Show Around ground The Otla W M MANTI ANT 1 All News Welcome aI Following is an nn eye witness account account account ac ac- ac- ac count of a battle bottlo with the Jap Fleet from Willard Bunderson brother of Mrs Grant Dyreng who is in charge of the diesel engines on a baby aircraft carrier Probably all the paper and radio radio radio ra ra- ra- ra dio have been full of the big fight we had off ore Leyte with the tho Jap fleet on the of at October You probably know more moro about the allaround allaround all- all around picture of the battle than we do who took part in It From the view point of the carrier Manila Manila Manila Man Man- ila Bay Day here is what happened altho al- al tho everything everything- cant can't be told now Our first warning of what was up came when we were called to general gen sen- general eral quarters about 7 a a. a m m. m and the word was passed thru the ship a that mat a large J jap ap force lorce 01 OI of battleships battle battle- ships cruisers and destroyers was attacking one of our C. C V. V E. E groups nearby Following that an announcement announcement announcement came word woid that several several several sev sev- eral of those battleships cruisers and destroyers were separating from the main body of their fleet and heading at full speed to strike us d I That was tho the beginning of or sev sey- several cral eral very uncomfortable hours for I us us We Ve are not the fastest ships afloat and the Japs were closing the range lange on us much too rapidly for tor our peace of mind After Arter all C. C V. V Es E.'s weren't built for tor surface surface sur sur- face action and our planes were our only means of defense and most of them thom were armed for other othor othor oth oth- or er purposes We had come out here to support the troops landing on Leyte not to fight warships But our bomb handling crews worked miracles In breaking out torpedoes and heavier bombs and loading the tho planes with a Sunday punch When the flight took oft off that turned the Japs away from us B. Their shells were already beginning In ing g to t fall tall within our destroyer I screen It was truly just a matter I of minutes until the Manila Bay I would have been under fire from their heavy beaY guns But nut due duo to the unexcelled and the tho bravery of our pilots a desperate situation was turned Into a great victory At the beginning beginning- It was a defensive defensive defensive de de- de- de fight we were fighting rIghting to savo save our ships and our skins But after our pilots had dropped their torpedoes and bombs where they would do the most good and the Japs s had turned from us It became an nn attack When they turned we turned and the pursued became the pursuers We threw everything we wo had at them from rockets to depth bombs They put their tails be- be their legs and ran at full speed and what appeared to be he a crushing defeat for the C. C V. V E. E na navy natty was turned into an utter route of the tho main body of the Jap fleet fleet l cot The defeat of the Jap Navy was the big event of the du day The air nil attack of about 30 planes that II Continued on page age 5 jJ Man Manti ti Around roue The h World I I v V- V 1 Continued from page one I they threw at us in ill the the e as vas an anti The same American AmerIcan American Am Am- pilots many of ot whom had flown S 8 or 9 hours hoots of combat that h day lufay day went and knocked them down downsi si fast tast that not one got close or orI ora of t a chance to drop a. a bomb near I cur bur ur ships t Were pretty prett proud of ot the abY carriers Weve We've demon- demon that they can take care of ofIn In an any situation As Ur r Admiral said it was a big day P tor or the little fellows At present Pp p e have received dispatches from early arb every high ranking officer officerS u S the na navy nary commending us on our K and victorious battle t tillant v 1 Earl Miller 1 graduated with flyg fly- fly g colors at Luke Field Arizona hii lying ing adaptability is undoubtedly t ue e to his skiing career He will Way 14 F toy y at Luke Field for advanced sl ining 1 as a fighter pilot Earl e understand it was quite a thrill hen your mother pinned on your Ings for you and then you pinned hem back on her We Ve will be I oking oking for fOl you now that our first ow has arrived v Iw MacLloyd l Erickson U U. S S. S 4 J my mv spent the last 10 in days davs home H u n r fife fac tlC is in the Engineer Corps an and andas d j Its as been in the army for three thre e Z Wife ife and month 20 of old d IB N i were here heie also Mac ha hamen hasen has s men j en training at Camp Gordan and FIn Fla Fla He is a ship fitter fitter- I bo tho Wo he isn't sure what assignment t Vie future will bring He had only weeks of basic in comparison m tl the usual 13 week course On Ice of experience in yards ship-yards ex et may be rushed to some repair ids lot overseas ra V Vi y i Carpenters Mate Lee LeId Leid Leid Le- Le id Dyreng son of Mr and Mrs to n Dyreng of Salina visited here Id k i ew hours Sunday at the Grant Teng feng reng and Bishop Ivan Carlson mes' mes es' es and with his grandfather tr i E E. E E. E Reid t IU 4 Seabee Lee spent 10 months North Africa Africa helping to build re-build rebuilds s ts including Altho AItho he primarily a carpenter he lie did a aL alle L including tie tle bit of everything including If 5 ll IP P. P and guard duty and driving iny y captured trucks He reports m d is sometimes good and some some- m a q times it He attributes this s to the cooks and the rations On One strange Arab custom that Intrigued Lee was that wives are sold around like cattle not being as o as donkeys He judged the Arabs n dirty ditty people Some Sonic ancient Roman ruins interested him col- col aqueducts aqueducts etc Houses in Tunisia are made of tile rock or steel including the roofs roots roofs Wood Woodis is seldom seen On December 5 I he will report back at Port Hu- Hu Cal after which he expects duty in the Pacific 4 v Besides being 1st Counselor in inh h I If I T r. t t me LUt e presidency y UL of the Lilt tut L. L ij u D. D u. u S. S o. o Branch Earl Erickson at Camp Van Dorn Miss has organized organized organized organ organ- an nn orchestra Here Is how the camp newspaper descries describes it You might have ha heard of or Alexanders Alexander's Alexander's Alexanders Alexan Alexan- I ders der's swinging combo but you cant can't qualify for tor an A Au in music I f appreciation until youve you've heard I and knew Effervescent Ensemble the Epitome of Elec- Elec Entertainment The band began with Ericksen's contention that musical talent is better heard than heard about Integrating these men from almost as many companies meanwhile meanwhile meanwhile mean mean- while after shelving full field packs for the day trying tofit to tofit fit it rehearsals into unscheduled hours hours all all this has been a job of size But the toe- toe taping GIs GI's who inevitable gather to hear the tIle practice sessions would I no doubt agree agree the has been worth it v vA A reunion in spirit again characterized charac- charac Thanksgiving day for many American families Those at home thought of those away Those away thought of those at ho home e. e I Wayne Varne Peterson who made a up set-up for Cor this columns column's heading spent Thanksgiving with his com tort company company pany at Camp Shelby Shelb Miss Geniel Genie his wife and Carol his daughter were at the home of ot Wm Vm Wm H. H Peterson Peterson Peterson Peter Peter- son at Mantl Manti He wrote Today is Thanksgiving day and andI I just got back from the mess hall It was all decorated up with corn coin stocks and maple leaves with cartoon cartoon cartoon car car- toon pictures on the walls The tables were neatly arrayed with a- a candle placed in an apple at each end There were also menus and napkins The meal meal- was similar to the one you have back home it really was nice Some of the married married married mar mar- ried men had their wives here for I the occasion Following Is a n poem I by our G L. L Flatt which appeared appeared appeared ap ap- on the menu The throughout the years Have always been heavy eaters i Their appetites as well as ns their rights fights ts Have marked them as world beat ers With food galore and women too And time upon their hands They cant can't be beat in a mess hall ball hall ball seat Or on the rivers of many lands So Lay Ho Heave with your your knife and fork Let the gra gravy Vi fall where it may I Eat hearty me lads of all that you can I Because tomorrows tomorrow's another work day y V |