PLACE TIME DATE

L Louisville KY 4:00 am 6/2/44

A Memphis TN 11:00 am 6/10/44

L “ 11:15 am “

A New Orleans LA 4:00 pm 6/12/44

L “ 10:30 am 6/18/44

A Panama City FL 4:00 pm 6/19/44

L “ “ 7/3/44

A New Orleans LA 9:00 pm 7/4/44

L “ 6:00 pm 7/11/44

A Key West 3:00 pm 7/15/44

L “ 180 degrees 3:00 pm “

A Gulf Port MS 4:00 pm 7/18/44

L “ 7:00 am 7/21/44

A New Orleans LA 2:00 am 7/22/44

L “ 10:30 am 7/29/44

A Colon Panama 1:00 pm 8/5/44

L “ 8:00 am 8/7/44

A Panama City Panama 5:00 pm 8/7/44

L “ 12:00 pm “

A San Diego CA 3:00 pm 8/19/44

L “ 6:30 pm 8/22/44

A Pearl Harbor HI 2:00 pm 9/2/44

L “ 7:00 am 10/2/44

A Kauri (T.H.) HI 7:00 pm “

L “ 7:00 pm 10/5/44

A Pearl Harbor HI 7:00 am 10/6/44

L “ 2:00 pm 10/14/44

Crossed International Date Line 6:11 am 10/20/44

A Eniwetok Marshalls Islands 6:00 am 10/26/44

L “ 12:30 pm 10/26/44

A Guam (Mariana) 6:00 am 10/31/44

L “ 3:30 pm 11/3/44

A Ulithi West Caroline Island 8:00 am 11/4/44

L “ 4:00 pm 11/12/44

Crossed Equator 0 Degrees/39 Longitude 12:20 pm 11/15/44

A Hollandia New Guinea 6:00 am 11/16/44

L “ 4:30 pm 11/20/44

A Bougainville Solomon Island 5:00 am 11/25/44

L “ 8:45 am 12/15/44

A Lai New Guinea 5:00 am 12/18/44

L “ 6:00 am 12/20/44

A Manus (Papua New Guinea) Admiralty Island 5:00 am 12/22/44

L Manus (Papua New Guinea) Admiralty Island 12:00 am 12/27/44

A Luzon Lingayen Gulf Philippines 7:00 am 1/3/45

L “ 5:30 am 1/18/45

A Leyte Philippines 2:00 pm 1/23/45

L “ - - - - - - 1/27/45

A Nasugbu Bay Luzon Philippines 6:30 am 1/31/45

L “ 2:00 am 2/2/45

A Mindoro Philippines 7:00 pm 2/3/45

L “ 5:00 pm 2/4/45

A Leyte Philippines 7:00 am 2/6/45

L “ - - - - - - 2/10/45

A Samar Philippines - - - - - - - - - - - -

L “ - - - - - - - - - - - -

A Leyte Philippines - - - - - - - - - - - -

L “ - - - - - - - - - - - -

A Ulithi West Caroline Island - - - - - - - - - - - -

L “ - - - - - - - - - - - -

*A = Arrived

*L = Left

December 27, 1944

Left Manus 12:00 am with convoy of LST, LC1, LSM PC, SC, DD about 50 ships.

Meet another convoy a larger ones than ours. Point unknown.

Sighted another large convoy ahead, big stuff PA, AK, BB and Carriers.

Skipper of LST 576 died of Island disease. Buried at sea 2:00 pm. Regret shown.

New Years day all quiet as we moved on.

We sighted the Philippines..

Going through Surigao Straight Philippines G.Q. set. Condition one easy.

Sub reported Destroyer rammed sub - air alarm on convoy ahead. One zero shot down.

All’s quiet, too quiet for comfort. Picked up Tokyo Rose broadcast and heard we had all been sunk, what a laugh.

Word was passed P.T. boats of Japan were waiting for us as we passed Manila Bay. Getting nervous.

Off coast Mindanao B 24 downed while beach 11 L.L.T. made beaching with reinforcements. At sunset our finest air attack. Their Jap planes made a run on our convoy out of the sun. I saw all them shot down. Convoy ahead got 4 Jap planes. Reported (Jap Val) dive bomber at 2200. Jap came back dropped fires on almost level aboard our ship but no booms. Thank God. Passed Manila Bay at 2400.

Air attack at 1515. Saw another good Jap. Convoy blew him to Kingdom Come. A single engine Jap. What a pretty fire this make. Stood by my 20mm all night. Two other planes made a run on C.V. One shot down, one suicide on flight deck. Light damage.

