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Wednesday, September 5 At sea. Thursday, September 6 Orders came by radio this morning to go to Samar, P.I. instead of Guam. From there we go to Zamboanga, Mindinao, P.I. to pick up the 41st division and take them to Japan. The Talladega is to go on to Guam for repairs and then rejoin us at Zamboanga. But the flag had to get off and go aboard the U.S.S. Dickens, APA 161. We did this right in the middle of the sea. No flag set up here on the Dickens. Friday, September 7 The Talladega has change of orders now too, she’s to go to Samar to get her screw fixed up. She’s about 100 miles back of us. Saturday/Sunday, September 8/9 At sea Monday, September 10 At sea. Arrive Samar tomorrow. Talladega about 200 miles back of us now. Tuesday, September 11 Arrived off Samar today around 1100. We took on fuel around 2000. Talladega due in tomorrow but we probably won’t go aboard her till we get to Zamboango, maybe not even then. Am sleeping on nothing but a blanket as we left our sacks on her. Wednesday, September 12 Started to provision ship today. Also liberty for 1/3 of the crew. This ship got a new captain, the other one went home on discharge. Got a little mail. No sign of the Talladega yet. 17,000 men over here with 44 points and there is talk that we might take them back instead of taking the army into Japan. Hope so! Thursday, September 13 Continued to provision ship. The Talladega came in and went into dry dock at Samar. We leave on the 15th for Zamboanga and she may join us there later if repairs are not complete. Friday, September 14 The Talladega finished repairs about 1400 and went out of dry dock to fuel. We left the Dickens at 1900 and went aboard the Talladega. She didn’t’ get a new prop but they merely straightened the old one out some. Took on provisions all night, leave at 0800 tomorrow. Saturday, September 15 Left Leyte around 0900, about six of us all in Div 48. We arrive at Zamboanga tomorrow morning at 0900. Sunday, September 16 Arrived Zamboanga, Mindinao at 1500. Anchored right off beach about 2 miles north of city. Started loading equipment and forward elements of troops. Expect to be here 8 days. The soldiers tell us we’ll land at Nagasaki where the atomic bomb hit, but we have had no confirmation of it. No liberty today but we are supposed to get some while here. This place looks a lot like Cebu, hot and lots of rain. Monday, September 17 Anchored Zamboanga. Made liberty here but his is the filthiest place we have been to. Very little here. Went out to the air field, the 13the Air Force is stationed here. Had a cup of coffee and shot the breeze with some Army fellows. Had shore patrol duty today but did very little shore patrolling. Tuesday, September 18 Went on liberty again today. Don’t know why for there certainly wasn’t anything to see or do. Just walked around the town and out to the air port. Finished loading and took on all our troops. We are on 4 hours notice but have no idea when we’ll leave. Wednesday, September 19 Left Zambolanga today at 1800. We are going to Abulglog, Leyte for fresh provisions and then to Kure Ko, Japan, the place where the atomic bomb hit, right off Nagasaki. Quite a lot of talk about us going home when we get rid of the troops. Thursday, September 20 Enroute Leyte for supplies. Friday, September 21 Arrived at Abulgog, Leyte, just about 10 miles south of San Pedro Bay. Did no provisioning at all for there are no ships in here to provision from. Saturday, September 22 Left Leyte around 0600 for Kure. Have around 25 ships with us, the same TransRon 16 plus the Calvary, APA 32 which has Rear Admiral Rogers as OTC, plus 1 APD. After we had gotten clear of the Phillipines, around 1400 this afternoon, we got orders to proceed to Buckner Bay, Okinawa. This is to await the clearing of minefields to where we are going. Also, the high point men may get off there. Sunday, September 23 At sea. Arrive Okinawa Tuesday afternoon. Monday, September 24 At sea. Tuesday, September 25 Arrived off Okinawa--Buckner Bay--around 1600. Waited for berthing assignments for nearly 2 hours. Quite a few ships in here including a couple of big aircraft carriers. Don’t know how long we’ll be here but are on 4 hours notice. Wednesday, September 26 At Okinawa Thursday, September 27 Okinawa. Reports of a typhoon coming up from Phillipines. We may have to leave soon. Friday, September 28 Left Okinawa at 1300, headed west to avoid the typhoon. It should arrive in a couple of days. Saturday, September 29 Cruising around off western part of Okinawa, a little wind and the seas are pretty heavy. The ship is rolling more than we have ever seen it since coming out here. Got a radio message saying all APA and AKA’s would be used to transport troops home. Hope it is true. Sunday, September 30 Came back into Okinawa amidst heavy seas. Have no idea when we’ll pull out. Monday, October 1 Started to provision ship in the afternoon. Tuesday, October 2 Provisioned ship part of the day. Didn’t get much at all, just a few dry provisions. We