US Navy - Arthur C. Williams - FC 3/C
USS McGowan DD 678 - Pacific Theater of Operations
May 6, 1943 - November 2, 1945

May 6, 1943.  I enlisted in the U. S. Navy at Pittsburgh, PA.  They gave me seven days to go home before reporting for duty.

May 15, 1943.  I reported to Pittsburgh and was sworn in at 1000 that day.  We left that night for Sampson Naval Training Station.  We arrived there the next day at 1300.

May 17, 1943.  I started my Boot Training which lasted for eight full weeks.  Five of which I spent in Sick Bay with the cat fever.  ONITE BO 345.

July 8, 1943.  I started a seven day leave, which I spent at home.

July 16, 1943.  I reported back to Sampson for duty.  I was put in L unit L-9 upper.  In Boot Camp I was at Sampson New York, Naval Training Station 3rd Regiment, Unit E, Battalion 1, Co. 345.  While I was in L-9 upper in OGU (Out Going Unit) I made about three liberties in Geneva, New York.

Aug 18, 1943.  I left O-G-U in Sampson and started for Ft. Lauderdale in Florida to a Fire Control School.

Aug 20, 1943.  I arrived at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and reported for duty at the Ft. Lauderdale Hotel, which had been made into a fire control school.

Aug 21, 1943.  I started school.  We had four guys to a room, and each room had a head and shower and we all had our own locker.  We had reveille at 0600, 0610 fall in for exercises for 20 minutes.  Chow at 0700.  School classes started at 0800 and stopped at 1155.  Chow down at 1200.  Classes started again at 1300 until 1700.  Chow down at 1800.  1930 we had to be in our rooms and start studying.  2130 we could knock off and lights were out at 2200.  A rugged day.   On Saturdays we had inspection at 1000 and liberty started at 1200.  Then we had the weekend off till Monday morning at 0800.  We had three weekends out of four, but we didn’t get any liberty through the week.         

Dec 1, 1943.  I advanced from S 2/c to S 1/c F.C.

Dec 9, 1943.  Was transferred to the Receiving station at Brooklyn, New York.  While at school I made liberties in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Palm Beach, Florida.  We left Ft. Lauderdale at 0900 on the morning of the 9th. 

Dec 10, 1943. Arrived in Brooklyn, New York and reported to the Receiving Station.  We stayed there that night, also had liberty that night.

Dec 11, 1943.  I was given orders to report aboard the Destroyer 678, USS McGowan, at Kearny, New Jersey.  I was given money to live on subsistence until the ship was ready for the crew to report aboard.  That day I got a room in the Y.M.C.A. in Jersey City, New Jersey, where I stayed for awhile.

Dec 13, 1943.  My mother and Father and my Sweetheart arrived there to stay with me the remainder of the time I was there.  I had to report to the ship each morning at 0800.  I sure spent a nice week there.  My folks and girl came down and got to see my ship.

Dec 18, 1943.  We reported aboard our ship so my parents and girl returned home.  We left Kearny and went over to the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Dec 20, 1943.  We put the USS McGowan in commission.  From that time on we sat in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, while the ship was being made ready for sea.  We had liberty every other night.

Dec 24, 1943.  I had a three day liberty and was on my way home.  I spent Christmas at home.

Jan 1, 1944.  New Years Eve.  I had the duty and had to stay aboard ship.  From then on till February 2 we stayed in Brooklyn Navy Yard and ran up and down Long Island Sound to test our engines.  We were known as the Galloping Ghost of Long Island Coast.

Feb 2, 1944.  We left Brooklyn Navy Yard for the Bermuda Islands to take our shake down cruise.

Mar 1, 1944.  I had liberty in Hamilton Bermuda in the Bermuda Islands.

Mar 6, 1944.  We arrived back at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York.  As soon as we tied up my four days leave started.  I got home for four days.

Mar 8, 1944.  I became engaged to my girl.  I was home at the time.

Mar 10, 1944.  I arrived back from my leave.

Mar 22, 1944.  We left Brooklyn from 35th St. Pier and we haven’t been back since.

Mar 24, 1944.  Arrived in Portland, Maine.

Mar 26, 1944.  We arrived at Norfolk, Virginia.  While we were there for three days I got to see my best pal Chester Keeley who was a Phm 3/c stationed there.

Apr 2, 1944.  We went through the Panama Canal.  I got my first sight of the Pacific Ocean.

Apr 4, 1944.  I got liberty in Panama City.

Apr 10, 1944.  We arrived at San Diego, California.  I had two liberties there and on the 14th of April we left there.

Apr 19, 1944.  We arrived at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands.

Apr 26, 1944.  Got my first liberty at Pearl Harbor and went to Honolulu.

Apr 30, 1944.  Got my second liberty at Honolulu.

May 6, 1944.  Today it will be one full year since I enlisted in the Navy at Pittsburgh, PA.

May 12, 1944.  Had my third liberty at Honolulu.

May 18, 1944.  My nineteenth birthday.  Little did I know two years ago I’d spend my nineteenth birthday in Pearl Harbor.

May 29, 1944.  Had my fourth liberty and I was the guest at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu.  We stayed there all that night and returned to the ship on the morning of the 30th.

June 5, 1944.  At 0140 I crossed the International Date Line in Latitude 13-04 North

June 8, 1944.  At 0800 we arrived at Roi Island. A small island in the Marshall Islands Group.  We left there on June 10th.

June 14, 1944.  We arrived in Saipan, one of the Mariana’s Group.

June 15, 1944.  We opened fire on the beach.  The Marines landed that morning at 0830.  At dusk that night we saw five Jap planes but they stayed out of our range.

June 18, 1944.  We have been bombarding the beach for the last three days and firing star shells for the Marines at night.  We fired all the shells we had aboard and had to secure.  We left Saipan on the 20th of June.

June 24, 1944.  We arrived back at the Marshall Islands again at Eniwetok Island.

July 1, 1944.  I went on the beach on a recreation party.

July 16, 1944.  We left Eniwetok today.  We had been there for 21 days, a full three weeks.

July 19, 1944.  We arrived at the Island of Guam.

July 22, 1944.  We arrived at Saipan and later went on over to Tinian.

July 24, 1944.  The Marines landed at Tinian.      

July 28, 1944.   We have been bombarding Tinian for the last four days.  We had been patrolling in a spot or rather sitting there firing for two days straight and on the last day at 0800 we were relieved by another can.  We just pulled out and they stepped in where we were and a shore battery opened up and made six hits on the can that relieved us.  We just got out of there in time.  They also hit a Cruiser and a Battleship that time.  About two minutes later we knocked their guns out.

Aug 6, 1944.  Things were all secured at Tinian.   From the 30th of July we were patrolling just off Tinian.  We saw six dead Japs floating in the water.  On August 7, 1944 we left the Mariana’s again.

Aug 10, 1944.  Arrived at Eniwetok at the Marshalls again.

Aug 18, 1944.  We left Eniwetok today.  We had been there for eight days.

Aug 22, 1944.  We crossed the equator today.  Boy what a time.  They really gave us a beating.  Now they just call me baldy, but I am no longer a Pollywog.  I am a full fledged shellback.

Aug 24, 1944.  We arrived at the Island of Guadalcanal, the longest island in the Solomon Islands.

