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Buck Beach -> A historical transit time example (7/20/2004 8:52:01 PM)
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My dad served most of the war with the 8th Photo Squadron in the So Pacific. I had orignially started this post under the New Kind Operating Losses thread as a reply to a post regarding condoms, when I thought that some information from his diary may be of interest of those looking for a real live prospective of some things.
He had joined the army Oct 11, 1940 out anger with his dad because he was only 20 and needed his dad's signature to join the Navy. His dad said 6 years (the then enlistment) was to long and refused to sign. Pop recants his angry response was the biggest mistake of his life but who knows it might have been the best one of his live because he survived the war and may not have with the Navy. He originally became part of the 37th Infantry Division which was reformed on Oct 16, 1940 (the division's history goes back to the War of 1812 but was disbanded sometime after WWI).
He left for San Francisco May 6, 1942 while still a part of the 37th but while there he had to have a leg operation that kept him from being a foot soldier. Again color him very lucky because the 37th was to be a part of the grand Guadacanal experience. An uncle on my mom's side served in the same division at the canal was there and not only was he in heavy duty emotionally scaring action ge got maleria as well.
After Pop got out of the hospital he was picked up by the Army Air Corp for the 8th Photo Squadron. Here are some points out of his diary you may be interested in: June 22, 1942 from San Francisco on the USS Mastsonia and arrived in Melbourne 23 days later (later told me they ran out of water near Tasmaina. Six days later sent to Townsville by train; Jul 27, 1942 2:AM arrived in Townsville and the first two nights there were Jap bombing raids: Sept 5, 1942 left Townsville for Port Morseby. He states air raids there are common. He says the worst thing about the raids is that they are right overhead be for you know it. He states on Sept 23, 1942 things were beginning to change they still had Port Morseby and it looked like they were going to keep it; Oct 9, 1942 gave the Japs their first big air raid (sent 37 B-17s). Says "giving them everything we got which isn't much"; Dec 8, 1942 left on 30 day R&R leave for Sidney the B-17 (the Squardon had until some general found out and took it away) almost crashed upon landing and taking off at Coffs harbor (??) due to short runway.
This brings me too what I was going to post on the other thread. Last year in July when me and my brother I went to see him in Seattle for what I knew was the last time. I just wanted to hear him talk. We started talking about some of his war time experience and we got to this R & R leave. I ask him if everything that I had heard about the fella's exploits during the leaves were true. At this point I want to say I was 60 and Pop was 83 and we felt comfortable talking about any thing, I hope I don't offend anybody. He said "son, let me put it this way, before I left Port Morseby the doc asked me how many condoms I thought I needed. I said I'm going to be there 30 days so 30 should be enough" and then he said "you know I used them all". As a side note, when he got back from Australia Jan 11, 1943 he had a letter saying I had been born.
We lost Pop March 4th. I miss you Pop!
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