Arrival in Enewetak, Marshall Islands
Friday, July 27, 1945 – Underway as before. Hotter and hotter. Still no ½ holiday – the 1063 (the Hotel Statler) the 131 and even the 896 have turned to only mornings since we left Seattle. But we have worked all day every day. We’ve had to do canvas work each day. We weren’t in P.H. long enough to get the 250 gallons he ordered thank God! Or we’d be painting still. We’ve rigged shades for the negro troops and still they have the entire main deck and we’re supposed to go only on the small boat deck aft of the con – in the hot sun! Also, dear Capt. has said if we don’t cut down on water consumption that we’ll be issued ½ bucket 3 times a day – we have showers now every three days – and ¼ wash-bowl at meal times. But the officers have a shower anytime of any day they want. And from a reliable source, the Capt. has about 4 a day! From an ex-enlisted man, one would think he’d be decent. The other 3 ships had showers daily all the way to Pearl Harbor. All in all, this has got to be the un-happiest ship due to the plain unreasonableness and unfairness of the Capt. and the majority of the officers. They are all scared of him, and as a result, as chicken-shit as he is. There’s a hell of a lot of talk amongst the crew that’s not pleasant to hear and I’d hate to be him. To be hated as he is would bother my conscience. Also, he is accused of taking the ship’s service funds. We all put up $7.50 last January in New Orleans and as soon as profits showed we were supposed to get it back. The S.S. has made plenty but shows none! The C.O. is accused by the crew of taking the profits himself. I don’t know anything about it, but wouldn’t put it past him. He’s lousy enough to do anything. Tomorrow, we cross the International Dateline. And Japan has refused the ultimatum given them by U.S-Britain and China to quit now – and they can have their 4 main islands or be wiped out. So I guess we’ll be in on the “wiping out.”
Saturday, July 28, 1945 – Also Sunday, July 29, 1945 – We crossed the International Dateline at 8 A.M. So we had breakfast on Saturday and dinner and supper on Sunday. Seems queer yesterday was Friday and today was Sunday. The negro troops had church services on the cargo hatch and sang hymns with fervor or something. And it’s getting really hot – only 650 miles north of the equator now. Had another incident today that makes this a “happy ship.” Our “swimming pool” was padlocked by Mr. Smith. I had just come up and said “I thought you’d have more sense than to do this.” And “Didn’t you know there’s a terrible suction down there?” etc. etc. I invited him to come down himself and prove it was safe but he wouldn’t. I don’t know if he could get through the hatch anyway. But several of us tried to explain how it really is but he wouldn’t listen and padlocked it. The Army officers have been using it and were they mad! All the guys have been using it to cool off. Ski and several other old LST hands say they all used to do it on their old ships – even their officers – but this is the 899. Just another chicken shit deal to add to the list of unfair deals against the enlisted men on this ship.
We had no celebration when we crossed the 180th meridian but we are all eligible for a card stating membership to the Ancient Order of the Golden Dragon. Our chow is getting lousy and our showers have been cut out altogether. So, all in all we are all pissed off. But in spite of it all, I’m still glad to be going to Okinawa or any other place where we may be of some use in this war. I wrote June, Bud, Ethel and Mother letters today.
Golden Dragon card belonging to Lt., Dan J. Sullivan - Awarded 18 Jan 1945
Monday, July 30, 1945 – And the lousy deals continue! The order today was from the Capt., “that no lights whatsoever other than red battle lights shall be shown below decks. Last night the 1063 was slow to “darken ship” so our Capt. says we shall not have any white light even below deck after 2000! We are traveling with masthead and running lights on. We draw all the blackout curtains and portholes, close all the hatches on deck and blackout the ship. Yet even below decks we can’t have a light, not even a flashlight after 8 P.M. No showers, can’t stay on deck, can’t take a dip on the bow, lousy chow, work all day in the heat and now this! It’s a rotten, lousy ship. An officer is supposed to first, look out for the “comfort and welfare of his crew,” but this Capt. seems deliberately trying to be meaner daily. And we’ve worked harder in every respect for him than any other ship and all we can do is take it! We can make 4000 gal. of water a day, we are using less than that and I’ll bet the officers with their clean linens and uniforms, plus their showers use 25% of all consumed. 11 of us and 9-20 officers and 114 men – very nice! Our Capt. is probably trying to be a big shot and save water at our expense so that he can give the other ships some -great! Boy the crew us really burning up in more ways than one! Weather has continued fair – following wind which makes hardly any air topside – compartments are stifling hot. About 3 more days to Enewetak.
