but left a large scar. The nurses helped me escape to the officers club in the evening. They were very nice and lonely ladies, everyone they met shipped out, a two way feeling.

We rode trains from UT through scenic country eventually arriving a Fort Lewis near Seattle Washington. My father was stationed there during WW I. We were given short GI hair cuts and wandered about. The old part reminded me of Fort Riley Kansas. KP was done by German POWs who seemed happy to be there. most in their twenties, probably taken in North Africa. We were allowed a final night on the town and had a nice seafood dinner, some saw family, few seemed inclined to party.

We were issued a carbines & new duffle bags, gathered equipment and were trucked to the docks. Our ship was an APA (Attach Personnel Assault) equipped with a 5" deck gun, 40mm Swedish Bofers and 50Cal machine guns along the sides. I have no idea what we carried as cargo, but had a full load of personnel. We gathered along the rail, watching the tugs shove us into Puget Sound. We moved away from the dock about mid afternoon and slowly progressed along Puget Sound passing ships, warehouses and municipal areas along the route. We entered the open sea about dusk and after chow looked back at the lights before going below deck. The water had become choppy and the wind had picked up.

The weather was not bad but rocky enough for us Land Lubbers to feel on the edge of being sea sick. We were told to eat to keep from getting sea sick. I had trouble sleeping on the first bunk, canvas laced to a metal frame. Then we were moved up front in the unused hospital section with nice beds and became accustom the ships rise and fall as it dipped it’s way through swells of varied amplitude. Most stayed below deck and read till we arrived at Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

At dawn we could make out Diamond Head. Coming into the commercial docks of Honolulu was like seeing an old movie, we docked at the same movie setting we’d seen and could see the Dole Pineapple Water Tower. They hauled us to a park area where we were entertained by Hula girls, and provided a picnic feed and free beer. The Hula girls who worked the tourist trade and now worked for Uncle Sam.

That night we went out to eat, hailed a cab and asked him where’s a good place? Then I remembered a magazine article where the author wrote of a place called P Y Chong's and of Trader Vics -- I have no idea why the names stuck. The cab driver said you must have been here before P.Y. Chong's is a very nice place He pulled up at a plain white frame building with no signs, just a pain single door. The driver assured us this was the right place, adding most people don't know of this place. We entered surrounded by a veil of decorative pieces on strings extending from ceiling to floor, it was elegant and a pretty Chinese girl was our hostesses and waitresses. The meal was excellent and we took note most clientele were well dressed civilians or officers – the place was full, though only known by word of mouth. After dinner we went to Trader Vic's, a prewar haunt with sea fishing and Polynesian décor, nice but no elegance.

We were on board by midnight and at sea when we went on deck. AAC officers were served meals in the Navy officers Ward Room, on three shifts. by Negro orderlies on tables covered with linen clothes, set with napkins in rings, and outfitted with sterling silver service – even Yale was not that nice. We were treated as guests, yet I felt uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because the waiters were Negros relegated to this as a Navy career, also a British tradition. I was not accustomed to being waited on – had waiters been selected for KP duty, as I had serving officers mess in Basic Training, I would have felt at ease.

A movie in the Ward Room had been underway about 15 minutes when, Bang!! The overhead 5 inch gun had hammered the overhead like a huge gong! The sound reverberated through the ward room! We ran out on deck, there were 50 caliber machine guns going Da Da Da Da Da... Da Da Da. Pairs of 40mm Boefers going pa poom pa poom pa poom , 20mm guns were going poom poom poom; with a periodic BOOM from the 5" gun. They were shooting at a tow target trailing behind a B-26. This was a standard drill for the Navy crew – for many sailors manning these guns was their primary duty. During non gunnery hours they would "chip & paint" , use of hand tools showing it was busy work. There were periodic announcements "Now hear this, now hear this; the smoking lamp is lit (or out)." I envisioned sail ships, of sailors lighting their pipes in the crews quarters from the ships lamp. Another call was, "Clean sweep down fore & aft, sweepers man your brooms". Since some called sailors “swabies” there must have been a version “Clean swab fore and aft, Swabies man your mops”

The Navy clung to British heritage, a sailors pants and shirt had no pockets, cigarettes and matches were folded in their shirt sleeves. Their pants did not have a front fly or zipper, a sailor had to undo a laced gap at side or back to lower his bell bottom trousers -- not a speedy process. This uniform did not changed until after WWII.

“Johns” were called “Heads”, troughs along the outside wall of the ship where sea water flowed continuously. A pair of boards, one for each cheek, spanned the trough. Jokesters made a rafts of toilet paper, ignite and float its leaping flames under the row of bare rumps causing guys to pop up in sequence!

Time hung heavy at sea; eat, sleep, read or stare at the ocean. Whir of ventilating blowers and low frequency vibrations of the propellers dulled senses. The ocean seemed to extend to infinity, water parted by the ships bow moved back forming edges for a white wake behind. The propeller turned day and night pushing water back and the ship forward. Looking down from the fan tail water turbulent was at it’s peak, revealing our path in a slowly fading trail, it’s mark patiently erased by the vastness of the sea.

Having observed wind blown waves of wheat it was easy to see ocean waves as wind blown, water was winds plaything. Waves propagate, winds shift and waves conflict to make choppy water. Our ship seemed like a tractor moving at plow horse pace leaving a wake furrow that closed in, leaving no trace.

The book "What to do Aboard the Transport" sub title "Science from Shipboard" was terrific describing what was out of sight below and protruding above as if dots on a world of water. The formation of Pacific Atolls was fascinating. Horseshoe shaped coral islands rested on the rims of inactive volcanoes which had slowly sunk leaving coral growing in its wake. Coral growth particles were lost in the open sea on the down wind side. The gaps were opens to protected harbors in the midst of the oceans expanse, like an oasis in a desert.