Aug 31, 1944.  We tied up to a tender for four days and have been running back and forth between Tulagi and Guadalcanal.  We are now at Tulagi.

Sept 6, 1944.  Went on recreation on the Island of Guadalcanal.  We left here on the 8th of Sept.

Sept 15, 1944.  We arrived at the Palau Islands.  The Marines landed today.  This afternoon we saw two bodies floating in the water.  We went to pick them up.  One was a Jap so we left him alone.  The other was a Marine and they brought him aboard and tried to identify him.  The only thing on him was two clips of 45 shells and three loose ones, of which I have one.  They are now preparing to give him a decent burial.  He was probably killed the first day they landed.  He had a hole in his right side and his left shoulder and left jaw were blown off.  We just had the burial ceremonies.  There were eight sailors in whites, four on each side of a slide.  The ships company was mustered on the fantail where the burial took place.  Our Captain gave a brief sermon and we gave a right hand salute before and after he slid into the Blue Pacific.  Although he was unknown to us, he was an American and we gave him a Christian burial, for he gave his life for freedom, which we are all fighting for.

Sept 22, 1944.  We are still at Palau Islands and we picked up another Marine and gave him a Christian burial.

Sept 23, 1944.  We left the Palau Islands.

Sept 27, 1944.  We arrived at Manus in the Admiralty Islands.

Oct 2, 1944.  I went on recreation at a small island along side of Manus.

Oct 11, 1944.  We left Manus Island.

Oct 19, 1944.  We arrived at the Philippine Islands (Leyte).  A small island between Luzon and Mindoro.

Oct 21, 1944.  We have been here for two days now. This morning a Jap Tony surprised us and strafed us but no one was hurt.  Two minutes later two of our fighters shot him down.

Oct 25, 1944.  At 0330 in the morning we made a torpedo run on the Jap Fleet.  Our target was a Jap Battleship.  There were seven other ships in the Jap Task Force.  2 or 3 cruisers and from 4 to 6 destroyers.  They sure were surprised to see us destroyers coming at them at full speed.  We went in until they turned their search lights on us and then we made a sharp turn, let go of our fish and ran for all we were worth and we were letting out a smoke screen too.  They were planting shells all around us and had star shells right over our head.  You could see us as plain as day.  It took us 13 minutes to get out of their gun range and they sure were letting us have it.  But we never got hit once.  We sure were a scared lot of sailors.  The Captain told us before we went in that we had 1 chance in 10 of coming out.  But we made it ok.  We got two hits on a Jap wagon and one on a cruiser.  Afterward while we were getting away our American Battleships and Cruisers were giving it to them.  During the battle eight Jap ships were sunk and what were not our planes finished off the next day at dawn.  Only one of our cans got hit and he got out of place and got hit by our own fire.  From the time we arrived at the Philippines until Oct 20 when we left we were under constant air attacks and were at GQ most of the time.

Oct 28, 1944.  We arrived at Palau Islands and left the same day.

Oct 30, 1944.  We arrived at Holandia in New Guinea.

Nov 9, 1944.  We left Holandia.

Nov 13, 1944.  We arrived at Leyte in the Philippines.

Nov 15, 1944.  We left Leyte.

Nov 19, 1944.  We arrived at Holandia.

Nov 21, 1944.  I had recreation on the beach and I got some New Guinea money and some Jap cigarettes.

Nov 24,1944.  We went out toward Leyte and picked up some Transports and brought them back.  We arrived back at Holandia on the 29th of November, 1944. On this trip we crossed the equator for the ninth time.

Dec 13, 1944.  We left Holandia.

Dec 16, 1944.  We arrived at Leyte.  On this trip we crossed the equator for the tenth time.

Dec 19,1944.  We left San Pedro Bay at Leyte and are on our way to Mindoro.

Dec 20, 1944.  The first day out at daybreak we spotted a small Jap ship.  We went over and sank it and left it full of holes.  We then sighted another one.  We left it in flames and it sank before we were out of sight.  We picked up three Jap prisoners and we are keeping them until we get back to Leyte.

Dec 21, 1944.  This morning two Jap planes strafed us.  No one was hurt.  That afternoon at 1500 four Jap planes came over and made suicide dives on us.  They dived their planes right onto our ships. They sank two LST’s and missed an LST and missed a can.  We were under air attack all that night.

Dec 22, 1944.  We arrived at Mindoro and we were under air attack all that day.  Two planes made suicide dives, one on an LST and one on a destroyer and they both missed.  We left the same day and that night we were under air attack all night.

Dec 23, 1944.  Early this morning we got a surface contact.  We thought it was a Sub but it turned out to be a small Jap ship.  We sank it and returned to our Convoy.

Dec 24, 1944.  At about 2330 we arrived at Leyte again.  From this date on till Jan 4, 1945 we stayed at Leyte in San Pedro Bay.  We made two short trips over to Omac.

Jan 4, 1945.  We left Leyte.

Jan 10, 1945.  We arrived at Lingayen Gulf just above Manila Bay on the West coast of Luzon.

Jan 12, 1945.  This morning four Jap suicide planes came over and dove on a cargo ship and missed.  One on a DE and one on APP and another one on a Transport and missed and a couple other were shot down.  We were there for four days.

Jan 14, 1945.  We left Lingayen Gulf.

Jan 19, 1945.  We arrived back at Leyte and left the same day.

Jan 23, 1945.  We arrived at Ulithi just above the Palau Islands

Jan 27, 1945.  Went on recreation on Ulithi.

Feb 1, 1945.  Went on recreation on Ulithi.

Feb 10, 1945.  We left Ulithi.

Feb 14, 1945.  From the time we left Ulithi we have been practicing firing at sleeves.  When we arrived at Ulithi we joined Task Force 58.  We are now on our way to Tokyo.  58 is in five sections.  We are in the smallest which consists of nine destroyers, one antiaircraft cruiser (Flint) and one heavy cruiser (Baltimore) one battle cruiser (Alaska), two aircraft carriers, Saratoga and Enterprise.  The carriers carry only night fighters and we strike at night.

Feb 15, 1945.  The other carriers in 58 hit Tokyo during the day and we hit them tonight.

Feb 16, 1945.  They hit them again in the day time and we hit them again tonight.

Feb 17, 1945.  We left Tokyo this morning.  We were at about 150 to 180 miles from the mainland during the daytime and we would go into 90 miles at night while our planes made their strike.  We had no casualties.  Not one of our ships were hit.  We never even saw a Jap plane.     

Feb 18, 1945.  We hit Iwo Jima in the Volcanoes tonight.

Feb 19, 1945.  We are now lying about 70 miles off Iwo Jima in the Volcanoes while our planes are giving the Marines air cover.  They landed this morning on Iwo Jima.  We met some tankers today and refueled.  They brought us some mail and we also sent some off.

Feb 20, 1945.  Still around Iwo Jima and giving the Marines air cover.

Feb 21 1945.  We are just off Iwo Jima.  We left 58 and are giving the Marines night cover.  We now have three cans and the aircraft carrier Saratoga.  Tonight about 1800 we were attacked by four Jap planes.  Three crashed into the Saratoga and the fourth was shot down.  Just at dusk we were attacked again.  In the end the Saratoga had seven hits.  They didn’t bother us, they were after the big boys.  We also saw a couple others shot down and three hit a small carrier which sank later.

