Letter III – SMITTY, Somewhere At Sea At A Loss
From my father’s description of his transport ship out of San Francisco and the approximate number of soldiers that were aboard, I can speculate that it was a Heywood class ship. As the ship lumbered out to the ocean swells, many of the young men took their final glance of the USA. Smitty thought that his most boring time in the army was while he sailed on this cruise, although he did well in learning how to play cards – as did many other G.I.’s.
As they boarded, the ship’s crew immediately began enforcing the security procedures. All portholes and hatches were covered and no lights were allowed after dusk. The heat below deck would become intolerable. The arrival of the “ditty bags” filled with toiletries, cigarettes, gum and a harmonica brightened their spirits; although many of the mouth organs were sent flying overboard when the noise made from the tin-eared soldiers became too much for the ship’s officers to endure. This cruise would take 28 days.
Letter III Somewhere at sea at a loss
Dear Mom,
We have been on this tub for quite some time now and I must say that although the army doesn’t go to any great pains making you comfortable, they sure do go to extremes making it unpleasant. I can’t tell you as much as I would like to about the trip or what we are doing. One reason is that we don’t know where the heck we are anyway and as for what we are doing, well anything we might like to do would be stopped sooner than it got started. It has gotten so that now we have to play cards, if money is displayed, down in the hold. Seems as though the sea gulls over this ocean are the pious type and the sight of men gambling is revolting — or they think it is food.
To try and describe the food or the mess hall would curtail the use of profanity the like of which I wouldn’t attempt to use. To call it food in the first place is flattery at its best. Mess Hall is very appropriate — it is some MESS. This is the first time in my life that I can truthfully say I dread the thought of eating. We are supposed to tell you that on board ship we can purchase cigarettes for 4 1/2 cents a pack, also candy and a load of other stuff at cost price. We can also buy bottles of coca cola, but the blame stuff is so hot that we are of the opinion that loaded down with this coke in our stomachs, we might be used as depth charges if a sub should show up. We did receive free, with no strings attached, a bag full of necessary things from the Red Cross. It really was worthwhile going after.
Where we might be bound for is still a very big question that will no doubt be answered only when we finally arrive there. After all, if we knew, we might tell it to the stars and that would be just awful. I realize this doesn’t sound like a very pleasant letter, but then you must take into consideration this isn’t a very pleasant trip. None of those romantic moonlit nights. Well, that is all for today, so until later on when I will be back to add to this,
I’ll say so long for now and all my love, Everett
####################################################################################################
Military Humor –
####################################################################################################
Farewell Salutes –
Harvey Alexander – East Dennis, MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co. B/187/11th Airborne Division
Heren Cabacar – Portsmouth, VA; US Army, WWII & Korea, Death March survivor, POW
Paul C. Charvet – Yakima County, WA; US Navy, Vietnam, Lt. Commander, pilot, Attack Squadron 215, USS Bon Homme Richard, KIA (Phuoc Long Prov.)
Charles Hagemeister – Lincoln, NE; US Army, Vietnam, medic, HQ Co./1/5/1st Cavalry Division, Medal of Honor
Edgar Harrell – Clarksville, TN; USMC, WWII, PTO, USS Indianapolis survivor
Harry Holmes – USA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, fireman 3rd Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
John King – Scranton, PA; US Army, Vietnam, 101st Airborne Division
Lloyd “Babe” Lashaway – Liberty Center, WI; US Army, Vietnam, 82nd Airborne Division
Burl Mullins – Dorton, KY; US Army, Korea, Cpl., Heavy Mortar Co./3/31/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir)
M.Bernadine Pierce – Herrin, IL; Civilian, WWII, “Rosie” at Mc Donald Douglas
Victor Sharp – Christchurch, NZ; NZ Army # 446826, WWII, PTO, SSgt., “Z” Special Unit
Peter Tarantino – Woodbridge, NJ; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT
John Wilstrup – Seminole, FL; US Navy, WWII, USS Boxer
####################################################################################################
Posted on May 24, 2021, in First-hand Accounts, SMITTY, WWII and tagged 11th airborne, Army, family history, History, Military, Military History, Navy, Pacific, Pacific War, Smitty, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 144 Comments.
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so enjoying these slices of life from Smitty, even though they mask the serious business at hand.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dad felt that he was the one in the Army in the middle of a war, but his mother wasn’t and there was no need to have her worrying any more about her only child than was necessary. Glad you’re enjoying them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“As the ship lumbered out to the ocean swells, many of the young men took their final glance of the USA.”
