War Diary of Richard Steele - Fourth of July, 1945 - Loading Up in Seattle

 

 

 

Sun – July 1, 1945 – Left the Pacific at 3:30AM headed into the Straight of Juan de Fuca between British Vancouver Is. + State of Washington – beautiful country! High snow-capped peaks on both sides and Mt. Olympia all snow!  We made a “crash landing” when tied up to the dock. Tore life rafts off.  Seattle is beautiful and Mt. Ranier in back all covered with snow is beautiful.  Went after mail by riding busses into town – a long ride too – got 3 letters from Ethel. Her father is OK which is good.  But she’s got a bug to sell the house (my God what’s gone wrong with her?) She’s trying to do too much anyway  - her mother is working and Ethel is trying to take care of both her place and our place – it makes me so goddamn mad – I’d call her but don’t even know where the hell she is! This is the pay-off!

 

Mon July 2, 1945 – Still tied up at pier 91 – Naval Base Seattle, Wash.  This AM I went after mail in Seattle. Bummed a ride in and rode a bus back in P.M.  Had my boys store chain in tank deck and then chipped paint on fantail – hot and clear.  I got two letters from Ethel. Now she’s got a job on the governing board – OK if she can stand it – Goddamn why’d I ever get in this goddamn war! If things were OK at home I wouldn’t mind – her father is OK I guess – but as usual she doesn’t tell me what it was! An instance of the goddamn incompetence of the officers is their insistence that the lines tying us have to be tightened every hour! I told __ Boyer the OD today it wasn’t necessary but he insisted – the old man came along and told him to leave the lines alone! For once I was glad to see him appear on the scene.

 

Tues – Moved to the next dock at 6 AM and had the 2 screws removed then went up a canal 5 miles to the Ballard Bridge where we beached with the aid of two tugs going to get a load here.  Went on liberty – sent Ethel and the kids cards and stuff then called Capt. James, Bud’s friend and went out to Tacoma and saw him – had a fair time – a hell of a trip out there 30 miles by bus. Had to bum back at 2 AM – cold and lousy – I don’t care particularly for liberty in this town although Seattle itself is a nice city.

 

Wed – July 4^th, 1945 – 4^th of July! And all we did was work like hell. Painted main deck with non-skid paint and then back to the tank deck to get in shape for a load. Also had to divide into crews quarters aft – we are going to carry colored troops damn it. A hell of a 4^th!

 

Thurs July 5, 1945 – Went after mail in AM – got none from Ethel or anyone. Had liberty in P.M. – all I did was go to United Servicemens club and reroute letters to her mom Judy & Andy.  Then had a few beers and was back at the ship by 11 o’clock. Not a good liberty when you don’t know anyone.  Ship is being loaded steadily.

 

Fri – Went after mail – none for me. And in P.M. we worked like hell – We had to dump a huge collection of garbage and rubbish and unload 2 truckloads of fresh vegetables and stores with only 15 men. What a job and hot! The inefficiency of the Navy – our tank deck is loaded with 500 barrels of high-octane gas and huge 40-ton trailer trucks, bulldozers – jeeps, 2-ton truck and everything. The supplies should have come first then the load – but no – they came after making one hell of a difficult time to load them in. The refrigerator and store room aft – a lousy job – took till 10 P.M. – my ass was dragging!

 

Sat July 7 – Had liberty – Before we could go we had to wash the ship’s side with diesel oil – that lousy skipper of ours. I went out to Renton to Longacres Race Track – a small track like Rockingham – broke even. Had a shower in a USO there. Had some wine – couldn’t get beer and was back aboard at 12 o’clock. Just as I got aboard the ramp cable broke and I had to work until 4 AM on it.

 

Sun July 8 – All loaded – boarded and batten – we worked like hell all day and moved out into Seattle Bay and loaded ammo.  Had liberty but didn’t take it. Broke and tired.

 

Mon July 9^th – Went after mail in AM – rode a ferry from Manchester to Seattle and back. Small boat. Broke down and we had to be towed back. Worked on deck in P.M. and didn’t take liberty – to hell with it – once again no mail – why she can’t write daily I don/t know. I can’t help but wonder what this separation is doing – her actions lately sure have been screwy.  Got a note from Stu Mayberry and Bud Rengman though.  It’s quiet and peaceful in this Puget Sound and very lonely.

 

Tues. July 10 – Reveille at dawn. Moved over to Seattle at 7 o’clock. Got 165 black troops aboard at 10 AM. Went after mail – finally got a note from her – she was “too busy” to write – that’s great! I sent it back to her – my last note for 10-12 days.  Got underway at 2 P.M. and are now leaving Puget Sound into the Pacific. The water has been shut off already so it’s going to be a lovely trip I can see – if only she had written a good letter – daily – what a hell of an empty feeling I’ve got – I wish I knew her thoughts.~

Post Five - It's All About the Mail

Mon. 3/19/45:  I felt a bit stiff and bruised from yesterday’s workout but otherwise O.K.  We had beaching exercises all morning and did ship’s work in P.M. while anchored off Green Beach.  We had to strip the wreck in the tank deck and repair our hawsers and cables.  I got a little sand and a splinter from the boat as a souvenir.  Got underway at 7 P.M. and tomorrow we will have gunnery practice again with planes, and then head back to Pearl Harbor.  At 6 P.M. we had a “Survivor & Rescue” drill.  We had to lower the debarkation nets.  While doing so, I lost my good Waterman’s 100-year pen with my name on it, that I had given me when I enlisted last June 1^st, 1943 – damn.  It slipped out of my shirt pocket and I could see it shimmering down in the clear water and was damn near ready to dive after it.  That drill was a costly one for me.  About $20, that pen cost, my friends.