Feb 22, 1945.  We are now on our way to Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands.  We are now alongside a tender.

Feb 27, 1945.  We left Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands.  We are headed for Saipan.

Mar 3, 1945.  We arrived in Saipan in the Mariana’s.  We were convoying supply ships.

Mar 4, 1945.  We left Saipan.

Mar 5, 1945.  About 0400 this morning we got a target, they gave us the wrong code.  Went over and took a look and found it to be a friendly LST.  We arrived at Ulithi at about 1500 today. Mar 6, 1945.  Still at Ulithi.

Mar 7, 1945.  We are still at Ulithi.  Today we tied up alongside the Destroyer Tender Piedmont.

Mar 8, 1945.  Stayed alongside the Tender.  We got our mail today.  I got 56 letters and a package.

Mar 9, 1945.  We got underway early in the morning and went for gunnery practice all day.  Came back in at about 1900 and I had the 2000 to1400 watch.

Mar 10 1945.  We went out for some more practice.  This time anti-submarine.  We came back in about 1900 again.

Mar 11, 1945.  We tied up alongside the tender Piedmont. I got nine more letters in the mail today.  Tonight while at the movies two suicide Jap planes came in.  One crashed on the beach and one hit an aircraft carrier.

Mar 12, 1945.  We are still alongside the tender.  Had GQ about 1940 but it was a friendly.  We got all of our packages today.  I got eight myself.

Mar 13, 1945.  We were alongside the tender until noon, then we went to an A.M.M. ship and got loaded up and then we went and refueled and from there we returned to the tender. We expect to get underway tomorrow sometime.

Mar 14, 1945.  We left Ulithi.  We went out and had firing practice.  We are on our way to our next trip.

Mar 15, 1945.  We are now in Task Force 58.  We consist of two (swio) class battleships, two battle cruisers, two A.A. cruisers, one heavy cruiser, two C.V.L. light carriers and three large carriers and sixteen destroyers.  We had anti-aircraft practice and surface practice firing for surface targets.

Mar 16, 1945.  We are still on our way.  We refueled today from tankers.

Mar 17, 1945.  We are still on our way.  Last night we went out on picket duty.  That is we go out in front of the main force and look for picket boats or other crafts to give the force a pre-warning.  We came in this morning and refueled again off the Battleship Wisconsin and from there we took mail to the three large carriers, Enterprise, Yorktown and the Intrepid and from there we went over to the A.A. cruiser Flint.  In our force we also have the Battleship Missouri and the two Battle cruisers Alaska and Guam.  I don’t know the name of the other two small carriers or the other A.A. cruiser or the heavy cruiser.  From the Flint we went back out on picket duty where we are now.

Mar 18, 1945.  During the night we went in for the planes to make their strike. We rejoined the formation at dawn.  About 0800 a plane (Jap) dropped a bomb on the Enterprise.  It did no damage.  From that time on we were at GQ all the rest of the day.  While on picket duty we fired on a couple of bogies during the night.  From 0800 till dusk we were under constant air attack.  We shot down seven planes, five single engine jobs and two twin engine planes. They were trying to bomb the carriers but missed every time.  One of the twin engine jobs crashed right alongside the Intrepid and threw flames up on it but no damage done.  All of these planes pulled out.  They weren’t suicide planes.  One of our planes coming back from a raid on the Jap homeland landed in the water and we went out and picked them up. One pilot and one radioman.  Both ok. We had GQ a couple times during the night but the Boggys came again.

Mar 19, 1945.  We have been at GQ several times today, but we haven’t shot any Jap planes down.  They stay out of our range. We didn’t have one plane attack us today.  Tonight we started to retire.  We refuel day after tomorrow.  Today the Alaska and Guam battle cruisers and the A.A. cruiser Flint left us and went over to give the Franklin protection.  She is another carrier and she was hit and is being towed back.

Mar 20, 1945.  We are on our way to refuel.  We were at GQ all day today but not under direct attack.  We were at GQ until about 0100 in the morning and they came over and dropped flares, but didn’t bomb anything.  We shot down one plane.

Mar 21, 1945.  We were supposed to refuel today but there were Jap planes around so we couldn’t.  Our pilots had a dogfight with the Japs and our fliers shot down 16 Bettys, 1 Torrance, 1 Irving, 1 Myrt, one unidentified twin engine job and 1 fighter. We were at GQ all day long.

Mar 22, 1945.  We were going to refuel today but this morning at 0700 they spotted a Jap sub and we and another can started searching for it. We stayed there until midnight.  We got no contacts.  We rejoined the Task Force about 0100.  We just had enough fuel till tomorrow at noon so we had to come back.  We hope to refuel in the morning.  We left 35th Street in Brooklyn last year on March 22, 1944.   We sure have come a long way since.  During the night one of the cans rammed a sub and sank it.

Mar 23, 1945.  We are now with the Task Group again.  We refueled off the Battleship Missouri this morning.  We were at GQ most of the day but had no direct attacks.

Mar 24, 1945.  We had a pretty quiet day, no boggys.  We didn’t go to GQ except for morning and evening alerts as usual.

Mar 25, 1945.  We refueled again this morning off some tankers and we also took aboard a small round of shells.  We also got mail today from the tanker.  I got 17 letters.  We took mail to other cans and last night we picked up a flyer who landed in the water and we took him back to his carrier the Intrepid this morning.  After delivering mail we went out on picket station again where we are now.

Mar 26, 1945.  Monday.  Had GQ a couple times but no direct attack.  We are just a little way, about 48 miles, from Okinawa Jima, the island they are going to land on around the first.  In the afternoon we spotted a mine and shot it and it exploded.  Shrapnel fell all over the ship.  I have three pieces of it.  Tonight about 2200 we had GQ and a Jap plane flew right over our head but we couldn’t fire on it as one of our fighters was right on his tail.

Mar 27, 1945.  Tuesday.  We are still off Okinawa Jima.  The planes are making strikes. We are supposed to retire tonight and refuel tomorrow.

Mar 28, 1945.  Wednesday.  We refueled this morning and took aboard ammunition and mail and we delivered mail all day.  We are just a little ways off Iwo Jima now.

Mar 29,1945.  Thursday.  We are now a little North of Okinawa Jima.  We heard the Jap fleet had come out so we tore up to meet it, but they beat it again for we couldn’t find them.  We are now heading a little south toward Okinawa Jima.  During the night a plane flew over and our fighter shot him down.

Mar 30, 1945.  Friday.  We just ran around in circles right near Okinawa Jima, between 30 and 90 miles from the beach and the planes from the carriers made strikes all through the day.

Mar 31, 1945.  Saturday.  Still running around Okinawa Jima.  Planes making strikes.  We refueled off the Battleship Wisconsin in the morning.  Last night our night fighters shot down two Jap Bettys.

Apr 1,1945.  Sunday.  We are still running around Okinawa Jima.  The Marines landed today and have already captured two air fields.  Our planes are giving them air cover and bombing the heck out of the Japs.  We refueled off the Wisconsin again today.

Apr 2, 1945.   Monday.  We are still at Okinawa Jima.  This morning just before morning alert we got a boggy.  It came in to five miles.  It went out to 15 miles and we saw it burst into flames and crash in the water.  One of our night fighters had shot it down.

