Smitty’s Letter XIV “On The Move (again)”
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.
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
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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Posted on October 17, 2021, in First-hand Accounts, Letters home, SMITTY, Uncategorized, WWII and tagged 11th airborne, Airborne, ancestry, Army, family history, History, Leyte, Military, Military History, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 80 Comments.
Catching up here again, GP. I enjoy reading these letters from your father. He was a very intelligent, thoughtful man, and his letters speak volumes.
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I appreciate you saying so, Lavinia. 🎖️
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I just love when you share your dad’s letters. It seems a little voyeuristic to be reading them, but I agree with some above who said that it helped them understand their own dad a little better. My last conversation with my father he directed back to his time in Korea. He had never spoken about it before…EVER! It was the night before a huge/dangerous operation. I think he brought it up because it was the only other time in his life that he was afraid. Unfortunately, he did not survive the surgery. But I felt privileged that he shared those last moments with me. Thank you so much for sharing the way you do. Many Sweet Blessings ❤
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I am glad he shared with you too, but so sorry for your loss. Thank you for telling me, Lorrie.
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Thank you, GP. I feel his energy all the time 😊 He comes to visit as a little finch bird when I really need him. I am grateful that I could be there that day and let him tell his story.
Hope you have a wonderful week ahead. And again…thanks for sharing the way you do!
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Thank you, Lorrie. 🇺🇸
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Reblogged this on depolreablesunite.
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Thank you very much.
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I thoroughly enjoy these letters!
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I’m happy to hear that because Monday they’ll be another.
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Hooray!
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👍
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Great story! I look forward to Smitty’s adventures, even if it’s just mopping up! 🧹 💖 🧹
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Thank you very much. That was an incredible war and they were one h*ll of a generation to get through it. BUT – Gen. Eichenberger’s statement after Leyte…
“If there is another war, I recommend that the military and the correspondents and everyone else concerned, drop the phrase “mopping-up” from their vocabularies. It is NOT a good enough phrase to die for.”
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you, Michael.
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Smitty was a fabulous writer… and did all this on the fly with a pencil. Amazing.
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He was something else! (and all with an eight grade education).
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There’s an old Swedish proverb that goes, “The new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners.” I expect by the time these fellows got done, their brooms knew every inch of the ship!
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And I’ll bet you’re right!! haha, I forgot that old saying, thanks, Linda!! 😲😉
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It seems a little ‘unfair’ that some had to work all day whilst others only an hour or so. I guess for some it wasn’t such a pleasant trip!
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Smitty was about 10 years older than most of the other troopers – perhaps they felt he was too “old” for swabbing the deck all day. 😉
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Could be!
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Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner and commented:
I always enjoy Smitty’s letters.
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I’m glad you do. Thank you for sharing this post with your readers! 🤗
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I bet many shared the feelings Smitty expressed in the second paragraph. Nobody knew what tomorrow would bring. At least the food was good on this ship.
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Thank you, John.
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There are a lot of insights into the average solider’s mind in this letter. (That’s how it struck me.)
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Thank you, Liz. I appreciate you taking the time to give me your opinion. 🤗
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You’re welcome, GP.
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Had to smile that their journey had been planned to something, someplace, and planned by someone that was miles away from there. Someone sitting in an office doesn’t always know exactly what move should be made. I’m just not sure how you could have a night of uninterrupted sleep under those circumstances.
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Dad learned in the service how to catnap (some people call it power nap) and times when a deep sleep was more than recommended. (But don’t ask how he did it – no clue!!)
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Smitty sure made for a good guy to have around, always finding humor even when things were not going well.
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He said he sure wasn’t about to write home to his mom and say he was in any danger!!
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Right, but he still found humor in the situations and this humor most likely helped his omrades.
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I sure hope so. Everyone would need to stay sharp walking into combat. Thank you, Don.
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Great letter. You really do feel what he must have been seeing and feeling. He was truly a gifted writer.
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Thank you so much. I thought he should have published them, but mom always put a damper on things.
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Well, you are doing it now!
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Right you are!
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That is a lovely letter home to Mom. I can just imagine her spending a couple of hours trying to work out where he was, using an enormous map of the Pacific. He carries out perfectly the duty of every son, namely to inform at great length, but not to frighten Mom, in this case because everything is so vast and so well worked out that it can’t possibly go wrong.
By the way, don’t worry about those glitches. I cannot imagine for a second that it was anything to do with you!
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Thank you for your confidence, John.
Grandma was quite a savvy woman, I’ll bet she did work out where he was.
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It’s pretty great reading Smitty’s letters. They really tell a whole new side of the story.