This sentence breaks the heart!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. And it is the reason for Memorial Day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess, it is.🇺🇸
LikeLiked by 1 person
I could hear his tone in the letter, and although I will never be able to fully comprehend the conditions they had to live under, Smitty certainly gives the reader a good feel for it
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Lavinia. I suppose none of us could comprehend it now, as so many advancements have been made. They still amaze me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Red Cross bags sound like a huge perk
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think any sign of home-like items were welcomed! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another wonderful letter to read. Hot Coke must have been awful, like the food.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The Merchant Marine ships did not have the supplies that the Navy did.
Thanks for reading the letter, Jennie
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ah! Thanks, GP. My pleasure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is sad that it was that awful serving our country! I hope things are better today?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m certain they are. We learned a great deal from WWII, plus technology and renovations have made outstanding stides.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Young Everett would have been a great blogger had such a thing existed then. I hope his sense of humour stayed with him.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yes, thank you. When he was older he was the editor of the ELKS newsletter called “Old Bill”. His articles was hysterical, but even in humor, they got their point across!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Good idea on the harmonicas! I was just thinking … your blog is one of the first I became aquainted with when I first joined WordPress. Has a warm place in my heart. Made me feel closer to my son. ♥️
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s right. I remember you telling me about him. Is he still deployed?
LikeLiked by 1 person
He has returned thanks to Jesus!
LikeLiked by 2 people
👍😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on depolreablesunite.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Rick.
LikeLike
I can not imagine what the trip was like
LikeLiked by 1 person
Certainly not like a cruise today. lol
LikeLike
Wow 🤩 nice job on this blog 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When did you get started?
LikeLiked by 1 person
5 September 2012
LikeLike
Oh wow! I just started a few months ago
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stay diligent, blogging, like getting old, is not for “sissies”. Just joking. But at times, it does take work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was an enlightening description of the journey. I’d assumed tight quarters, but somehow thought the food would have been decent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Navy usually did have better food, but you’re dealing with about 2,000 more men to feed on these troopships. Those poor cooks could only do so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That letter has such a ring of truth about it. And young men of that age are still just the same. They play cards and find things to grumble about.
It’s a pity though that the food was so poor. I would have thought that one or two top Hollywood chefs could have been drafted to the troopships across the Pacific.
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha, the top chefs would have been assigned to admirals and generals, certainly not a troopship with a couple of thousand extra passengers. Your sense of humor would have gone well with Smitty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Letters like this one are great insight into everyday life of the soldiers. It would be weird to be on a ship and have little idea about where you are or where you are going. Great share GP!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I appreciate you coming by and reading Dad’s letter.
LikeLike
28 days seems a long passage under terrible conditions. Like the way he described the coca-cola and the mess hall. Glad they had cards to play to help keep their mind on something enjoyable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
28 days was long, but you have to remember they didn’t sail directly to their destination, they zig-zagged to avoid detection. They didn’t have the type escorts that helped protect the ships in the Atlantic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, John.
LikeLike
You are very welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OMG, 28 days with food like at boarding school. Lol Who ever had the idea of a mouth organ for every soldier??? 😉 There is no doubt, that your father wrote a very truthful letter home, GP! You can see, that the censorship was not designed to preserve the image of the troups. Thank you for sharing these wonderful piece of remembrance, and have a beautiful week! Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reading my father’s letters and I appreciate your comment. I’m not certain who came up with that harmonica idea, the Army, Navy or Red Cross, but the ship’s officers sure didn’t take a liking to it!! haha
Thanks for coming by, Michael.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Harmonicas when the whole ship should not be detected by the enemies. Lol Why havent they installed a church organ, driven by steam. 😉 I really would have the experiences of your father, GP! This some days must have been also very crazy. Thank you for sharing, GP! Have a beautiful week! Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. You certainly could see the irony in all that was going on, haha. Smitty would have liked you!!
LikeLike
Just seen: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPONoHHhzIW/
The Britains now having bigger boats too. Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
WHOA!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
HMS TinLizzy. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
One keep forgetting that the UK is a sea power. Sorry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know, but it was cute anyway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Since we’ve seen that usually your father tried to protect your mother from things that might upset her, this trip must have really made him miserable and angry for him to vent so much to her. I wonder how she reacted. I know that when my daughter would send a homesick letter from camp complaining about the food, I felt just awful. And for your father (and thus your mother) there was also the unsettling and frightening knowledge that you weren’t just on a voyage, you were heading to war.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The letters were to his mother and he was an only child, so I can only imagine how she felt. Grandma was a tiny, little thing, but a very strong person, a survivor. But she had to be ‘strung out’ for the duration of the war! She passed away when I was 7. so I never got the chance to ask her.