Apr 3, 1945.  Tuesday.  Real early in the morning it started to get rough.  We had been returning south to refuel.  We hit a typhoon and when we met the tanker today it was too rough to refuel.  We had to slow down from 23 knots to 6 knots and we turned around and went with the wind.  Toward evening it began to slack off a little.

Apr 4, 1945.  Wednesday.  The storm died off during the day and the other ships refueled and got their mail and we took pilots from one carrier to the other.  We rejoined our own force about sundown and we are going to refuel and get our mail in the morning.

Apr 5, 1945.  Thursday.  We refueled off the Wisconsin today and had a pretty bad time of it.  The storm had died down quite a bit but it was still pretty rough.  The planes made strikes on the islands between Okinawa Jima and Formosa.

Apr 6, 1945.  Friday.  We refueled the first thing in the morning off a tanker and then took pilots to different carriers and delivered mail to different ships all day.   We also got our mail today. I got six from my mother and eight from my Jeanie.

Apr 7, 1945.  Saturday.  We are back up around Okinawa Jima again.  Jap planes attacked the force that is bombarding the beach at Okinawa and they got 182 Jap planes.  This morning our flyers picked up a Jap Task Force which consisted of 1 battleship, 3 cruisers and 8 destroyers.  We sent the strikes out and the report came in tonight that they sank the battleship, two of the cruisers and three of the destroyers and left three of the destroyers in flames and the other destroyers got away.  Our forces shot down 13 Jap planes today.  We had GQ pretty near all day.

Apr 8, 1945.   Sunday.  We are still around Okinawa and the planes go out on strikes every day.  We were on picket duty all night and the next morning and in the afternoon we rejoined the formation and refueled off the Wisconsin.  We were the 91st can to refuel from her.  We were at GQ most of the morning and afternoon.  Jeanie and I have been engaged one year and one month today.  Today makes the 25th day we have been underway.  Haven’t even seen an inland.

Apr 9, 1945.  Monday.  Still up around Okinawa.  We had picket duty that night again and joined the formation again in the morning.  Didn’t have one GQ outside of our regular morning and evening alerts.

Apr 10, 1945.  Tuesday.  We retired to the Southeast of Okinawa where we met tankers and provision ships.  We refueled and got a few supplies and got some mail.  I got 28 letters.  That night we started back for Okinawa Jima.

Apr 11, 1945.  Wednesday.  We are now up close to Okinawa again.  This morning we had GQ about 1100 and a Jap Kate (torpedo plane) came in to six miles and went out again.  Our fighters shot him down about 50 miles away.  Today is the 28th day, we have been out four weeks and haven’t been in sight of land yet.  About 1300 we got called to GQ again.  We had been there about a half hour when a Jap plane came in low over the water.  It came right up astern of us and then started for the Missouri.   It was a Jap Myrts.  They threw a lot of lead, but it hit the battleship anyway.  The following report came from the BB as to the damage it had done.  (Scratched the paint a little, had to swab down the deck and sweep the Jap pilot over the side.  But no casualties to any of the personnel.)  One of our destroyers got hit but still was making 15 knots.  A few casualties.  A few minutes later after the plane hit the Missouri another one came in and flew up our starboard beam low on the water and was after the BB Wisconsin.  But he was about 300 yards away when he burst into flames and hit the drink.  I think we got credit for getting it.  We were right on the ball.  It was a “Jill” Jap torpedo plane.  Our carrier planes were shooting planes down every now and then too.  Just at dusk one of the fighter planes hit a Betty just outside our formation and both its motors were in flames but it kept coming right at us.  We opened fire and knocked it on down before it got to us.  After it got dark a twin engine bomber flew about 500 yards out from our fantail and went through the formation and in front of our BB Wisconsin.  But it was dark and he couldn’t see.  He didn’t hurt anybody.  We were at GQ from 1300 till 2100 and then we secured for two hours.  They dropped flares around 2030 but they couldn’t find us so they left.  About 2300 we were called to GQ again and one of our fighter planes (night fighter) shot down another Betty at about 15 miles away.  We were just about to secure again when they got another boggy and it turned out to be a Jap “Mavis” a four motored patrol plane.  The fighter shot that down at 24 miles away.  We secured about 0010.

Apr 12, 1945.  Thursday.  I had the 2400 to 0400 watch.  About 0100 we got a boggy at 75 miles.  It came right straight in.  I was tracking him in, the battleship and BB cruiser opened fire.  He disappeared off the screen.  The McGowan had shot him down.  Another Betty.  It was quiet the rest of the night and it is noon now and still no trouble yet today.  We heard a Jap report yesterday that they were going to make an all out attack yesterday and today so we expect trouble yet today.  No more GQ today.

Apr 13, 1945.  Friday.  There were boggys around all night but none close.  About 0200 we came in to 20 miles but went right out again.  Secured for GQ about 0230.  It was quiet all the rest of the day.  We got word tonight that our President Roosevelt had died on April 12, 1945.

Apr 14, 1945.  Saturday.  We went out on picket some time during the night.  We have been on picket all morning.  We had GQ all afternoon but not a thing came in close.  The fighter planes shot them down before they got to us.

Apr 15, 1945.  Sunday.  We retired during the night and met the tankers and supply ships.  We refueled and got aboard stores and got some mail.  I got 16 letters this time.  We are still running back and forth around Okinawa Jima.  Today makes 32 days we have been underway.

Apr 16, 1945.  Monday.  We came back up around Okinawa.  We had GQ a couple times during the night.  It was quiet up to 1200 and then we went to GQ.  About 1300 two Jap planes came in on our port bow and dove on a carrier and a battleship.  They both were shot down.  A little later two dove on the Intrepid.  One missed and the other one hit her but didn’t do much damage.  A short while after that three more dove on her.  They shot two of them down and the third one dropped his bomb and flew over the formation and then made a suicide dive on us.  It hit in the water about 10 or 15 feet off our port beam.  Pieces of the plane flew all over the ship.  We had GQ during the night and they dropped flares on us.

Apr 17, 1945.  Tuesday.  We are still around Okinawa Jima.  We were at GQ all day, but we never fired a shot, nothing came into our range.  The fighter planes got them before they got to us.  We refueled off the Wisconsin about 1300.

Apr 18, 1945.  Wednesday.  We refueled off the Guam in the morning about 0630 and we refueled off the Wisconsin about 1530 in the afternoon.  We were the 99th can to refuel from the Wisconsin.  Had a quiet day all day, no GQ.  They never saw a Jap plane anywhere around Okinawa Jima.

Apr 19, 1945.  Thursday.  We are still up around Okinawa.  A quiet day.  No GQ except routine.  We are retiring tonight.

Apr 20, 1945.  Friday.  We retired to the Southeast and got more supplies aboard, refueled and got more ammunition.

Apr 21, 1945.  Saturday.  We are back up to Okinawa Jima again.  Our fighter shot a couple planes down in the night.  We expect an air raid but think they postponed it until tomorrow.

Apr 22, 1945.  Sunday.  Went to GQ three times before regular morning alert. The last one we saw the fighter shoot down the plane.  Everything was quiet up to 1400 and then three planes came over high.  The fighters shot them down.  We refueled off the Battleship Wisconsin and the 100th can who refueled off of her.  Got a treat of ice cream and cake.  We were number 99 and 100 both.  We were last the other day when we refueled and first today.  So they gave us a big cake and 25 gallons of ice cream.