We arrived at Eniwitok about day break, our first chance to see an atoll. We went on deck, ahead was the outline of many ships inside the atoll obscuring the coral rim. Our progress slowly brought the collection in view, there must have been over a hundred ships of many kinds widely spaced and anchored at random within and outside the bounds the atoll. The perimeter looked like a loosely linked path of scattered palm trees. The wind that swept the palms created white breakers within the harbor. The wreath of palmed coral seemed to rest on the water – there was no “beach sand”.

Entering the Atoll we could see the full perimeter and feel the tranquility of its calm inner waters. Ships kept their distance and small boats commuted from ship to shore and ship to ship. We watched as a boat was lowered and Navy personnel went ashore to what looked like a string of small buildings. The atoll was a huge marshaling yard of ships.

We went inside the Ward Room for lunch leaving the clear sunny sky, calm harbor and refreshing ocean breeze. We became aware the ship had gotten under way before we finished. One of the last to leave I saw people running by the doorway toward the bridge, forward of the Ward Room. Curious, I looked down on the side of the ship, there was a powerful wake from the propellers, churning the water forward along the side of the ship, it seemed odd, the ships was moving forward – we had just gotten underway? We were in reverse gear! Then there was a loud blast from the ships Fog Horn, followed by clanging bells and repeated, almost urgent blasts from the main horn. A Fog Horn? Strange activity for a peaceful clear day, just getting underway?

Looking forward I could see persons grasping the rail in front of the Bridge leaning forward and intently observing the sector ahead and to the left of the ship? The Bridge was off limits to us passengers -- I went to see what they saw?

From the right side of the Bridge I looked down on the forward deck of the ship. People were running forward to get a view of something to the left. I was now alone on the right side, the others had shifted to the left. I looked to the left front, there loomed another ship! It was traveling along a path 45 degrees to ours with an intersecting point dead ahead. It was also in reverse with it's fog horn blasting at us. All eyes were calculating distance and speed with growing apprehension. About the time I came to the conviction that the rate of deceleration and change of course were inadequate, those on the main deck came to the same conclusion. There was a mass exodus of people on the main deck scrambling away from the forward rail. Yes, there was no doubt. We were going to collide!

Should I hang on to the rail? How fast will we be going when we hit? We're not going fast, these ships have a lot of mass. In water there's no traction, not like a train on a rails. Will there be a jolt? Maybe not too bad, the masses are not in opposition, we should glance off, unless we stab him with our bow? The captain must feel helpless – there is a lot of time to anticipate what's about to happening, he's done all he can, but it's too late. Some body's sure going to catch hell, how could this happen? We're going to hit him rather than him hit us. Could we sink? Naw, too late to worry now, hang on.

There was no jolt. Our bow crunched into the side of the other ship near the front. The front of both ships lifted up 3-6 feet, paused and settle back, then slowly parted at the point of contact and began to rotate toward each other. I turned and ran down to the lower deck to get a view from the rail nearest the other ship.

The sides of the two ships were swinging together as if they were being magnetically drawn to each other. It became obvious the over hanging life rafts were going to crunch into each other before the sides made contact. There was a slow motion crumbling and crunching of these objects as everyone stood back from the rail more fascinated by the scene than afraid of being hurt. The bodies of the ships touched gently and then drifted apart, all in slow motion. As they parted the life rafts were released from the crushing grip and in slow motion broken parts sprinkled piece by piece into the spreading gap between the ships.

Sailors from the other ship went over the side, mattresses & planks were thrown to them. A plank was placed to span the gap then a wet mattress floated into place like a band aid over the gash. A 3 foot wide gap at the deck continued downward to about 2 feet wide at the water line. I was very impressed with the efficiency with which the other ships crew responded. We were told the gash extended about 11 feet below the water line. This must have been repeated training for sailors, their repair crew had time to prepare and knew what to do.

Our bow was bent but did not leak.

Top ranking Navy personnel shuttled from gang plank to bridge and back. In an hour we were underway. To passengers it was an incredulous event, the Navy was embarrassed so we kept wise cracks to ourselves. By nightfall the big event and Eniwitok were behind us and were informed our destination was Guam.

Eniwitok Atoll became the site for early atomic bomb testing, it seemed a pity to blasted it, few if any understood the hazards of radiation. Later it was the Bulls Eye target for Minuteman single and multiple warheads fired from the Vandenberg CA. I viewed video of incoming warheads launched from CA. In 1945 I could not have believed such a thing was possible, or that I would help design system that delivered the warheads!

We came to a halt near a small island, we were in an absolute calm and the surface of the water had a mirror finish. There were long low swells about three feet high and the length of the ship, the condition lasted about four hours. Another day the water was deep blue, for the first time "the blue pacific" made sense.

Then we were there, Agana harbor Guam, we were told to gather our things and be ready to disembark. From deck we watched huge trucks moving a mountain of coral, they were building a Causeway to protect the harbor from the sea. The harbor was alive with activity. We unloaded over the side on rope ladders, like in the training films, to small boats below, on shore we transferred to trucks. About 2/3 of us passengers disembarked at Guam.

20^th AF and Harmon Field upper right

Navy territory and air field

GUAM

Causeway looking north, sea left harbor right Housing at harbors edge

Main Highway to up from harbor

Our truck traversed a modern black topped coral road from the harbor to atop a hill then turned off driving under a sign marked "Headquarters 20th AF".