are leaving tomorrow. Wednesday, October 3 Left Okinawa for Kure, Japan around 0900. The sea is till pretty rough. Thursday, October 4 At sea off eastern part of Kyushu. Arrive Kure tomorrow sometime. Pretty stormy out. Friday, October 5 Came into the entrance to the Inland Sea. Very small channel has been swept and we have two APD’s ahead of us leading us. A 45 knot wind blowing. Spotted a mine just as we came into the bay but they were unable to sink it. Went as far as the entrance to the Inland sea and anchored for the night. Saturday, October 6 Proceeded into the Inland Sea. Had a Jap patrol vessel for escort part of the way. Passed a submerged sub, also a couple of floating torpedoes. Came into Hiro Wan right east of Kure about 3 miles. A Jap battleship the ISE is here, half submerged. A few villages on the beach but there doesn’t seem to be much activity. It is cold and rainy. We unload the troops tomorrow at Kure. Sunday, October 7 Unloaded all troops at Kure and part of the cargo at Hiro Wan right here beside us. They say there are a few battleships and cruisers over at Kure, a naval academy and warehouses full of parts awaiting shipment. We got a message saying this squadron is to return to the states on the Magic Carpet as soon as we get done here. Monday, October 8 Finished unloading and went out from Hiro Wan aways and anchored. A Jap cruiser, the Yazumo is right off our bow. All her guns are off. We will await orders here, but the general idea is that we’ll go to Yokahama and pick up Army personnel. Tuesday, October 9 Anchored at Aki Nada near Hiro. No word as yet as to when we’ll leave or where to. Wednesday, October 10 We’re supposed to leave this morning, but it has been cancelled and we go tomorrow morning. We are to go to Leyte to pick up troops, then direct to San Francisco. Should be in Frisco by the 14th of next month. The flag will probably break up in Leyte and we’ll go back as passengers. Thursday, October 11 Left Hiro at 0600 and proceeded out of the channel for Leyte. Got word that the Fleet Post Office in Okinawa was demolished by a typhoon so we’ll probably loose all our mail. Friday, October 12 through Monday, the 15th At sea. Tuesday, October 16 Arrived San Pedro Bay, Leyte, took on fuel and what little provisions we could get. Tomorrow we go to Samar and pick up our passengers. Wednesday, October 17 Picked up the passengers, about 1800 altogether and left Samar, P.I. around 1730, headed for San Francisco, U.S.A. We’ll be in Frisco on the 2nd of November. Have 30 points as of the 15th of this month, and will have 30 3/4 by the time we get home. The point system is now down to 41, or will be on the 1st of November. It goes to 39 on the 1st of December, and at the first of the year it will be 38. Thursday, October 18 through Saturday, October 27 At sea. Sunday, October 28 Sent message to Frisco giving our time of arrival as 0800, November 3rd, Saturday, also listed no. of passengers and transfers. Monday, October 29 Received massage on Fox skeds telling us to go to San Pedro instead of Frisco, arriving there 2200, Nov. 3rd, Saturday. Tuesday, October 30 through Thursday, November 1 At Sea Friday, November 2 At sea. Received word to stop at Port Hueneme and discharge the troops. Saturday, November 3 Awoke in the morning about 5:00 and we could see the good old California coast, we arrived at Hueneme at 0900 and they had a band out to meet us. Left there around noon and pulled into San Pedro about 1700. We got liberty till Monday morning. Went to L.A. then out to home Note: At that time my parents and sisters were living at 812 Balboa Dr., Arcadia, California. Sunday, November 4 At Home!!!! Monday, November 5 Went to Terminal Island to meet the ship coming into dock, but it came into Pedro, Todd Shipyards instead. We got our gear and then went to the Rec. Sta., the flag is to get leaves, then we bust up for good. We signed in at the Rec. Sta., then went on liberty. Our leaves start Thursday, the 8th. Note: Was based at Receiving Station, San Pedro, from November 5, 1945, till the 8th, when we went on 30 days leave. Spent that time with my parents in Arcadia, Calif., until Sunday, December 9th. Sunday, December 9 Went back off leave. Am not assigned to anything as yet, will wait till something does come, in the meantime I just lay around. Note: Just stood normal 8-5 watch duty in the Communications Office, watching a teletype and receiving and sending a few messages. Most of the time we did nothing, just waiting for discharge orders. Thursday, December 20 Lowered the point system to 36 on 1st Jan., I’ll have 31 1/2, (35 on 15 Jan., and 34 on Feb. 1st), I’ll have 32. Expect to be out by March 1st, still at San Pedro Rec. Sta., doing nothing. Note: I lived with my parents during this time, and one of my shipmates on the Talladega was Earl Forbes, SM 1/c, who lent me his car, so I drove back and forth between Arcadia and San Pedro each day. I was discharged from the Naval Service on Saturday, March 2, 1946, and enrolled in college at UCLA on Monday, March 4th. |