Show g r t y J 1 J 1 r Diary e 1 RICHARD SECOND SECOND INSTALLMENT T TSo So we ambled out on deck to tee gee the horizon spotted with ships aMps huge semicircle around us were transports and freight fps cruisers cruiser destroyers and the Kong ong g high box like shap shapes of aircraft air air- fer craft t carriers perched on the rim Ljj f the ocean 4 Talking along the promenade Suddenly became louder and m more re enthusiastic Officers sailors marines ma ma- rines were busy counting up totals to identify identity the different It types of ships aMps Charlie our slow- slow peaking colored room boy as ashad usual Suil had the latest dope He shuffled b led up to us and gave us a detailed account of the ships pres pres- ent Among them he listed the and the Luscious Pepsi cola Identification at that distance Irti was difficult but one thing was wast t certain We had made a rendezvous tr with th the other and main part of oil Sir i task forces We were conscious fact that this was one of the largest and strongest groups vessels ever gathered o of war ar the largest and strongest or war to date The thought that we were going Into our adventure ad ad- venture with weight and power be- be us was cheering And our ad ad- venture come seemed nearer thin than ever as the new group of ot ships hips and ours merged and we became beime be be- came ime one huge force Th That t night there were movies to In the comfortable swanky ultramodern ultramodern ultra ultra- m modern dem wardroom where officers dl dined diced ed It was a lI light ht thing called Our Wife with Melvyn Douglas and aid Ruth Hussey The colonel Ili lable polite John M M. ArthurI Arthur I nt Union of Unton N N. C. C Called C.-Called Called because of his fondness for the 1 natty itty tty in clothes and grooming grooming- sat t next to me Between reels I suggested to the colonel that itaas it that his could as aas amazing people elax lX and enjoy themselves like hTa hr hT when they were heading for h He unpleasant reality of ot danger I oc hed etc He said yes he heI I h bought hought so too July 27 This morning there was much Ild udo ta in the plastered map-plastered office whIch the colonel has set up at th Ie ge of ot the after lounge A Ab b tl had come from one of ot the theother nth other r ships bringing dispatches dispatches- l md nd the sought much-sought secret It v va vas whispered about of ot our desti- desti I II I got a look through the circular less lass windows of ot the doors to the office but there was too i such luch ch activity to interrupt The colonel and his staf were staff were bending over the table which was laden Jaden with maps overlays overlay of ot tissue etc There was an abundance of ot dispatches dispatches dis dla- patches piled on the metal deskin desk dealt in one corner of the room It looked as u if the news new might soon be out After lunch Dr French Moore a naval medical commander from San Francisco told me that I was Invited to come to the colonels colonel's cabin before dinner for a spot of tea I surmised that at this impromptu impromptu im Ins- function I would hear the news as to to where we might be heading That was the case Major VanNess Van VanNess Ness Kess Dr Moore and Colonel Fellers Fellers Fellers Fel Fel- lers Lieutenant Colonel William S. S Fellers of ot Atlanta Ga were present as the colonel drew his hla blackout blinds switched on the light over his desk and set up to pour When we had our beverage in hand he said to me me Well it looks as if were we're not going to have as much excitement as we first thought His group of ot troops the colonel explained are not going to take part in the assault on Japanese Japanese- held territory Only one group will willbe willbe be near the scene of ot action he said and that will be a support force The rho remainder of his hb troops said the colonel are to go on a mission which is much less dramatic dramatic dramatic dra dra- matic and will not Involve contact contact contact con con- tact with the enemy Anyhow it will be fine training for us and Im I'm just as glad that it I happened that way he said But ButI I see that it was a disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment to him to forego the excitement excitement excitement excite excite- ment he had planned He shifted quickly to another subject So If you want to be Inthe in inthe inthe the forefront when the landing takes place he said it might be wiser for you to shift to another another another an an- other ship I Thad had come out here for action I agreed and after alter dinner in our out blacked-out cabin packed my bags It took some resolution to todo todo todo do the job for in the evening I had learned that the forces I would join are going to attack the Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese stronghold on Guadalcanal and in the Solomons islands 28 Tuesday July I was ready to leave this morning morning morning morn morn- ing but got word that I will not be able to transfer to another ship until tomorrow Then the colonel and his staff will go to the flagship flagship flagship flag flag- ship to confer with the ruling voices of at this operation and I will go along to make arrange arrange- ments Wednesday July 29 20 The flagship was practically in insane insane insane in- in sane with activity clogged with marine officers anxious to get their orders and settle their plans But I managed to get the consent of Admiral Turner commanding the landing operation to move to another transport The ship is one of ot the two which ar are to carry the assault troops landing on Guadalcanal Gua Gua- the the marine outfit which is to land first and seize the beachhead It was a shock to come close to my new ship She was an ancient ancient ancient an an- angular horror with a blank black dirty hull and patches