October 21, 1950
At Sea
Hello, Darling,
How’s for a little chat?
I have never been on a cruise like this one. We ran to beat Hell up to Wonsan, got right up to the mine fields, did a reverse course and sailed for twelve hours toward Japan---did another about face and did twelve more hours back to Korea---and by damn if we didn’t turn back last nite and now, today we are, again headed for Wonsan. We are short of chow, water, and fuel oil, so I suppose we will go in this time.
Our only pastime is harassing the Reserves we have aboard, who are all from Texas, and do they ever take a beating! They all want to go home now that the fighting is over, so we tease them all the time. Today, I started a rumor that the Division would turn all their equipment over to the Koreans and go back State Side except the 4th bat.11 Marines. They would stay as advisers to the S. Korean Army because they have never had any 155’s. Now, by gosh, people are telling me the story as coming first hand. It sounds so plausible that I almost believe it my self. Even some of the officers are talking about it. Be quite a joke on me if they did eh?
The weather has turned much colder. I have on two sweaters and a field jacket. The feathered sleeping bag feels good. I have a shelter topside. Three of us have our cots set up between two trucks. Very good sleeping. This, being a small flat bottom landing ship, she rolls quite a lot but we all have our “sea legs” and our cots are lashed down as are all the vehicles so we sleep fine----and just roll with the ship. Some one said McA. Stated we would be in Japan for Thanksgiving dinner. Be glad. We get all the Spam & pork sausage aboard this ship and I hear from the mess Sgt. That one of the other LST’s has only Salmon. Maybe we are lucky. We have quite a convoy now around fourty LST’s and several small tugs & D.E two cruisers and lots of mine sweeps.
Well, Sugar, if we go in tomorrow I will get some mail. I got spoiled in Inch’on had mail every day so maybe I’ll be getting several tomorrow and also yours will be under weigh.
Well, darling, all my love till I can tell you more classily and tell Shirl I love her & think or you all always.
All my love
Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment