[Note: Letter is typed in all capitals throughout, with some strikethroughs and corrections]
IN REPLY
REFER TO:
U. S. S. PRAIRIE
9 SEPTEMBER 1945
DEAREST FAMILY,
WELL, I CERTAINLY HAVE FAILED MISERABLY IN WRITING THE PAST TWO OR THREE WEEKS WITH ONLY ONE LETTER TO TEMAG, AND I HAVE MY DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER THAT ARRIVED IN TIME SINCE I WROTE IT AUGUST 27. BUT FROM NOW ON I OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP YOU PRETTY WELL INFORMED AND QUITE OFTEN NOW THAT CENSORSHIP HAS BEEN LIFTED.
FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF YOU'VE BEEN WONDERING WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING AND ASKING ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS IN YOUR LETTERS. NOW I'LL TRY AND GIVE YOU THE DOPE. IT ISN'T VERY EXCITING- FOR I'VE SAID A HUNDRED TIMES BEFORE THAT MY JOB WAS PRETTY MONOTONOUS. FIRST OF ALL TO STRAIGHTEN OUT MOTHERS FEARS OR DOUBTS AS TO WHERE I'VE BEEN- RIGHT HERE AT ULITHI (WESTERN CAROLINES) FOR THE PAST ELEVEN MONTHS. WHEN WE CAME HERE OCTOBER 12 1944, THE ATOLL [strikethrough: XXXXXX] HAD JUST BEEN TAKEN A WEEK BEFORE WITHOUT A CASUALTY. THIS PLACE BECAME THE FORWARD AREA AND ADVANCED FLEET BASE FROM WHICH THE NAVY OPERATED FOR EVERY ACTION THE PHILLIPINES INVASION ON. THE PRAIRIE, AT THE TIME, HAD ABOARD COMSERVRON 10- WHICH UNTIL VERY RECENTLY WAS KNOWN AS THE NAVYS SECRET WEAPON. ATTATCHED TO CSR10 WERE OTHER TENDERS AND AUXILIARY SHIPS FROM THE SMALLEST LANDING CRAFT FOR INTER-HARBOR TAXI SERVICE TO DRY DOCKS CAPABLE OF SERVICING BATTLESHIPS AND CARRIERS. AT TIMES ULITHI HAD UPWARDS OF 1,000 SHIPS ANCHORED ALL BEING SERVICED, REPAIRED AND FUELED ETC. BY CSR 10.
PAGE TWO U. S. S. PRAIRIE
SINCE WE WERE ONLY 100 MILES FROM YAP WHCIH WAS AND STILL IS(UNTIL THE SURRENDER IS EFFECTIED) IN JAPANESE HANDS, WE WERE ALWAYS ON THE ALERT FOR EXPECTED AIR ATTACKS AND POSSIBLE SUB SCARES. BUT IN ALL THIS TIME[strikethrough: XXE] THE ENEMY EITHER OUT OF PLUM IGNORANCE OR BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID, MADE ONLY A COUPLE OF ATTACKS. [strikethrough: FIRST, SOME MIDGET SUBS GOT THROUGH THE NETS AND] SANK A TANKER JUST BARELY MISSING THE U S S ESSEX (I LEFT THE STATES ON HER IN APRIL OF '44.) AND THE SECOND TIME SOME KAMAKAZE PLANES TRIED TO GET IN- I THINK ONE DID, HITTING THE CARRIER RANDOLPH. TO GET BACK TO THE SUBS- I SAW THE ENTIRE AFFAIR FROM THE BRIDGE. I HAD JUST FINISHED SWABBING THE RADIO SHACK ON THE 4 TO 8 MORNING WATCH AND WAS WALKING AROUND THE BRIDGE TRYING TO DRY THE SWAB, WHEN I HEARD THE SUB WR WARNING OVER THE TBS (TALK BETWEEN SHIPS)- THEN I HAPPENED TO LOOK UP AND AT THAT MOMENT RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES (A COUPLE MILES AWAY THOUGH) I SAW THE TANKER GO UP IN FLAMES AND SMOKE THAT MADE MY HEART DO TRICKS- IT WAS BETTER THAN ANY 4TH OF JULY SHOW- AND I COULDN'T POSSIBLY FIGURE HOW ANY MAN GOT OF THE SHIP ALIVE. YET TWO THIRDS OF THE CREW WERE SAVED. THAT MORNING AND DAY- I SPENT EIGHT HOURS AT BATTLE STATIONS. THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE EXTENT OF MY ACTION IN THE PACIFIC.
ASIDE FROM THOSE TWO INSTANCES, ULITHI WAS PERFECTLY PEACEFUL; THAT IS; FROM FIGHTING. BUT FOR SIX MONTHS, THIS PLACED BUZZED WITHOUT LET-UP WHILE REPAIRING THE FLEET. //LAST JANUARY, THE REST OF CSR 10 MOVED UP TO LEYTE AND WE WERE ALL
PAGE THREE U. S. S. PRAIRIE
SET TO GO TOO, BUT THE BOSS ( COMMODORE CARTER) DECIDED THAT THE MIGHTY 'P' WOULD STAY BEHIND AS CSR 10 REPRESENTATIVE. BOY, WERE WE DISSAPOINTED. HERE WE'VE BEEN FOREVER HOPING TO GET ORDERS TO MOVE BUT NONE COME. THE WAR'S OVER NOW, AND ULITHI [strikethrough: IS CLOSING DOWN HAVING DONE HER JOB IN THIS CONFLICT. WE'RE] FINALLY GOING TO MOVE BUT NOBODY KNOWS WHERE ALTHOUGH ALL HOPES ARE FOR DEAR OLD UNCLE SUGAR. WE MIGHT EVEN GO TO CHINA OR JAPAN- ANYPLACE - BUT TO STAY AT ULITHI WOULD BE THE FINAL STRAW.
ULITHI IS HOT- AS H___. ACCORDING TO A RECENT LIFE MAGAZINEIT IS ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE, AS DESCRIBED BY R. L. STEVENSON, THE PACIFIC PARADISE- COMPLETE WITH BEAUTIFUL WOMEN. WE ARE ALL CONVINCED NOW THAT ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON WAS A VERY SICK MAN. THE MEN ARE BRAWNY, BUT THE WOMEN JUST OCCUPY SO MUCH SPACE- AND SMELL. THE HEAT THAT I MENTIONED IS A [strikethrough: PERFECT BREEDING PLACE FOR ATHLETES FOOT AND OTHER SKIN] DESEASES- AND EVERYBODY GETS THEM AT ONETIME OR ANOTHER. A SCRATCH TAKES A LONG TIME TO HEAL- IF IT DOESN'T BECOME A SORE INSTEAD. BELIEVE ME, GIVE ME LAKEWOOD OHIO, AND I'LL NEVER TRY AND REMEMBER THIS HOLE AGAIN.
AS FAR AS DISCHARGE POINTS ARE CONCERNED, I FIGURE I HAVE TWO YEARS LEFT IN THE NAVY. REQUIRED ARE 44 POINTS- I HAVE TWENTY TWO. BUT EVENTUALLY SOMETHING WILL BE WORKED OUT, AND I'M HOPING FOR A DISCHARGE BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. MY EIGHTEEN MONTHS SEA DUTY OUGHT TO MEAN SOMETHING IN THE FINAL CALCULATING.
PAGE FOUR U. S. S. PRAIRIE
ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR SUCH AS YET, FROM NOW ON, MY NAVY CAREER IS JUST ONE BIG HOPE AND A PRAYER.
TRUE, SOMEDAY I MAY LOOK BACK UPON MY NAVY LIFE AS PRETTY FAIR AFTERALL, [strikethrough: BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET ITSM LACK OF THE THING] WE SPENT YEARS FIGHTING FOR. THE NAVY IS TERRIBLY UNJUST, RANK HAPPY, AND A TOY FOR THE ADMIRALS TO PLAY WITH. IT DEFINATELY IS NO PLACE FOR A DEMOCRATIC PERSON- ONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE BEING PUSHED AROUND. I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR A MAN WHO WOULD SPEND TWENTY YEARS AS AN ENLISTED MAN, FOREVER TAKING ABUSE AND CONSENT TO A SOCIAL STANDING LESS THAN THAT OF A CIVILIAN, WHERE HIS OFFICERS ARE CLASSED ABOVE. I COULDN'T DO IT.
WE HAD SOME NICE ENTERTAINMENT ABOARD A WHILE BACK. A NEGRO BAND CAME OVER TO PLAY FOR US, AND WAS RECEIVED WITH SO MUCH ENTHUSIASM THAT WE INVITED THEM BACK AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER. [strikethrough: AL PEARCE PUT ON A SHOW TOO, LAST WEEK. NOT TOO HOT.] AFTER HIS SHOW HE CAME UP TO THE RADIO SHACK AND SPENT QUITE SOME TIME TALKING WITH US. HE'S A VERY SERIOUS MAN OFFSTAGE. -HE WAS MOSTLY ANGRY WITH THE OFFICERS- FOR HE WAS GETTING THE SAME TROUBLE THAT SENT EDDIE BRACKEN BACK HOME. (VIZ: OFFICERSNOT PERMITTING ENLISTED MEN TO SEE A SHOW WHICH WAS 100% FOR THEM) WHAT MADE US LIKE HIM SO MUCH WAS THAT HE TALKED WITH US ON A NORMAL LEVEL- INCLUDING US IN THE RANKS OF PEOPLE WITH BRAINS.
WELL, I'D BETTER SIGN OFF FOR THE PRESENT- I'M LOSING TRACK OF MYSELF- LOTS OF DOVE, [signature]