LikeLike
I was 23 when my grandmother died, and even so I never asked the questions I now wish I had.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think there are many of us with regrets like that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
GP, My Dad who was a Second lieutenant with Calgary Highlanders and fought in the European theatre never talked about the War. Never brought it up. Yet he had a huge library of War literature including all Churchills writings – and watched every War movie that ever came out. And if he bumped into any veteran on the street he would talk to them for hours – it didn’t even matter who they had fought for – they were somehow kindred spirits. I would have been hugely interested to hear him talk about it at any time, but it wouldn’t happen. I never figured that out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I doubt Smitty would have ever talked about it with me, except I found his scrapbook and became a nag! haha But he wouldn’t describe actual war, just like in his letters. A veteran knows that when talking to someone, there are not enough words to describe what it’s like to a civilian – and no words are needed to someone who was there.
Being in the Pacific, my father enjoyed the ETO movies and even TV programs such as “Combat” and “Rat Patrol”, but you never heard him laugh so hard as watching, “M*A*S*H*”, “Hogan’s Heroes” or “McHale’s Navy”!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks GP. And thanks for what you do. It means a lot to a lot of people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I appreciate that, I really do.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Ned.
LikeLike
Your stories always have something interesting. The harmonica segment was a hoot.🦉 or should I say hit a few sour notes! 🎵 Cheers! 💖
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the letters. They express Dad’s personality far better than I ever could. But he didn’t tell you – he did know how to play the harmonica, haha. 🎵
LikeLike
Oh, man. 28 days of inedible food, intolerable heat below deck and pious seagulls —- ha-ha-ha, love Smitty’s wry sense of humor! When we remember what these boys went through on the battlefield, we tend to forget (or didn’t know) the hell of getting there! Wonderful post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Mitch. Dad retained that sense of humor too. I never thought about the transport before reading his letters.
LikeLike
Such a long sea voyage on a relatively small ship would be my idea of Hell, GP.
I was surprised that he wasn’t happy with the food on board. British troops used to be envious of American rations.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
On the warships, I understand the food was quite good, but on a troop ship you are feeding thousands more on top of your own crew. I suppose that takes a toll.
LikeLike
I can’t imagine the sound of those “mouth organs” playing all at the same time. That could drive anyone crazy especially when most of them were out of tune most likely. The soldiers must have a great time annoying some officers just to pass the time before the mouth organs were thrown out to sea. Thanks for sharing your Dad’s letter. I love the spud peeling machine!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for dropping in, Rose. I know Dad knew how to play the harmonica, so I guess he kept his hidden. I did see it as a kid, but have no clue what happened to it as time went by.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post as usual, GP. I’m so grateful when you post these seemingly routine items that let us know what members of the greatest generation were thinking, feeling on a day-to-day basis during the war.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Day to day in a war with seeming no end in sight – it’s odd any of them came home sane.
LikeLike
Smitty was an expressive writer . One of the memories an uncle of mine had during the transport was the sub-avoiding zig-zagging that the ship did : one major turn every 24 hours and minor turns every 8 hours . For some reason that stuck in his mind .
LikeLiked by 1 person
I imagine it would for as much as they did it. I don’t know if Dad ever paid attention to it.
LikeLike
Great letter, GP. I remember my dad saying that there was a positive side to bombing missions since getting off the sea tossed carrier was one of the few ways to beat the feeling of seasickness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Having grown up on an island, Dad had no problem with sea sickness, but bad food? They sure knew how hurt a fella like Smitty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess the army cooks were working it. Navy cooks were pretty good during the war.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A couple thousand more than the usual crew – someone had to jump in and help!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s true.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Janet's Thread 2 and commented:
Wartime experience from one who served.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Janet!
LikeLike
Good grief! No delusions of glory there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha, No. You have a way putting the entire post into 2 brief sentences! Good work!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It certainly didn’t sound like an exiting trip at all! Out of interest, was the mail held up until they reached land or was it taken off ship regularly. It was hard enough getting mail on Land let alone from the middle of the ocean!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If they passed a ship going in the opposite direction, it was handed off and any mail for that ship left behind. Otherwise it waited until the destination was reached.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That explains it. Thanks GP!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Any time!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on MAMF Library & Letters.
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLike
I always look forward to your posts…Now I’m thinking of army posts…I admire your straight talk. It keeps me grounded. If they gave academy awards for bloggers I would nominate you as a well deserved recipient….Cheers! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the compliment!
LikeLike
I got in on the last of K rations before tastier options were introduced. The only one I couldn’t handle was the lima beans and ham. The rest were pretty good. The packages came with little packs of cigarettes that took on the taste of the Chicklets packaged in the same package (Four cigarettes, maybe five – I forget.) I didn’t smoke at the time (nor now), so those little packages of cigarettes were handy trading material when trying to trade the unloved lima beans and ham for any other can of food.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The barter system seemed to work well in the service. I suppose our younger generation could go to M*A*S*H* episodes and watch Radar and Klinger do some top notch bartering to get the idea of what we’re talking about! haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah! I know American PX cigarettes still served for barter in early 70s Germany, and I personally used them to reduce my rent with a German landlady.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good for you, Doug! Glad to hear they were put to good use!
