Monthly Archives: October 2021
Smitty’s Letter XV “Land”
Native outrigger canoes meet up with a Coast Guard transport.
[Please do not be offended by certain remarks, remember that these letters were written 77 years ago when people lived in another time and another world].
As the ships drew closer to Leyte, the American soldiers already on shore were being hampered by logistical problems which caused a severe delay in capturing the island. When the 11th A/B division arrived on Bito Beach, General Hodge was finally able to move General Arnold’s 7th division and their plans started to come together.
Leyte activity map | enlarge for detail
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Letter XV Landing Somewhere in the Philippines
Dear Mom,
We landed here in the Philippines yesterday morn, but before leaving the ship, the Japs treated us with their honorable (?) presence in the form of bombing planes. Shore batteries kept hammering at them in the gloom of a misty a.m. and the tracer’s bullets reaching up to the planes made a very pretty but gruesome sight. The way those tracer shells can pick out the planes you would think that they had a score to settle and just can’t wait to even it.
We landed finally on the beach, being taken to it in those much touted and not highly praised enough landing boats. How boats can ground themselves on land the way they do and still get off again unscratched is really a marvel. Those boys who handle them also deserve a lot of credit and, as Winchell would say, “A great big orchid is due.”
The natives here were real friendly and helpful in a dozen different ways. They ran up to the landing boats as soon as the bow of the boat sunk its bottom into the beach and helped us carry off our burdensome equipment. It reminded me of Penn or Grand Central Stations with porters running helter-skelter all over the place. The only thing missing to make the picture complete were the tell-tale red caps on their heads.
It wasn’t long after landing that we were organized into work groups and sent off to our chores. Work kept on until we were hours into the night despite the fact that again, Jap planes came over. I am happy to report that they will not be able to do so again, that is – not the same ones.
During the day we were handed K-rations for our dinner and after the excellent food we had aboard ship, they sure tasted like hell. Just before dark last night, we were allowed a few moments to ourselves and at once set to work getting our tents erected. Here again, the native men came in handy helping us to either put up the tents or dig our slit trenches. Of course they don’t do any of this work for nothing, but for items such as undershirts, trousers, soap or most anything in the line of clothing.
I will write more about the people in a later chapter. After all, you can’t do well to write about them on so short an acquaintance. Right now we are busy setting up a camp decent enough to live in. Having a few minutes to spare in between tents. I thought I’d write this down before it completely slipped my unrententive and feeble brain. There goes the whistle calling us back to work now, so until the next ten minute rest period, I’ll close with loads of love and car loads of kisses,
Love, Everett
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Military Humor – 
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Farewell Salutes –
Howard R. Belden – Warren County, NY, US Army, Korea, Cpl. # 12107317, HQ Co/31/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir, NK)
Roger Butts – Portsmouth, VA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Cook 1st Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
Gen. Colin Powell
Elvagine “Gene” Ertzberger – Rainier, WA; Civilian, WWII, shipyard welder
Lorenz D. Haselhofer – Watsonville, CA; US Navy, USS Hancock
Sonny Karcher – Enid, OK; US Army, Cold War
Fred M. Montanari – Westmoreland County, PA; US Air Force, pilot
Larry E. Murphy – E. St. Louis, IL; US Air Force & US Army, Cmdr. Sgt. Major (Ret. 36 y.)
Steven L. Nolin – New Brockton, AL; US Army Air Corps, Japanese Occupation, 188/11th Airborne Division
Henry G. Piper Sr. – Englewood, NJ; US Army, WWII, APO (Alaska)
Colin Powell – NYC, NY; US Army, Vietnam / General (Ret. 35 y.), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff / Sec. of State
Edward Souza – New Bedford, MA; US Air Force
James Wallace – Brooklyn, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, SSgt., B-24 waist gunner, POW (escaped)
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#########################################################################################################################################################################################Smitty’s Letter XIV “On The Move (again)”
I am very sorry for the glitches.
