DEAR EDITOR CONCLUDED
June 18: I net a soldier aboard to
day who was from Mich. He spent a
fow wooks in Alaska on vacation,and
his connent wa3, "It's a pretty
country." He enjoyed the fishing etc.
So that's one to chalk up for the
Territory.
This is the third day of good sail
ing. Of course there v/as some fog
but it wasn't like yesterday, as
then the crew almost had to stand
up on the bow and hack a path thrcu&
it....well it was pretty thick any
way .
According to the captain's report
in the ships' paper, we have gone
four hundred and twenty-seven miles
within the last twenty-four hours,
and averaged a little over seventeen
knots.
The ship, according to the word
that's been passed around, is sup
posed to have an escort into port.
Vie should pick it up anytime now,
but so far it hasn't appeared on the
horizon.
June 19t Foggy this morning, but
cleared up this afternoon. We saw
a pretty sunset but not like the
ones we see at hone.
The sky is clear tonight and the
noon is full--the only thing missing
is a girl. We looked over the side
out didn't even see a nemaid that
•i.ght be moon-bathing.
The music was furnished by a gui
tar and a dozen or so voices. It
vt.s a nice way to end the day, but
1 still think that moon was wasted.
Juno 20: Today sure has been a day
of variable v;eathor. It started
out v/ith some fog. Then the s un put
in an appearence for a few hours—
and following that cane a rain stom
and some rough weather v/hich brouht
customers to the railing.
The day ended with a pretty sun
set, accompanied by a rainbow.
If the saying is true about, "A
Rainbow at Night is a Sailor's De
light," we can look forward to a
nice day tonarrow.
June 21: The saying came true--tH.s
was the idea day, with a cloudless
sky and sunshine to fill it.
Everyone was in the best of spirits
and even more so when land finally
cane into view/ after thirteen days
of nothing but water.
Tonarrow we make our first stop
at Yokido. At port we will debark
approximately eight hundred and fifty
soldiers. From this port v;e con-'
tinue down to Yokahama and the rest
of us debark.
The ship put on a "Skit Night,"
this evening, the talent coming from
the troops aboard. The presentation
consisted of stars of TV's,New York
night club singers and also a West
ern boy who was with a popular west
ern band, and many others who have
acted before the public.
Everyone is waiting for the morn
ing' so they can see what this new land,
to many of us, looks like.
June 22: Today proved to be most in
teresting. We got into port about
ton-thirty this morning. The name
of the town or village was Otaru,and
not the one I mentioned earlier.
The army band with some of the Town* c
people were on hand to greet us as wo
pulled up to the pier.
As a whole, the people's dress was
patterned after ours. There were
those wearing what seemed to be parts
of their once army uniform.
The peoplo seemed glad to see our
ship pull into tho pier, as they wav
ed and were all smiles.
There were a fow girls who turned
out to meet the ship, much to the
guys' delight.
When we unloaded our passengers
and started to pull out, tho boys be
gan tossing cigarettes to the long
shore non on tho dock. I guess there
must be a shortage the way they
scrambled for thos" cigarettes.
We have about two days to spend
before our next destination is reached.
June 23: A word about the weather
cloudy and some fog. Today was much
tho same as the past two weeks,ex
cept I had to work for a while today.
We scrubbed the bulkheads and over
head, and swabbed the deck of ourljv
ing c onpa rtne nt s .
Right now things are a wee bit
messed up, as most of the guys arc
packing sea bars as we are supposed
to put into port tomarrow.
Speaking of sea bags, I saw mine
for the second time since wo left
Frisco. It was one of the bottom
ones in a stack with about two hun
dred or so others. I’ve got it out
where I can keep an eye on it until
toraarrow so I can pack it. (Hope no
one sits on it. Goodnight.
June 2I4.: My eye was still on my sea
bag when I woke up this morning, so
I got everything squared away with
out any difficulty.
We finally reached Yokahana late
this afternoon, but I guess it is
to late to disembark as we are an
chored out in the bay to wait for
morning.
The lights are sure nice shining
out over the v/ater after seeing no
thing but water for two weeks .
June 25s Today is the day that ended
our adventurous trip across the Faci
fic. We docked and within a short
time were on our way to a receiving
station to be further t ransferred to
our different ships and stations.
The port where wo disembarked was
very modern—I expected to see crude
machinery for handelinq cargo, but
it was of the latest, and operated
by Japanese workers.
In closing this two week dairy I
will say a trip similar to mine will
likoly be the e xperionce of many the
young guys.. My closing thought isi>n
when I come back home to Alaska.
, Henry E. Anderson.