LikeLike
I didn’t smoke at the time, so gave them to those who did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good man.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love Smitty’s letters. My father would have enjoyed reading every one of these.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am certain our fathers would have passed many hour together!
LikeLike
Smitty’s letters are as enjoyable as they are interesting. The thought of determined gulls mistaking — or betting on — money being food made me laugh. Gulls are gulls, no matter what. That had to be a hard passage. At least if you know your destination you can pass the days counting how many more you have to go through before you arrive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
With them zig-zagging to avoid detection, being as there were no to little escorts, it really would have been difficult for the average soldier to figure out.
LikeLike
Dr. Johnson…’A ship is worse than a gaol. There is, in a gaol, better air, better company, better conveniency of every kind; and a ship has the additional disadvantage of being in danger’……I wonder what Smitty would have made of that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think he would have agreed!! Good one, Helen!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The living conditions on this transport ship were awful. They must have been a damper on the soldiers’ morale. And not knowing the destination of this depressing journey must have been demoralizing. Your dad survived this ordeal and I marvel at his sense of humour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Depression wasn’t in Dad’s vocabulary concerning himself. He always tried to find a bright side – or an alternative.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps the only time in such a young man’s life when boredom would be a saving factor
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly. They felt they were ready for anything – little did they know, eh?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Join the Army (Navy) and see the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha, or at least a good part of the ocean!
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Dave Loves History.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Dave.
Glad you’re feeling better!
LikeLike
I am impressed with Smitty’s ability to express disgust and disdain in language suitable to send to his mother. His quip about being loaded with Coke and possibly used as depth charges for torpedo is quite clever. Thanks for sharing his letters with us. I’m not sure that future generations will have anything to share but maybe tweets and emails. At least he was in the pre-MRE days, which I have heard as Meals Rejected by Ethiopians (during one of Ethiopia’s many periods of starvation) and that MREs are covered with a particular shade of brown was not an accident. Navy promised 3 hots and a cot–sounds like Smitty got an overdose of hot, but not in the chow line.
LikeLiked by 3 people
haha, you have a great sense of humor that compliments Smitty’s own!
Yes, I only heard Dad talk about K-rations. He was impressed with them, but covered in mud in a jungle, he ate them with gusto!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for that very high compliment. I’m blushing and grinding. I guess if you are hungry enough, anything can taste good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not so sure about that… lol
LikeLike
I meant grinning not grinding. My cellphone always picks words I never intended or selected from autocorrect. I wonder how Smitty would have done with autocorrect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Smitty would always take the time to teach someone if they wanted to learn, but dealing with a computer… I don’t think he’d have the patience to deal with incompetence.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m almost afraid to ask, are you referring to me or the computer? LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
The computer!! He would definitely understand you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a huge relief. Thanks. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Cruise” certainly wasn’t the word. I suspect his attitude helped him deal with the circumstances. I like how he looked for some humor to include, even when others might have only complained. My dad said he was never as happy as the day he got off that transport ship.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can understand your father’s opinion. Dad had a quick wit, I always admired that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amazingly, Danny Wilson didn’t mention much about what he disliked on the troop ship to Italy, but it was the Atlantic in October. He spent much of the time topside with his best friend (who survived the war, said he didn’t even get a scratch on his P-38 throughout combat missions), watching the phosphorescence in the ocean and the fish hovering nearby. They thought it was headed for the Pacific, but he tried to hint that he was headed to Europe.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Can you just imagine trying to keep destinations a secret today?
LikeLiked by 1 person
That does sound dreadful. I’d imagine that conditions were pretty crowded, too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Crowded – I’ll use the old expression – like a bunch of sardines! Plus the cruise took so long because they did not have an escort such as used in the Atlantic, so they had to zig-zag their route.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Certainly no cruise.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ll bet the troops made a bunch of jokes out of the fact that the military would call it a cruise though! lol
LikeLiked by 3 people
At that time there was a way to connect the medium of correspondence(Feeling)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My Grandfather’s letters and diary for his Atlantic Crossing to England for D-Day were similar. He used the words “Sick” and “Bored” about a dozen times! 🙂
LikeLiked by 5 people
Besides playing cards, bored and sick is about all I think they had. A rough situation to ask so many men to go through, eh?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes it was but Thank God we had men then and NOW who are willing to step into the breech for all of us!
LikeLiked by 2 people
AMEN!!
LikeLike
All the time staying in a ship not knowig were we are or going to makes me crazy. I must going all day in naure
LikeLiked by 4 people
Nowadays that would be difficult to pull off, with all the technology at their disposal. I can’t imagine it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s ok for that photo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Marylou.
LikeLike
Thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Red Front