Apr 23, 1945.  Monday.  We are still up around Okinawa Jima.  We got our mail today.  I got five from Norma and one from Mom Stuver and nine from my Mom and Dad.

Apr 24, 1945.  Tuesday.  We returned to the refueling area.  Got fuel, stores and mail.  Are going to stay here all night.  Broke my teeth.

Apr 25, 1945.  Wednesday.  We are still at the refueling and supplying area.  We left at noon back up to Boggy land.

Apr 26, 1945.  Thursday.  We are now back up in Boggy land near Okinawa.  About 2100 we went to GQ.  It turned out to be a barrage balloon which broke loose at Okinawa.  We had it in sight for a short period of time yesterday.  The first land I had seen for forty four days.

Apr 27, 1945.  Friday.  Still at Boggy land.  No GQ.  They haven’t had an evening plane around Okinawa for pretty near a week.  A plane crashed while trying to land on the Yorktown  We picked up the pilot and returned him to his carrier.  We refueled from the battleship Iowa this morning.  When we went to refuel at the tanker last time we picked up two new ships.  The Iowa battleship and the Essex class carrier Shangri La.  We now consist of three battleships, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin and two battle cruisers, Guam and Alaska.  Two antiaircraft cruisers, Flint, San Diego.  Two large carriers, Shangri La and Yorktown and two small carriers, Langley and Independence and sixteen destroyers.  We are only a fourth of task force 58.

Apr 28, 1945.  Saturday.  Retired to the fueling area.  Got fuel supplies and returned to Boggy land that same night again.

Apr 29 1945.  Sunday. We are still out here in Boggy land.  We had GQ this morning but none came in sight.  This afternoon about 1630 we were out on picket duty and two of the other picket ships got hit.  We went over to stand by one.  She was on fire and dead in the water.  We took her in tow, about 2330 we finally got underway.  We were on our way to a sea plane base about 35 miles on the other side of Okinawa Jima.

Apr 30, 1945.  Monday.  We still have the can in tow and about 0200 we had a boggy but it only came into 14 miles.  About daybreak they got things underway and she got her after engine room going and was under way on her own power.    She had her whole bridge blown off and half the forward stack.  Six enlisted men and two of our officers, our electric officer is acting as Captain.  Their Captain was killed.  We turned her loose at daybreak and she was underway at about 16 knots.  So they changed their mind about towing to Okinawa and we are now on our way to the refueling area.  We had GQ once today but it turned out to be a C-47.

May 1, 1945.  Tuesday.  We met the tankers during the night.  In the morning we got our men off the Hazelwood and left her and refueled off a tanker.

May 2, 1945.  Wednesday.  We met the tanker again the next morning and found our task group again.  We ran errands for the big boys as usual. We took patients off other ships and took them over to the hospital ship Bountiful.  We saw some nurses.  I think I counted 21 of them.  That is the first women we had seen for eight months.  Last we saw any was in Guadalcanal.

May 3, 1945.  Thursday.  We are back up in boggy land again.  Our fighter shot three Jap planes down during the night.

May 4, 1945.  Friday.  We refueled from the Alaska this morning.  We are still up in Boggy land.

May 5, 1945.  Saturday.  We are back up in Boggy land again.  We had a GQ today about 1000 but it turned out to be a false echo on the radar.

May 6, 1945.  Sunday.  We are still in Boggy land. We refueled off the Alaska today.  Boggy land, two cans running around the Okinawa area.

May 7, 1945.  Monday.  We are now down at the refueling area.

May 8, 1945.  Tuesday.  We are now back up in Boggy land.

May 9, 1945.  Wednesday.  We are still up in Boggy land.  We refueled from the Alaska this morning.

May 10, 1945.  Thursday.  We are still up in Boggy land.

May 11, 1945.  Friday.  Still up in Boggy land.  92 planes were shot down around Okinawa today.  One of our carriers the Bunker Hill was hit today by a suicide plane.  We picked up two guys, a pilot and a gunner from a plane that crashed from the carrier Yorktown.  Neither one was hurt.  We had picked the gunner up once before.

May 12, 1945.  Saturday.  We are leaving Boggy land today.  We are now on our way to Ulithi.  We had AA practice all day.  That night we made a practice torpedo run.

May 13, 1945.  Sunday.  We are still on our way back to Ulithi.  We had more practice today.

May 14, 1945.  Monday.  We had practice during the day and we pulled in about 1400.  We pulled alongside the tender Prairie.

May 15, 1956.  Tuesday.  We left the tender and went over to a floating dry dock.  We started in at noon and scraped the bottom and painted the bottom.  We didn’t get done until 0400 the next morning.

May 16, 1945.  Wednesday.  We are still in the dry dock.

May 17, 1945.  Thursday.  Today I went over to the tender to get my teeth fixed.  He is going to try and repair my plate.  He filled one tooth.  The ship left the dry dock and came alongside the tender about 1600 and I went back aboard.  We got mail three days in a row.

May 18, 1945.  Friday.  We are still alongside the Prairie, the tender.  I am 20 years old today.  It is the second birthday I have spent on the Pacific.  The last one I spent at Pearl Harbor.

May 19, 1945.  Saturday.  We are still alongside the tender.

May 20, 1945.  Sunday.  We are still alongside the tender.  I went to church on the Prairie in the afternoon.  I got my teeth back from the dentist on the Prairie, they were all in one piece.

May 21, 1945.  Monday. We left the tender in the morning and anchored a little way from her.  I had recreation in the afternoon.

May 22, 1945.  Tuesday.  We went out and had AA practice and surface target practice. We came in again that night.

May 23, 1945. Wednesday.  We stayed anchored all day and worked.

May 24, 1945.  Thursday.  We left Ulithi today and we are headed back for Boggy land.  We had AA practice again today.

May 25, 1945. Friday.  We are still headed for Okinawa, or Boggy land.  We had more practice on tracking planes today and the battleships and battle cruisers had surface target practice.

May 26, 1945.  Saturday.  We refueled from the Ticonderoga in the morning.  Had AA practice in the morning.

May 27, 1945.  Sunday.  We refueled from the tankers.  Got mail, got six letters.  We are headed back for Boggy land.

May 28, 1945.  Monday.  We are now at Boggy land again.  It has been cloudy and rained most of the day.

May 29,1945. Tuesday.  We are still at Boggy land.

May 30 1945.  Wednesday.  We are still at Boggy land and we were out in the 30 mile picket line.  It was awful foggy most of the day.

May 31, 1945.  Thursday.  We are still at Boggy land.  We refueled off the Ticonderoga this morning.  We left Pearl Harbor a year ago today.

June 1, 1945.  Friday.  We are at the refueling group.  We made about all the ships in the force delivering mail.  We didn’t get any.

June 2, 1945.  Saturday.  We are still in Boggy land.  We refueled from the Shangri La this morning and got three war correspondents and took them over to the battleship Iowa.  Just at dusk tonight we spotted a Jap mine.   We destroyed it.

June 3, 1945.  Sunday.  We are still in Boggy land.  We were out on 30 mile picket today.  We had church services on the fantail at 1330.

June 4, 1945.  Monday.  We are still in Boggy land.  Just at sundown we spotted a mine.  We sank it.  That made four we have sunk.   We went east all day today.  A typhoon was headed our way.  We were trying to get out of the way of it.