(D-DAY) 0400 pulled by Lingayen and back tracked to confuse our honorable grinning friend. At 0500 our aft steering went out, what a heck of a time for this to happen, repaired in nothing flat. Keep drinking water, trying to get my heart back in place. At 0700 anchored in gulf not far from beach. Looking around me. I discovered at B.S. Was knocked off, all hands had that look in their eyes. Something no man can express. 0730 all hell broke loose. B.B. Cruisers, LC1 started shelling beach. U.S.S. California lay off our Port Quarter. Concussion from her 14” almost blue my helmet off. Then here came two Jap planes. One went for a cruiser the A.A. set it on fire, but he was a suicide and hit her on the bow and rolled off of stern in drink. Two dive bombers shot down delivered to have fun (Bettys) all this time our A.20’s were bombing and strafing the beach. 0932 first wave hit beach. LC1 pawing beach full of rockets second and their wave came right on in. Report not much opposition. 1300 Jap planes again. Another suicide dive bomber hit a ------ cruiser. Also one went for our cruiser, but A.A. caught him. At 1830 another air raid, Two more planes went down in flames. White beach was tough going, but we established a beach head.

Two air raids this morning. Jap went come in. Tonight Japs are up to new tricks swimming out to ships under boxes and throwing hand grenades aboard ship. One LST, one LC1 was hit this way. We shot all objects in water.

Three more air raids. No damage. Another large convoy pulled in. The close we have been hit at Jap bomber made a run and laid his egg about 100 yard of port bow. Thank God we were under a fog screen. A L.C.1 pulled along side for gasoline. She had a load of recycled rum from beach. At 1800 another air raid. Jap bombers again. No hit, no runs, no errors. At 1900 our fog machine caught a fire making us a perfect target but soon was put out. 2100 air raid again. Out of range of our guns. No damage.

0615 air raid. More bombers. Another dropped off port side. No hits. 0750 air raid. Our barrage ran them off.

Another convoy pulled in. LST and cargo about 60 ships. G.Q. 1700 planes did not come in.

0545 G.Q. They laid away out. 1800 G.Q. Still no boogies. We hit beach at 1200.

0700 G.Q. Air alert. The natives were glad to see us. Men wearing burlap for pants, women old lace curtains, kids running around bare as your hand. The men ran aboard and help unload the ship.

Pretty quiet. We could hear guns fire back in the mountains.

We pulled away from beach. Anchored out in bay. Two alarms. No planes.

Left Luzon at 1730.

Three air alarm. Planes passed by out of range.

Very quiet. Morning and night G.Q.

Passed by Mindoro. Saw large fire, believed to be ship burning.

One air alarm, boogies eight miles did not come in.

Arrive at Leyte San Pedro Bay.

Went on working party for stores. One air alarm on boogies.

Shoved off to Dulag Bay to pick up paratroopers with tons of explosives and equipment. Whow---what a cargo.

Shoved off for Nasugbu Bay for another invasion. Just south of Manila Bay about 45 miles. Convoy L.S.T, YMS, LC1, LSM, D.D.

0700 arrived at Nasugbu Bay. Anchored about four or five thousands yards from beach. D.D. shelled beach. LC1 threw rockets. First wave hit beach 0900. A20’s bombed targets. After first wave we were next. One wave in saw Jap machine gunners fighting it out with a L.S.M. But gun fire was quickly delivered. Each side of us Japs had strong pill boxes in hills. D.D., LC1 shells them all day. We had a tough time beaching. Lost ship anchor. After three trips we beached and rammed L69. Laid her wide open loosing our bow anchor about 2000. 18 Jap Q boats came out of a cove or a little river and tried to pull some more of their honorable suicide runs, but our D.D. LC1 stopped them in their tracks. Report 13 destroyed - the others ran for it. We lost one P.C.

I went on beach and got some metal off of a Jap zero. Visited natives in small village. D.D. located a boat base shelled and set large fires.

Left Nasugbu Bay. Stopped off at Mindoro.

Left Mindoro for Leyte.

Arrive at Leyte.

Went to Island of Samar for water. Traveled with natives.

Back to Leyte.

Left Leyte.

Arrived at Ulithi. Sea very rough and a rough trip.

Started loading ammo to service B.B., D.D.

G.Q. Jap plane came in from where God only knows. Probably from Truk. One suicide dive in Randolph a carrier one down in island hit a mess hall.

G.Q. air alarm.

G.Q. Our own plane went out and shot them down.

Left Ulithi at 1030. Convoy L.S.T. tankers D.C. for Ryukyu Island.

Pick up --- our task force ahead of us sank 3 Jap carriers, 1 B.B. 1 D.D. 750 planes. God help them.

Running regular G.Q. is everybody jittery knowing 350 miles from Jap mainland was no picnic.

On Racks our sta---- force were bombarding Okinawa Island.

Picked up large convoy on Radar. Couldn’t tell who’s who. Thank God it turned out to be ours. Finally passed each other. Picked up word Marines hit Kerama Retto.

Got to destination. What a spot. Anchored between two mountains at night. Too hot… left harbor and just ran around in circles. 4 days before D-day.