of ot rust on her flanks When I climbed the rope ladder up her high freeboard and set foot on the deck I could see that not all the Americans heading for the Solomons were traveling on the latest of ot ships I had certainly come from the best and newest to one of the oldest and most decrepit The deck was black with slime and grit grit for for as I was to discover later In the day the ship had no modern apparatus for pumping water The marines cramming the deck were just as dirty Inside te to dingy foyer I found I interior decorations of ot the completely completely completely com com- style of the early twenties There were bare round metal pillars painted white and wooden steps A few pieces of sided lop-sided dirty furniture were scattered about I went down one level and came cameto cameto cameto to the cabin of Colonel LeRoy P. P Berkeley CaL commanding commanding command command- ing officer of the assault troops Colonel Hunts Hunt's small email room contained contained contained con con- an iron bed a couple of down broken-down chairs and a desk duk But at least the floor was wu clean That was a relief I talked to the colonel about the ship and his troops Things are dirty here he said Baid There isn't enough water for cleaning up now My men are pretty unkempt too for the same reason They look like gypsies But he added I I think they'll fight They've got it here He tapped his chest chut in the region of ot the heart The colonel a looking good-looking man manof manof manot of ot middle age tall and well built was quite serious about the job that lay ahead for him Its going going going go go- ing to be tough on the he said Some body's going to get hurt hurt Tonight I could see why he felt that way An Australian plantation plantation plantation planta planta- tion manager who had supervised production of a copra cocoanut farm on Guadalcanal and knew the lay of the l land nd came aboard and andin andin andin in the steaming-hot steaming wardroom he gave a little talk on the terrain which the marines faced in landing on Guadalcanal and nd seizing a beachhead After crossing the beach he said the invaders would have to penetrate a field of grass four tour to six feet high which would afford good cover for any Japanese de de- fenders Then there would be a river to cross The Australian pointed to a map to the line marked Ilu river The river is about 20 feet wide the banks are five to six feet teet high and steep and the bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom is he said Its going to be nasty to cross It was evident from the map that the river will wilt have to be he crossed for it runs parallel to the shore and lies directly behind the I beach where the the landing landing will be made This however was not the only difficult part of the terrain which our troops must penetrate penetrate- said the Australian Beyond the river lie old abandoned irrigation ditches which can be used as entrenchments by the Japs These ditches are covered with thick tall grass and cannot be seen except at very close range he said The Au Australian had finished The marine officers were not pleased with the terrain which they will have to take But instead instead instead in in- stead of ot complaining they turned to on a discussion of ot methods to cross the river to the as the Australian said There was certainly a need of f air conditioning or a fan fah or two in inthe inthe inthe the wardroom I found my clothes were soaking wet from top to toe And a quick look about told me all alt the others had suffered similarly I left the room and came to my stateroom a small cubicle with old fashioned upper and lower bunks of ot dark stained dark stained wood There wu was was a bathroom I shared with the adjoining state state- room The floor was black and gritty with dirt I pressed the th lever in the basin There was no water A neighbor told me the grim fact tact of the matter The waters water's waters water's waters water's wa wa- wa- wa ter's only on for tor about 10 minutes at a time about three times a aday aday day he said And the times its it's itson itson on are a mystery that only the navy and God know about I went to bed dirty Thursday July 30 My roommate I discovered this morning is a short stocky bullnecked bullnecked bullnecked bull bull- necked man named Captain William WilHam Wil Wil- liam Ham Hawkins He hails from Bridgeport Conn used to be a school teacher and worries about a balding head He is an amusing talker speaks fast and well This morning planes flew over us for tor hours They were stubby Grumman fighters with distinctive square quare wing tips The carriers must be in n fairly close by this time There was firing practice too From the cruisers which lay in the distance there were yellow flashes of ot gunfire We heard the dull pom pom pom porn of their guns the distant distant distant dis dis- dis- dis tant of ot antiaircraft shells bursting and saw the black bursts against the sky In one of ot the holds of ot this ship which I found far dingier dirtier and hotter and more odoriferous than the hold of ot the first transport on which I had traveled traveled-I I heard the men complaining about their food tood and the lack of water I asked a marine about the matter Oh he said dont think of that Marines have to grouse about their chow They al always always al- al ways do This afternoon we lay to and several of the marines dived Into the rather sharky waters They were told by a noncom that they might be court If f they were not eaten by the sharks What do we care said one of the offenders Were going in inthe inthe inthe the first wave on Guadalcanal anyhow That was certainly a tough marine-fashion marine slant on the proposition To Tone ToBe Be Continued Copyright 1943 by Random House Inc Distributed by King Features Syndicate Inc |