June 5, 1945.  Tuesday.  We were supposed to meet the tankers today. About 0200 this morning the typhoon turned and came right at us.  We were just a little off center of it. We had a 65 knot wind.  It was pretty rugged for awhile. About 1000 this morning it began to pass over and die down.  By 1700 it was quiet and the sun was out, you would hardly know there had been a typhoon except the ship was all covered with salt.  About 1300 just after chow we spotted another mine.  We exploded this one.  That made us five Jap mines.  About 1800 we spotted the tankers and got on a few provisions before dark.

June 6, 1945.  Wednesday.  We are still with the tankers.  We refueled this morning and we are now passing passengers to other destroyers.  We got mail today.  I got 12 letters.

June 7, 1945.  Thursday.  We are back in Boggy land again.  We picked up a sub at 1030. We tried to find it till about 1530.  We returned to the Task Group.  We refueled off the Ticonderoga at 1600.

June 8, 1945.  Friday.  Last night we started north and we are now about 100 to 200 miles off the coast of Honshu Island at Japan.  About 1100 we spotted a mine and we destroyed it.  That makes six we have got.  Three were sunk and three exploded.

June 9, 1945.  Saturday.  We went to the refueling group and got some mail too.  I got 12 letters.

June 10, 1945. Sunday.  We are still in Bogy land.  The planes made a strike this morning and we are heading back for port tonight.  We had AA practice this afternoon.

June 11, 1945.  Monday.  We are on our way back to Leyte Gulf, our new home port.  We had practice all day.

June 12, 1945.  Tuesday.  We got paid today. We had more practice.  Still on our way to Leyte.

June 13, 1945.  Wednesday.  We had practice exercises all morning and started through Leyte Gulf in the afternoon.  About 1800 we anchored alongside the McDermott.  Had movies on the forecastle.

June 14, 1945. Thursday.  We are now in Leyte Gulf. Got two V-mail letters today.

June 15, 1945.  Friday.  We are in Leyte Gulf at San Pedro Bay.  We are still alongside the McDermott this morning.  About 0930 we got underway and went alongside the tender Dixie.

June 16, 1945.  Saturday.  We are still alongside the Dixie.  I had recreation on Leyte Island today.  We also got mail today.

June 17, 1945.  Sunday.  We are still alongside the Dixie.

June 19, 1945.  Tuesday.  I went over to the hospital ship Refuge to see my brother Chal.  I stayed their all that day.

June 20, 1945.  Wednesday.  I was still on the Refuge until about 1000 and I got a boat back to our ship.  We are still alongside the Dixie.

June 23, 1945.  Saturday.  I went on recreation on the beach.  I got my Jeanie two grass skirts.

June 26, 1956.  Tuesday.  We are still alongside the tender

June 28, 1945.  Thursday. We left the tender, got fuel and ammunition.

July 1, 1945.  Got underway for our next operation.  Had AA firing practice today.  Made FC 3/c today.

July 3, 1945.  Refueled from the Battleship Alabama this morning.

July 4, 1945.  Refueled from the carrier Bon Homme Richard, c.v.

July 5, 1945.  Refueled from the Shangri La carrier c.v.

July 6, 1945.  Refueled from the BB Iowa.  We are now a little northwest of Saipan.

July 7, 1945.  Refueled from the Yorktown, c.v.  We are a little ways off of the Marcus Islands.

July 8, 1945. We met the tankers, refueled and took mail and personnel around to different capital ships.  We also got mail.  I got two from my Jeanie.

July 9, 1945.  Refueled from the c.v. Yorktown.  This morning at 0800 we were only 500 miles from Tokyo.

July 10,1945.  This morning at 0400 we were 150 miles from Tokyo.   We have been around here all day.  We went to GQ several times.  One time our fighter shot down a Dinah. This morning we had the 2400 to 0400 watch.  While on watch one of the lookouts spotted a Jap submarine surface and we tracked him with our Fox Dog radar and were ready to open fire but our officer of the deck told the Captain there wasn’t any sub out there.  So we went right on past.  Later today they got hot and that officer of the deck is no longer the O.D. but we missed getting a sub now.

July 11 1945. This morning about 0800 we were abut 400 miles from Japan.  This morning about 0400 we refueled from the battleship Iowa.  About 0630 we spotted a mine and we destroyed it.  That makes seven we have now destroyed.

July 12, 1945.  We refueled from the BB Wisconsin.  We had met the tankers.  We took mail and personnel to the large ships.

July 13, 1945.  The sea was pretty rough.  We started to refuel from the c.v. Yorktown.  A large wave came over the bow and we lost one man over the side and three others were injured.  The one lost over the side was never found. We searched for two hours but found no trace of him.  We returned to the formation and refueled from the BB Wisconsin.  About 1000 this morning they passed the word that we are to return to Pearl Harbor by mid August and then leave for the United States.

July 14, 1945.  We are still up around the home land.  The carriers sent out strikes today.

July 15, 1945.  We left the task group about 0300 this morning and formed a bombarding group.  It consisted of the battleships Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri.  Cruisers Dayton, Atlanta.  Destroyers McGowan, Mora Scott, Remey, McNair, Melvin, Merty, Monsoon, Colahan and Frank Knox.  We headed for the straight between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in the homeland of Japan.  We screened the battleships while they bombarded the steel works and other military objectives.  At the seaport city of Muroran in southern Hokkaido we had no opposition. We never encountered a Jap plane.  While the bombarding was going on a Corsair came in and we almost opened fire on him.  He had engine trouble and he circled us once and then landed in the water on our starboard side.  We rescued the pilot which was injured.  While we were getting him another one landed in the water on the port side and the Frank Knox picked him up.  He was pretty well banged up.  That made the seventh pilot we have rescued from crashed planes since we entered task force 58.  After bombarding we rejoined the task group with the carriers about dusk.

July 16, 1945.  We met the tankers and refueled and are taking mail and personnel to the larger ships.

July 17, 1945.  The carriers sent out strikes today.   Tonight at eight o’clock or 2000 we went to GQ for bombarding.  We hit the coast of Japan about 65 miles north of Toyko.  We were eleven miles from the beach.  The ships that went along were the Battleship Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, North Carolina, Alabama and the British battleship King George V.  Cruisers Dayton and Atlanta.  The same destroyers that went last time plus the McDermott and two British destroyers.  We started in at 2000 and bombarded from 2315 to 0030 in the morning.  We met no opposition.

July 18, 1945.  The carriers sent out more strikes.  We are headed South.

July 19, 1945.  We refueled from the c.v. Yorktown.  Still going South.

July 20, 1945.  We met the tankers.  About 1700 a corsair crashed in the water and we rescued the pilot.  That made the eighth pilot we have picked up.  We also got Uncle Sugar mail.  I got 18 letters.

July 21. 1945.  We are still with the tankers.  We got AMM and stores and refueled this morning, got more mail this afternoon.  I got 25 letters. 

July 22, 1945.  We are still with the tanker.  We finished up about noon and are now headed back for the Jap homeland.

July 23, 1945.  We refueled from the Battleship Iowa this morning and we ran into a high wind and it got pretty rough.  It was the tail end of a typhoon that was up around Northern Honshu.  It died down about dusk.