LSTs unload at Leyte
By mid-November, Gen. Krueger’s 4 divisions held only a small fraction of Leyte and Yamashita’s reinforcements were still landing. The weather was grounding aircraft on both sides.
18 November, the 11th Airborne joined in on the King II Operation. The 2nd battalion of the 187th Regiment went aboard the USS Calvert to land on Bito Beach. Being as Smitty was part of Gen. Swing’s staff in HQ Company, I do not know if he went aboard this ship.
Berthing
Letter XIV “On The Move (again)”
Dear Mom,
We have been at sea now for three days heading toward someplace the Land and the great white father in Washington only knows.
As I sit here writing this, I just can’t help but feel like a very small insignificant part of something so vast that the mind can’t in any way begin to comprehend…
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Smitty’s Letter XIV “On The Move (again)”
LSTs unload at Leyte
By mid-November, Gen. Krueger’s 4 divisions held only a small fraction of Leyte and Yamashita’s reinforcements were still landing. The weather was grounding aircraft on both sides.
18 November, the 11th Airborne joined in on the King II Operation. The 2nd battalion of the 187th Regiment went aboard the USS Calvert to land on Bito Beach. Being as Smitty was part of Gen. Swing’s staff in HQ Company, I do not know if he went aboard this ship.
Berthing
Letter XIV “On The Move (again)”
Dear Mom,
We have been at sea now for three days heading toward someplace the Land and the great white father in Washington only knows.
As I sit here writing this, I just can’t help but feel like a very small insignificant part of something so vast that the mind can’t in any way begin to comprehend what it is all about. Here I am on a ship heading out to something, someplace, and it was all planned probably months ago, miles and miles away from anywheres near here. Suddenly it all takes form. Transports and other ships stream into the harbor and just as quickly and quietly we are made loose and moving out. It all happens so fast and so smoothly that you can’t help but admire it all.
Of course, as serious as it all is, the army just can’t help but be the cause of many amusing incidents. When we first landed in New Guinea we got lost looking for our camp and coming down to the boats, the trucks again got lost and so we had to travel up and down the beach until finally, instead of us finding the boats — the boats found us. Climbing up the gangplank with our packs and duffel bags always provide an amusing incident or two, but at the time seem pretty damn dangerous.
On board ship, we are once again packed in like sardines down in the hold. Once shown our bunk, we proceed at once to get rid of our equipment and dash up on deck to pick out some spot where we can spend the night, It isn’t long after this that the details are handed out — and so — what could have been a very pleasant voyage soon turns out to be anything else but. I was lucky in that I was handed a detail that only worked for an hour each day, but the poor guys that hit the broom detail were at it all day long. All we could hear, all day long, over the speaker system was: “Army broom detail, moping and brooms, clean sweep down forward aft, all decks.” They kept it up all the time until soon one of the fellas made up a little ditty about it and sang it every time we saw a broom coming down the deck.
The food was excellent and really worth talking about. On the first trip coming over from the states, we dreaded the thought of eating, but on this ship, it was more than a welcome thought. Generally, when you go to a movie there are news reel pictures of convoys of ships and the men aboard. They always try to show you a few playing cards or joking and say that this is how the boys relieve the tension they are under. Well, I don’t know about the seriousness of the situation was anything like what the news reels portray.
Of course, it was a strange sight to see the boys at night line up at the side scanning the sky and distant horizon. This was generally though at night and early dawn. What we expected to see, I don’t know and what our reaction would be, if we did see something — I hesitate to predict. It won’t be long after this letter is written that we will land or at least sight our destination, so wishing to be wide-awake when we do, I’ll close this letter now and hit the hay hoping I sleep an uninterrupted sleep.
Till next time, “Good night and pleasant dreams.”