Air raid at 2400 one Jap plane shot down. At 0800 we started unloading on DD663. Some to DM24. Then some to U.S.S. Portland. G.Q. 2315. See gun fire over horizon.

Secured from G.Q. 2315. G.Q. 0115. Secured 0230. Gave ammo to U.S.S. Salt Lake City, U.S.S. Tuscaloosa.

Ammo to U.S.S. Tennessee.

D-day for Okinawa. We were hit south of Okinawa in a small bay sitting off top of a 1200 ton load. Whow!

Planes were trying for us all day all night. What a hell of a life.

Air raid at 0100. Seven raids between 0100 and 0600. Ship crippling in blown all to hell. Gave Tennessee more ammo. Air raid at 2000.

Air raid at 0100. 4 air raids between 0100 and 0430. The sun of a bitches stays out of range guns. They are trying to wear us out before they kill. One came over head but was drove off. Jap swimmers came aboard L.S.T.884. Killed a couple (of) men and got away. U.S.S. Nevada came and got ammo. Last night she took a suicide D.B. killing 11 wounding 40. Also gave U.S.S. New York ammo.

Gave U.S.S. Dakota ammo.

U.S.S. Nevada back after more ammo. She took another hard lick. Shore battery caught her in side off of Okinawa. Saw her dead in canvas bags. Air raid 1600. 4 torpedo planes twin engine jobs. Bad battle. One suicide into our L.S.T. 467 just above water line. One went down. One of our own shot down by mistake. ----- picked up. Two U.S. ships on horizon burning. Loaded U.S.S. Tennessee.

Air raid 0400. Fired again on our planes. Thank God they got out of A.A. fire.

Got rid of all ammo. Took empty to PA58.

Tied up to A.K. 234 for another load of ammo. Had a working party for U.S.S. Colorado. Worked all night.

Another working party from U.S.S. Arkansas.

Tied up to another A.K. for different amo. Word was passed that our mail had been hit and sank. Lord only knows when we will get any mail from home. Air raid at 1600. Planes attacked. One shot down. Other suicide into D.D. 663.

Tied up to U.S.S. Nevada. Same routine. Saw D.D. pass us with dead on her deck. Results from air raid at 1800. One plane down by our scout planes. Gave more ammo to a couple D.D. Heard of Roosevelt’s death.

Fire broke out on our tank deck back of the amo. Fought it and lucky was put out at once. No damage to speak of. Thank God it didn’t reach the amo.

Another D.D. came in. Had been hit. More dead. My God those guys are sure catching hell on D.D. here.

Took on more ammo. Another air raid. Don’t those Japs ever rest?

More ammo. If we ever get hit I’ll need a parachute instead of my May West. Air raid at about 2200. Jap plane came in low over mountain. We held our fire and he never saw us or it might have been T.S. What a rugged feeling when it (went) over head.

Making myself a P-38 out of shell. Another air alarm. Heard Jap plane but could not see him on account of smoke screen. Will I check my drawers after hear him winding up for a run real close. We didn’t fire on account we couldn’t give away our location while sitting on top of this hot load. But other ships ran him off. Looked like a 4^th of July. A little L.C.1 laid off and waited and another good Jap. I still say they make the prettiest flame a fellow ever want to see. I still say God is with us up to date on this operation. L280 planes shot down.

A couple G.Q. at night. They stay out of range.

Air raid. 9 planes shot down in the morning raid.

Working and trying to clean out heat exchangers in boiler room between air alarms.

We got a breather last night. No alarms.

Still loading and unloading ammo.

G.Q. at 0230. Planes came in 10 miles of us. Didn’t come on in. Slept till noon.

Full of moon. G.Q. all night. D.D.390 took 2 suicide planes, Y.M.S. knocked 3 planes down. Could hear planes buzzing around.

Air raid at 2100. Planes dives into HP. Flames rose several feet into the air. Heaviest A.A. I’ve seen. U.S.S. Comfort was hit 50 miles out of harbor.

0100 still at gun station. Secured at 0400. I got to sleep until noon. U.S.S. Hope came in at 1200. The Japs sure love to hit hospital ships. Report came through 300 Jap planes in area last night. Air raid 2200 - No damage.

Air raid 0230. Bombers dropped-boom in mountains.

May 1-3, 1945

Regular water routine. G.Q. 6 or 8 time a day.

Air raid at 0700. D.D. 560 took three suicide planes. Report sinking slow.

U.S.S. Randolph took another hit early in morning. Another suicide plane. U.S.S. Missouri take one hit same thing.

Air raid at 0900. Planes came in and tried for CV Carriers but drove away.

All quiet up to 2100. At 2200 Radio Flash Germany surrendered. Jap not around for couple days.

G.Q. everyday. Today 29 planes shot down. The 11^th so far very pretty weather for air raids.

Regular routine. Air raid every night. No damage done here in harbor. Hear rumors of us pulling out in five days.