July 24, 1945.  We were on Tomcat duty today.  That is the picket line about 40 miles ahead of the main task force 58. We had a couple of boggys but none came in sight.  About six o’clock tonight (1800) one of the planes coming back from a strike had to land in the water. It was a S B 2 C Helldiver.  We rescued the two people in it, a pilot and a gunner.  The gunner had a bad cut in his left arm.  That makes the ninth and tenth pilots we have saved.  The carriers sent strikes out against the Jap homeland again, mostly on the Island of Kyushu.

July 25, 1945.  We went to GQ at about 0615 in the morning and stayed there all day till 2100 that night.  They shot down three Jap planes, our fighters did. We saw one of them burst into flames and hit the drink on our port quarter.  Our planes made strikes all day.

July 26, 1945.  We met the tankers and took on fuel and supplies.

July 27, 1945.  We are still with the tankers. We left them about noon.

July 28, 1945.  We are now back at the homeland.  The carriers sent out strikes today.  0930 this morning we spotted another mine and destroyed it.  That makes number nine we have destroyed.

July 29, 1945.  We refueled from the Battleship Wisconsin.

July 30, 1945.  Our planes sent out strikes today.

July 31, 1945.  The planes went on strike early this morning and we started to retire.  We met the tankers about 1500.

Aug 1, 1945.  We are still with the tankers.  We got mail this morning.  I got eight letters.  Tonight we started to retire south. There is a typhoon at our target and our orders have been postponed until further notice.

Aug 2, 1945.  We are returning south as there is a typhoon up by Japan.

Aug 3, 1945.  We are still waiting for the storm to clean up. We had AA practice today.  We refueled from the tankers early this morning.

Aug 4, 1945.  We refueled from the BB Iowa.  We are headed back up to Japan. We had more AA practice today.

Aug 5, 1945.  We refueled from the Quincy this morning.  Had AA firing this morning.  At 1210 we exploded a mine.  It was number 10 for us.

Aug 6, 1945.  We refueled from the BB Iowa this morning about 0500. We had AA practice this afternoon.

Aug 7, 1945.  We refueled from the tankers again today.  We are about 300 miles east of Japan now.

Aug 8, 1945.  We are still pretty close to Japan. We refueled from the c. v. Yorktown in the afternoon.  We are headed north.

Aug 9, 1945.  We are still off Japan.  We got word on the radio this morning that Russia had declared war against Japan.  Our fighters shot down a Myrt, Dinah and a Nick today.  One plane dove on the formation and it was shot down.  It burst into flames and hit the drink in front of the c. v. Essex.  One plane dove on a destroyer on picket and hit it.  It was the U.S.S. Barie.  It was hurt pretty bad.  Our fighters were chasing two Kates and they dove on them and the Kates both hit the drink trying to get away.  The fighters didn’t have to fire a shot at them.

Aug 10, 1945.  Our carriers sent out strikes today.  At 1030 today our squadron got word that we are now detached from Task Force 58.  We are headed for the United States.  We are to operate with the ninth fleet a couple days and then refuel at Adak in the Aleutian Islands and then head for the States.  Two of our squadron are not going back. They had been back to the U.S. since we came out.  They are the Wadely 689 and the Norma Scott 690.  The ones going back are the McDermott 677, McGowan 678, McNair 679, Melvin 680, Remey 688, Merty 691 and the Monsoon 798.

Aug 11, 1945.  We are still on our way North to meet Task Force 92.  It is in the North Pacific Fleet.  Tonight we crossed the International Date Line going east.  So we set the clock ahead four hours and at midnight it is four o’clock the next morning only it is still Aug 11th.  We have two Aug 11th’s

Aug 11, 1945.  We met the ninth fleet this morning.  It consisted of cans and cruisers.  We split up in groups.  Two cans to a group and are zig zagging in and out around the Kuril Islands looking for Jap ships. It is now 2245 at night and the sun is still up.  At 2330 we started bombarding the beach at a sea plane base on the Island of Masuka in the Kuril Islands. We had six cans with us. We each fired 500 rounds at the beach. As we pulled out the beach was in flames and there were very many fires. As we saw it disappear over the horizon there was still fire and explosions going off.  It was just at dusk when we started firing and was just dark at 2400.

Aug 12, 1945.  We are now heading away from the Task Force 92.  Our squadron is all alone again.  As we left them this morning a Jap plane (Sally) came around but it stayed out of gun range and just looked at us. After awhile he left and we haven’t had any more all day.

Aug 13, 1945.  We are on our way to the Aleutian Islands.

Aug 14, 1945.  We arrived there at the Aleutian Islands about 0930 this morning.  We took on stores and A.M.M.  At one (1300) we got word that Japan had surrendered.  All the cans blew their whistles and sirens.  About 1700 we went over to Adak and anchored.  It was only about 25 miles from where we were.

Aug 15, 1945.  We are just sitting here at Adak.  I guess they have changed our orders to go to the states.  We are just sitting wondering what they are going to do with us.

Aug 16, 1945.  We are still at Adak.  Still no orders as to what we are to do.

Aug 17, 1945.  We are still at Adak.  Still no orders.

Aug 18, 1945.  We are still at Adak.  I went on recreation on the island.  It was pretty nice.  Got a lot of stuff out of the canteen and went to the show.  Got back to the ship about 1930.

Aug 19, 1945.  We are at Adak.

Aug 20, 1945.  We are at Adak.   I had recreation again.  Bowled three games.  Went to the show again and got back to the ship about 2230.

Aug 21, 1945.  We are at Adak.

Aug 22, 1945.  We are at Adak.

Aug 23, 1945.  We are at Adak.  Had recreation again today.

Aug 24, 1945.  Went out for battle practice.

Aug 25, 1945.  We refueled at sand bay and then returned to Adak.

Aug 26, 1945.  We are still at Adak.

Aug 27, 1945.  We are still at Adak.

Aug 28, 1945.  We are still at Adak.

Aug 29, 1945.  We are still at Adak.

Aug 30, 1945.  We are still at Adak.  I had recreation on the beach.  I saw the show “When Irish Eyes are Smiling”.

Aug 31, 1945.  We left Adak this morning about 0645.  We are headed for Japan. We are to take over a naval base on the northern end of Honshu.  We consist of sixteen destroyers, two old cruisers, an incarnation ship, a tanker, and two refrigerator ships and six small (c.v.e) carriers.

Sept 1, 1945.  We are on our way to Japan.  We crossed the International Date Line today so tonight at 1900 they are setting the clocks ahead 22 hours which will make 1700 Sept 2.  So Sept 2nd will only be from 1700 until 2400.  We crossed it going west.  Tomorrow will be Sept 3rd instead of Sept 2, 1945. 

Sept 2, 1945.  We set the clock ahead 22 hours so today was very short.  It was only from 1700 until 2400;

Sept 3, 1945.  We are still on our way to Japan.  They signed the peace treaty in Tokyo Bay and now we run with our lights on at night.

Sept 4, 1945.  We are still headed for Japan. They knocked off censorship today.

Sept 5 1945.   We are still headed for Japan.

Sept 6, 1945.  We are headed for Japan.

Sept 7, 1945.  We arrived here at Ominato Naval Base in Mutisir Bay on the Northern tip of Honshu.  A Jap D.E. came out to meet us.  The mine sweepers swept all day today and we're expected to enter tomorrow.