Love, Everett
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Lucius E. Agee – Nashville, TN; US Navy, WWII, aviation radioman, USS BonHomme Richard
Dick Barlow – Manchester, ENG; RAF, WWII, ETO, motorcycle dispatch rider
OUR FLAG
Courtesy of: Dan Antion
Duane E. Dewey – Grand Rapids, MI; USMCR, Korea, Cpl., Medal of Honor
Gabriel J. Eggus – NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, P-39 pilot # 0-669878, 100/71st Recon Group, KIA (Wewak, NG)
Edwin A. Jacoby – brn: GER/ Brooklyn, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO / Korea, Sgt.
Sam Kendrick – Wexford, IRE; US Army, WWII, ETO
David L. Long – Milwaukee, WI; US Army, tank commander, 1/72/2nd Infantry Division
Alan E. Petersen – Brownton, MN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 1st Lt., 345/98/9th Air Force, B-24 bombardier, KIA (Ploiesti, ROM)
Joseph M. Robertson – Paragould, AR; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Seaman 2nd Class # 2797547, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
Pete Turk – Scammon, KS; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Seaman 2nd Class # 3422928, USS California, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
Murray Weiss – Kellogg, ID; US Air Force
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Playing cards made history
Playing cards to pass the time
War can be hell… and war can be absolute boredom. There are few better ways to pass the time than by playing cards. They’re easy to carry: small and lightweight, they fit into a rucksack, duffel bag or Alice pack without having to sacrifice any piece of essential gear.
Plus – they’re cheap!
Wartime decks have been used to help soldiers in the field learn about their enemies and allies, to identify aircraft and even teach American history. In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, American forces used playing cards to identify the most wanted members of Saddam Hussein’s regime.
The U.S. Army and the United States Playing Card Company cooperation goes way back. But it was their brand Bicycle that took it to a whole new level.
During WWII, Allied Intelligence officers contacted the card company to produce the most clandestine deck of cards in history. According to the Geneva Convention, Allied POWs were guaranteed the right to receive mail and packages from the Red Cross. The Allies saw this opportunity to smuggle useful objects to the prisoners.
map cards
This led to a top secret mission producing a deck of cards that included a hidden map, showing escape routes, directions and valuable tips and information which could help an escapee reach friendly lines or cross a border into a neutral country.
The map was concealed between 2 layers that formed the playing card. Once it was submerged in water, the POW could peel off the layers and find part of the map on each card. The cards were distributed at Christmas via the Red Cross Christmas parcels. Being as cards were always included in their packages, these special decks went unnoticed by the camp guards.
The now famous but once top-secret map deck helped 32 people escape from Colditz Castle. Very little is known about the clandestine decks, even today, for it was kept a secret after the war – as their use was a violation of the Geneva Convention.
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Did you know… ?
- The 4 suits in a decks represent the 4 season
- the 13 cards to each suit represent the phases of the lunar cycle
- 52 cards to a deck is for the 52 weeks in a year and
- There are 365 symbols in a deck for the days of the year
These items were condensed from those found in “The Voice of the Angels” newspaper of the 11th Airborne Division Association.
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13 October – U.S. Navy Birthday 246 Years
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Marvin D. Actkinson – Palo Pinto County, TX; US Army # 18347542, Korea, Cpl., Co B/1/32/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir, NK)
Victor E. Barrett – Westminster, SC; US Merchant Marines
Withold “John” Brazinskas – brn: Flatow, GER; US Merchant Marines, Vietnam
Charles H. “Chubby” Damsel Jr. – Columbus, OH; US Army, counter-intelligence
Donald E. Farry – Lake Worth, FL; US Army
Jeffrey B. Faivus – Huntington, NY; US Army, Captain
Harvey C. Fruehauf Jr. – Grosse Pointe, MI; US Navy
Wayne F. Galloway – New Castle, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Medical/11th Airborne Division
Denis H. Hiskett – Nebraska City, NE; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Fireman 1st Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor, HI)
Lyman R. Sisney – Benton, IL; US Army, Korea, Co A/187th Regiment Airborne
Jack K. Wood – Wichita Falls, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 1st Lt., 344/98/9th Air Force, navigator, KIA (Ploiesti, ROM)
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Leyte | start of November 1944
3 November – When the Japanese 57th Regiment arrived at Limon, Gen. Krueger’s 24th Division was on the other side of the mountain range. Rather than attack the lightly defended enemy positions, he halted his troops. For some reason, he was expecting a possible enemy amphibious landing and the US attack would not begin for 2 more days.