Busy work. It must be as old as time. 😀
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Thank you very much!!
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I have to love Smitty’s enduring love of the absurd and his ability to capture it succinctly and with a twinkle in his eye. Seeing your cartoon about “Sweepers Man Your Brooms” reminds me of one time I was having dinner in the wardroom when my husband had the duty. We were standing on the Quarterdeck, waiting for sunset and the American flag to be lowered. While we were standing there, a voice came over the 1-MC. “Sweepers, sweepers Man Your Brooms. Wet garbage over the side. The roach coach makes an approach.” (The roach coach was the NEX food truck that was approaching the ship at that time.) Needless to say, the addition of the wet garbage (which was probably illegal to throw into the harbor while portside) and the roach coach comments were not appropriate and probably got the commentator in hack.
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haha, I love that story, Jacqui!! I just read it twice and chuckled just the same the second time!!
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haha, I love that story!! I just read it twice and chuckled just the same the second time!!
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Figured you would like it and I thought of it as soon as I saw WordPress’s misfire on Sunday. I had all night to try to get the story concise and understandable.
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Well, at least that glitch came in handy for someone! lol
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Yes, it did. When I first saw the post and realized it was not on the correct day, I was not surprised when the site displayed a 404 error. But I needed the time to get the anecdote correct with what I hoped was enough explanation.
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Ya done good!!! haha, we do have fun with these blogs – even when they act up!
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Yes we do. Thanks, GP. 😉
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Reblogged this on T. W. Dittmer and commented:
I am always in awe of the bravery and fortitude of the armed forces during WWII, and these letters home from Everett Smith amaze me. I had to share this.
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Thank you so very much, TW. I love the intro.
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Thank you for sharing the letters and stories, GP. My dad was in the Navy, but he shared little of his experience. Through your posts, I have a much better understanding. Thank you very much.
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I don’t think Dad would have discussed much with me if I hadn’t found this scrapbook and began asking questions. I have been very happy to hear from a few readers that these letters have helped them understand their father or grandfather.
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Sadly that’s true! How I wish my grandfathers were still alive and I could ask them about the war, their experiences … but it was something which just was not talked about. Reading about someone like your dad gives us a glimpse into those times one should never ever forget.
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That’s how I feel about it all. Thank you.
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I love how your father found the right words and humorously described rather harsh circumstances and events. I think it helped him to maintain his mental state and it was easier for his mother to bear the separation.
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Thank you, Alexander. Dad usually did have the right words when it was needed. I think his talent for that would be very helpful in the world today.
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Die warme brieven van je vader zijn van grote waarde voor u en vroeger voor je moeder. Het zijn schatten die je altijd aan de warme man die je vader was zullen herinneren en door de tijd onbetaalbare herinneringen worden.Op het leven aan boord heb ik in de andere post al geantwoord want had deze 2 posten te samen gelezen
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Heel erg bedankt dat je zo ijverig bent in het lezen van Smitty’s brieven. Dit zijn zeker schatten voor mij!
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This letter gives me a glimpse of what life would be like at sea if Matt was deployed overseas.
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True. They never really know what they’re walking into to. Thanks, Rose.
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Reblogged this on Dave Loves History.
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Thank you, Dave!
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Hey, GP, it’s a blog on WordPress – glitches happen.
Thanks again for sharing Smitty’s letters. They add an angle of understanding I never had. Trying to imagine what they imagined. It must have been so different getting back on a ship after having been on land or in battle. To get up and do it again had to be, well, I don’t know, but this helps me understand.
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I appreciate you saying so, Dan. I feel these letters are a small window into the past and a look through Smitty’s eyes.
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My, these letters are such treasures.
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They sure are to me. But then again, you know exactly how I feel!! Thanks, Joy!
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Now they are for us as well!
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👍
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I imagine uninterrupted sleep was a precious rarity for them.
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I guess war does keep you on your toes, eh?!
Thanks for dropping in, Swabby!
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It always strikes me how he reassures the family that everyday life is sometimes boring, often amusing, but never dangerous. He manages to impart the emotions of the troops as they travel to an unknown fate, never mentioning fear or trepidation. These letters are a blueprint for any soldier with a worried family back home.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks, Pete. I always thought so, but figured I was being prejudiced.
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Reblogged this on Pacific Paratrooper and commented:
I am very sorry for the glitches.
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Loved the sweeper story. My dad told the story that when the Lexington was hit by a kamikaze, shortly thereafter an announcement came over the loudspeaker. “Attention all sweepers. Clean sweep-down fore, and aft.”
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Thank you.
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