Tuesday, July 31 – Tropical rains – and how! But they cooled things off a little. Did odd jobs all day. Starting this A.M. we will have G.Q. every A.M. 1-hour before sunrise until sunrise and 1 hour before sunset until sunset each day. It’s going to be a hell of a grind for the boys on top of watches and work. At 11 A.M. we passed into what is known as a “forward area” and passed by two Jap-held islands that have been by-passed. I thought the officers had reached the end of the things they could do to make the crew miserable but they locked up the phonograph and records that the crew owns. The men chipped in 30 cents a piece for it. Also, the officers broke out sun “pith” helmets for themselves, none for the crew and on it goes. We are now right in the Marshall Islands and have slowed down to 2/3rds speed. Expect to make Enewetak Friday. We took “shots” for cholera and black plague today. My arm is still sore from the last ones so I took it in my right this time. Also got practically a baldy haircut, but need it it’s so damn hot. It’s been showery all day and humidity is terrific – sweat, sweat, sweat! I’m writing Ethel each day – I love and miss her so.
Wednesday, August 1st, 1945 – Underway as before. Clear and hot, moderate sea. At least this trip so far has been comparatively calm with a following wind and sea all the way. Awfully hot. I worked all day rigging a breeches buoy and some of the boys scraped and painted main deck. G.Q. at 5:10 A.M. and 7 P.M. Wrote a letter to Ethel – every day – I miss her more.
Thursday, August 2, 1945 – Underway, but not as before. We’re only about 150 miles to go to Enewetak and don’t want to get there during the night so the 131-1063-898 and LCI (FF) 793 are playing tag – going around in circles, burning up fuel maneuvering. We’ve painted, rigged lines, etc. all day – same shit – all day – no 1/2 holidays even in this wicked heat. We have some swell heavy high work shoes aboard. Some fellows got hold of ‘em and were made to turn them in. They are supposedly for a “beaching party.” Bullshit! The men need shoes on deck and I’ll bet those shoes just set in the locker and rot before they (the officers) will ever let us use them. More lousy deals. Hot and clear. Troops stink worse all the time and so do we with no showers!
Friday, August 3rd – Had G.Q. at 5:15 A.M. Sighted land at dawn. We are at Enewetak now. We dropped the bow anchor at 9 A.M. There are over 300 ships of all description here and it’s an odd sight. They are all anchored far out and cover lots of water. The island of Enewetak is really an atoll, a coral island and is only about 150 yards across and a couple of miles long. And the highest point is only about 15 ft. above sea level. Only about 18 months ago – Jan 1944 – hundreds of men lost their lives on the beaches here to grab this bit of land. There is a long air strip running about ¾ the length of the island and it’s covered with Quonset huts and a couple coral-asphalt roads. I talked with a mail clerk in the P.O. (Quonset Hut P.O.) and he says it’s hell. They’ve had only K rations for 5 days. They get 2 cans of beer every other day. But he says life is really lousy and I guess it is. The sun is terrific. It’s hot, but a steady trade wind blows good. We anchored out about 3 miles and it was a long, wet run in for the mail. I got a big bag full though and got 1 letter from Ma, Jim Brotchie, George Chase, Clayt and 6 from Ethel, all swell letters. She got 14 roses from me via Charley Cook on the 25th our 14th wedding anniversary. All her letters were swell – made me feel good.
Another lousy incident today: When we dropped anchor, while we were rigging the gangway, even before we got it finished, Mr. King told me to break out the stages and paint the numbers on the ship’s sides – the kids worked all day on them. All the other ships were already swimming off the stern and bows. I found out today that the 896 and 1063 both have all day holiday routine every day since leaving the States and showers every day! The 896 is the flagship too! Just one more rotten deal on this ship. Instead of resting these men for war, he and the officers are getting them so tired they won’t be worth a damn in combat. They are so tired now and on edge. It’s a hell of a job to get them to work at all now. And the jobs they dig up are goddamn unnecessary, most of them. The 896 hasn’t had a paint brush or scraper out of the Bos’n locker since leaving the USA. But we’ve not had a chance to hardly get ours back in the locker! I hate these officers more daily. And the “caste system” then have – this is not democracy of what I enlisted to fight for. This is pure chicken shit and goddamn poor command. God I pray for a quick end to this war!
My father taking roll call during General Quarters off Japan
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