5→10 November – in the 19th year of Showa, for the Japanese, the G.I. mortar and machine-gun fire seemed to nearly wipe out the squad scaling the ridge. As the brush caught fire, the Americans of I Company/3rd Battalion/21st Infantry Regiment/ 24th Division, attacked and charged over the ridge until the enemy’s big guns opened up. Another Japanese force arrived and the US troops retreated. This would be known as Breakneck Ridge [Yahiro Hill to the Japanese].
Breakneck Ridge, Leyte; courtesy of Koji Kanemoto
Even with the support of the 1st Cavalry, the soldiers were pushed back, but they would return on the 8th. They then proceeded to continually hit the ridge until the 10th, when the Japanese 3rd Battalion was ordered to tenshin. (which means to turn around and advance). The few survivors remaining did make it back to their supply depot.
Breakneck Ridge (highlighted) map
6 November – Japanese convoy MA-TA 31 escorted by 2 cruisers and other escorting vessels was attacked by a wolfpack of US submarines, Batfish, Ray, Raton, Bream and Guitarro at Luzon. The Ray fired 6 rear torpedoes at the enemy cruiser Kumano and destroyed her bow.
US Hellcat fighters and bombers with Avenger torpedo planes attacked enemy airfields and shipping installations throughout southern Luzon. The US aircraft were intercepted by about 80 Japanese fighters and a dogfight ensued over Clark Field. The enemy lost 58 planes and 25 more later in the day. More than 100 Japanese aircraft were destroyed on the ground. One cruiser sank in Manila Harbor and 10 other vessels were heavily damaged.
IJN Shimakaze
10→11 November – Another Japanese convoy, carrying 10,000 reinforcements for Leyte, escorted by 4
Japanese transport under attack
destroyers, a minesweeper and a submarine chaser. They were screened by 3 other destroyers, but were intercepted by the US 10th Fleet aircraft as they made their turn into Ormoc Bay. Before they could reach the harbor, the TF-38 aircraft attacked. The first wave aimed at the transports. The second wave hit the destroyers and third wave strafed the beaches and the burning destroyers. Nine of the ships sank and 13 enemy planes providing air cover were shot down.
The FEAF (Far East Air Force, the 5th A.F.) used 24 B-24’s to hit Dumaguerte Airfield on Negros Island in the P.I. and fighter-bombers were sent to the Palompon area on Leyte. Targets of opportunity were hit on Mindanao. Fighter-bombers and B-25s hit shipping and Namlea Airfield, and P-38s hit Kendari Airfield on Celebes Island while B-24a bombed the Nimring River area.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.
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Military Humor – 
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Farewell Salutes –
Adrian Cervini – Flint, MI; USMC, Korea
Margaret Christie – Toronto, CAN; Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, WWII
Final Mission
Joseph Devlin – Johnstown, PA; US Navy, WWII, submarine service
Roy D. Eneroth – Thornton, WA; US Army, WWII, PTO
Wesley E. Graham – Watervliet, MI; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Seaman 1st Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor )
John Klunder – E.Elmurst, NY; US Navy, WWII, PTO, radioman 1st Class, USS Fayette (APA-43)
Anthony R. Mazzulla – Bronx, NY; US Army, Korea, 1st Lt., Co B/1/32/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir, NK)
George E. Park – Bedford, MA; US Navy, WWII, Quartermaster/Navigator, USS Bunker Hill
Duane I. Pierce – Lyndon, VT; US Navy, WWII, PTO
William Potoka Sr. – Mt. Pleasant, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co C/127th Engineers/11th Airborne Division
John R. Samuelson – Page, City, KS; US Army, WWII
Jim Warnica – Clovis, NM; US Navy, WWII, PTO
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Pacific Paratrooper 