 

Tues 3/20/45:  Had the 4-8 AM watch this morning; saw a beautiful sunrise off the island of Lanai.  We also have passed by Molokai, Kahoolawe and the tip of the main island of Hawaii itself during the cruise.  We had General Quarters all A.M.  All guns fired and did some good shooting – what a racket and how the old 899 quaked and quivered.  Oh, yes, during mooring operations Sunday A.M. we pulled two pad eyes right out of the deck.  It’s only 3/8” plate and damn poor steel at that – cripes, a shell wouldn’t even meet enough resistance to even explode.  I think it would just pass right through like so much paper.  I swear – what a tub!  Got back to Pearl Harbor at 10 o’clock and tied up at Pier 11 in West Lock.  Immediately went after mail – got very little for crew – I got a letter from  Bud Rengman in El Cerrito, California, one from Jim Bratchie in the Philippines, June Pickering and a V-mail from my sister, Grace, two from Ethel about 10-12 days old.  She has been to the doctor – something wrong in the womb.  I hope to God she’s OK, but she was so vague about it.  She is contemplating going to work at Sylvania again.

Wed 3/21/45: Had my first liberty in Honolulu.  Had a 1-hour small boat run to Fleet Landing and walked to main gate, took a bus to Honolulu and walked around.  I bought a banana split and a coke and had some pictures taken, one with Stan Wiecexak, SC 3/c and sent them to Ethel.  We took a bus to Waikiki Beach and went to the beautiful Royal Hawaiian Hotel.  We looked around and came back to town with a Marine – Bill Daley, from Dorchester, Mass., a vet of Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian.  We had a couple of drinks (boy, were they weak).  All the bars close at 4 P.M.  I bought a souvenir map, a grass skirt for Judy, some shells, pictures, two kerchiefs, a handkerchief (and this pen).  I will send some of it home immediately.  Stuff that has no writing on it I can send home; the rest will have to wait 30 days.  What a lot of baloney that is!  Got a bus back – a long trip – got a small boat back to the ship about 6:30 P.M.  It isn’t worth the effort, but I’ll go again just to get off this damn ship awhile.  Called Tommy (Agnes Blanchard) and just told her I was back; may see her again.

Thurs 3/22/45:  Stayed aboard ship all P.M.  I went after mail in AM.  Got 11 letters for the crew – something must be fouled up in the mail.  I got none.  Picked up a 16mm movie film; James Cagney in “Johnny Come Lately”.  We showed it on the main deck at 8 P.M. – not bad.  I worked on a stage over the side all P.M. and the new numbers for the ship - 899 - 6 ft. high and 3 ft. across and 1 ft. thick – a hell of a job.

Fri 3/23/45:  Part routine; didn’t leave the ship all day.  Had MacMillan get the mail, only there wasn’t any.  It sure must be fouled up, but this is overseas.  I worked over the side on a stage all day; blocked out the 6 ft. numbers on the port bow and stern starboard quarter, then wrote this.  Wish I had some mail.

The Numbers He Painted

 Sat 3/24/45: We’re still in port, Pier 11, West Lock, Pearl Harbor.  Worked all day over the side and finished locking out 899 in 6 ft letters.  I retrieved an 18” rule I dropped by stripping and swimming after it.  I’ve meant to note before that it always seems cloudy over these islands but sunny out to sea a ways.  It rained intermittently today; warm as usual.  We are in sort of an out-of-the-way corner of the harbor.  It’s all amphibious here: LST’s – about 100 around here – LCI, LCT, LSM – all types.  Some go and came everyday.  We’ll be getting our load someday soon and be shoving off “down under”.  My guess is either Guam or the Philippines.

LCI - Landing Craft Infantry

LCT - Landing Craft Tank

LCM - Landing Ship Medium

 

Sun 3/25/45:  Meant to say yesterday I got a letter from Mr. Beckwith, minister of the Dane St. Cong. Church, a swell guy.  Nothing from Ethel, I feel pretty low.  I’m just homesick for her and the kids. I would like some mail and a picture or two would help.  God, I’ll be glad when this is all over and we can all go home.  Germany must give in soon it seems. Our other team is across the Rhine and Russia is closing in on the other side.  Japan mainland is catching hell from our B-29 super-forts in raids from 200-300 planes.  When the B-32 comes out they’ll be able to plaster the yellow bastards off the map.  This is Pearl Harbor where they (the Japs) started this Dec. 7, 1941.  All marks of that sneak attack have been obliterated except for a few stranded pilings where ships were sunk and are still underwater, preventing their use as tying-up places.  I haven’t been to Clark or Hickham Field yet, but have seen then both several times.  I think, maybe Clayt Cressy may be a Hickham.  I’ve written the guy several times, but he’s very lax as a correspondent to me.  I had liberty today.  I left the ship via small boat at 9 AM, arrived Fleet Landing at 10, got to Honolulu at 11 and went straight to Waikiki.  Got there at 12.  It was so crowded that I couldn’t get a locker, so had no swimming.  It was a beautiful clear, hot day, too.  I carried my 127 camera – got a film from a soldier.  I took 3 snaps – had Bob Schema, Lowery and Luadzers in the pictures with me; one taken in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and two taken standing on the beach at Waikiki.  I went over to Tommie’s.  She had a cold.  Had a couple beers and sent straight across the street to the Makuola, a servicemen’s center and tried to locate Clayt – no soap.

The crew mentioned in this entry are:

Milton Bert Lowery, Seaman 2nd Class

Delmer Henry Luadzers, Seaman 1st Class

Thomas Walker MacMillan, Seaman 1st Class

Robert Edward Schema, Seaman 1st Class

Stanley Albert Wiecexak, Ships Cook, 3rd Class