Sept 8, 1945.  We came into the harbor today and we made a sweep around the bay.  We saw a few small luggers.  Then we returned to the rest of the fleet and we anchored just off the beach.

Sept 9, 1945.  We are still at Ominato in Mustsu Bay at Honshu.

Sept 10, 1945.  We picked up a Captain of the U.S. Navy and five Jap officers and took them to the Ominato Naval Base.  Our gig took them into the dock and we anchored just a little way out. We stayed there all day.  While we were there a Jap troop ship came in and was it overloaded.  We send a boarding crew aboard armed with pistols and tommy guns and they inspected the ship for guns.  Everything was ok.  About 1700 the Jap officers and the Captain came back aboard and we took them back to Ominato.  We had refueled then and anchored. We were the only can who went in there.

Sept 11, 1945.  We are back at the Ominato Naval base anchored.

Sept 12, 1945.  We are still sitting here at Ominato.

Sept 13, 1945.  We got underway with the McDermitt and we went over to Hokodate and looked over the harbor.  Later we went out and met the mine sweepers.

Sept 14, 1945.  We are still with the mine sweepers.  A storm came up and it got so rough we couldn’t sweep.  We started back in to anchor but they changed their mind.

Sept 15, 1945.  The storm cleared up this morning and we have been sweeping all day, but we haven’t gotten any yet.  We got paid today.  I had $218 on the books.  They gave us a write up on our ship today.

Sept 16, 1945.  We are still with the mine sweepers.  We got four mines today.  We saw three Jap ships today.  A D.E. and two mine sweepers.  We found out where they were going and then left them.

Sept 17, 1945.  We are still with the mine sweepers.  We got five mines today.

Sept 18, 1945.  We returned to anchorage at Ominato this morning about 0700 and we refueled from the cruiser Salt Lake City.  We then anchored and a typhoon came up and it sure got rough.  It died out toward the evening.

Sept 19 1945.  We are on Ominato. We pulled alongside a cargo ship so some guy could work on our radar.

Sept 20, 1945.  We are still alongside the cargo ship. It is a repair ship.

Sept 21, 1945.  We had our radar antenna taken off and we left the repair ship today and went back and anchored as before.

Sept 22, 1945.  We are still anchored at Ominato.

Sept 23, 1945.  We went to church today on board a sea plane tender and we got mail today.  I got 30 letters today.

Sept 24, 1945.  We got underway about 1230 and we are going out with the mine sweepers again.  As we left the place we saw an L.S.T, L.S.M and their landing craft coming in with the Army.

Sept 25, 1945.  We are still out with the mine sweepers.

Sept 26, 1945.  We are still with the mine sweepers.  This morning we destroyed 29 mines.  We didn’t see anymore in the afternoon.  Toward evening we started in and we anchored again at about 2300.

Sept 27, 1945.  This morning we got underway and went alongside a tanker to refuel.

Sept 28, 1945.   Went over to the repair shop and got our radar back.

Sept 29, 1945.  We got underway about noon and are going out and join the mine sweepers.  We tried to find a mine just at dusk and we just about ran into it.  We backed down full and we just missed it.  It was laying a few feet off our bow.  We sank it a few minutes later.  That made 49 altogether.

Sept 30, 1945.  We are still with the mine sweepers.  We are headed for Taru to sweep mines.  It is on the northern tip of Hokaiddo.  We got paid today.  I had $233 on the books.   I drew $15.  I now have $218 on the books.

Oct 1, 1945.  We are still with the mine sweepers.  It was pretty rough.  Didn’t get any mines.

Oct 2, 1945.  We are with the mine sweepers.  We got 14 mines this afternoon.  That makes us a total of 63 mines.

Oct 3, 1945.  We were with the mine sweepers this morning then we came in.  It was beginning to get rough so we came in.  We refueled from the tankers.  We got some mail. I got five letters.

Oct 4, 1945.  About 0130 we got underway again with the mine sweepers.  We got two mines this morning.  We came back in again this evening.

Oct 5, 1945.  We are now back in port again.  We refueled from a tanker this morning.

Oct 6, 1945.  We are still at Ominato.  We got our orders to return to the United States around the tenth. I hope they don’t change their mind this time. 

Oct 7, 1945.  I got recreation today at the Submarine base.  I got all kinds of Jap writings and I went aboard one of their cans that was sunk over there.  I got a name plate off their torpedo tubes.

Oct 8, 1945.  We are still at Ominato.

Oct 9, 1945.  We are still at Ominato.  We got a lot of Jap rifles aboard today.  Everybody is supposed to get one.

Oct 10, 1945.  We are still at Ominato.  We were supposed to get underway for the states today but a typhoon was coming and we have to wait until it passes.

Oct 11, 1945.  We are still at Ominato.  It is awful rough.  The typhoon is supposed to hit here around midnight.

Oct 12, 1945.  We left Ominato today about noon.  We are headed for Pearl Harbor and then the states.

Oct 14, 1945.  We are two days out of Ominato headed for Pearl Harbor.

Oct 16, 1945.  We are four days out of Ominato headed for Pearl Harbor.  We have had rough and rainy weather ever since they left.

Oct 18, 1945.  We are six days out of Ominato.  The weather cleared up and the last couple days have been nice and sunny.  Today at 1300 we crossed the International Date Line and they moved the clocks back so it was the 17th after one o’clock.

Oct 18, 1945.  Well, here it is the 18th again and here to stay this time.  We are now seven days out of Ominato headed for Pearl Harbor.

Oct 20, 1945.  This is the ninth day out of Ominato.  We are due to arrive at Pearl Harbor tomorrow.

Oct 21, 1945.  We had AA firing practice early this morning and then we pulled into Pearl Harbor about noon. Half of the crew got liberty.

Oct 22, 1945.  Got liberty today at Honolulu.  I spent $52.00 but I got some presents and I had a very good time.  It had been 17 months since I had had liberty and it was here that I had my last one.

Oct 23, 1945.  Had the duty today so stayed aboard, still at Pearl Harbor.

Oct 24, 1945.  I had liberty again today at Honolulu.  In my last two liberties I have spent $80.

Oct 25, 1945.  The ship didn’t get liberty today for we are leaving for Port Allen for Navy Day.  It is on the Island of Kauai.

Oct 26, 1945.  We got liberty on Kauai today.  We sure had a good time. We rode all over the island.  It is the prettiest island of the whole group.  We went to a grade school in the morning.  The kids wanted to see some sailors so a few of us went out with the U.S.O. girl.  They sang songs for us and we visited the roads. We all had a swell time.

Oct 27, 1945.  Today is Navy Day.  All the civilians were allowed to come aboard and visit.  We sure had a crowd aboard.  I had the duty today but they let 30 guys from the duty section go to a dance so I got on the list.  I had a swell time.

Oct 28, 1945.  Well, we left Port Allen this morning at 0600 and are now at Pearl Harbor again.  I got liberty as soon as we pulled in. We ate a lot, went to a play put on by the Army called “Jumpin Jupiter”.  It sure was good.  We had to bum the tickets to get in.

Oct 29, 1945.  We are not having any liberty today.  We are supposed to leave for the states sometime this afternoon.  We left for the states about 1600.

Oct 31, 1945. We are two days out of Pearl Harbor headed for the states.

Nov 2, 1945.  We are four days out of Pearl Harbor. We are headed for the states.  We are due at San Francisco on the 4th of November.