"Diaries are forbidden now"...

[Ghost in the Machine]

Monday September 20, 1943
"Diaries are forbidden now, so am going to hide mine. one more entry tho. Tonight saw a beautiful sight. 4 Jap bombers came over and, as they had been getting away clean, an (old) major, 37 (too old to be any good) pleaded for permission to patrol Henderson Field. It was granted and he started over Carney (not sure of this word*) and shot down all 4 Japs. All flamers. Two of them let loose their bombs too damned close, but too late to get away. The sky was full of tracers and planes in flames. At night was an awesome sight. Saw one of them early next AM and what was left of it was brand new. Bodies of 7 Jap airmen were found nearby."

This is the very last entry from my grandfather's diary. I remember looking through it when I was about 12 or 13. Just dug it out last night reading a little bit. I'm still reading, but thought I would share this. I believe this was all at Guadalcanal.

[WillyT]

1. Thank You For That...

My old man flew B-25s for the Marines in the South Pacific during WWII. Didn't talk about it much. But he and Joe Rosenthal of Iwo Jima Flag photograph fame were good buds. After getting out of Korea, he moved to California and eventually became a Legislative Analyst for several newspapers, and a good Democrat.

And I miss him terribly...

:hi:

[Ghost in the Machine]

2. I never met my grandfather, he died when my dad was 16.

My dad never talked about him much either, except to say how strict he was raised. It's kind of fascinating reading some of this. Here's another excerpt:

"Sunday July 4th, 1943
There is an awful battle going on a few miles from here. Wounded are being brought in by the shipload. Planes overhead are making such a roaring you can hardly hear. I was up on Bloody Knoll today. Fiercest battle of Guadal canal was fought there. Skeletons still lay about. Good progress is being reported but we are paying for it."

[truedelphi]

15. Did he make it home from the Pacific? n/t

[Ghost in the Machine]

19. Yes, he died of cancer in 1954 .... n/t

[Ghost in the Machine]

3. kick

[BlooInBloo]

4. When you criminalize diaries, only criminals will have diaries.

[Ghost in the Machine]

5. Saturday August 14th, 1943

Tojo came, but did no damage. Came early too! We look for him to make a final attempt here to do a lot of damage. Got my gas mask checked up today. He made his boast over Tokyo radio, no man would be left alive after Aug 16. We don't believe it, but we're careful.

11:30 PM - Have just returned from beach. Tojo came, bombed 2 ships - one still burning. Tracer and (unintelligible - looks like aircraft overhead. Maybe will sleep.. maybe not.

No sleep. The crew of burned ship was brought to us for quarters. 2 of them asleep in my tent now. Over 150 killed and Tojo got off clean. He'll be here again tonight. Need some sleep.

[WillyT]

6. Keep Goin Ghost... I Want To Hear It All...

And again, thank you.

:pals:

[Posteritatis]

7. What time period does it span? (nt)

[Ghost in the Machine]

8. He started it out on March 13th, 1943 when he left from Biloxi to California

to go to his advanced base. It ends on Sept. 20th from orders of No More Diaries. Even back then, they tried to control the news that would reach home, huh?

[tomreedtoon]

14. I think they were worried about captured intelligence.

It's possible that a diary might contain information that the Japanese could have used. In those days a lot of "v-mails" were censored too. A message might give information about where a ship was heading, enabling the enemy to sink it.

It's a lot different when people are ordered to censor their thoughts, emotions and feelings. They DID allow those in letters from home in World War II. I think they're forbidden in the current war.

I do appreciate you posting the letter, Ghost In The Machine. My father served in World War II and Korea. And that conflict - and the beliefs and the emotions of that time, at home and abroad - are my favorite period of history. We Americans were so much more noble then. I grieve for what we've become in the last seven years.

[flyarm]

9. mY FATHER IN LAW WAS AN IMMIGRANT WORKING IN HAWAII

building the underground oil tanks when Pearl Harbor happened..as were his brothers..his one sister was there with twin babies as well.

Three days before Pearl Harbor was bombed , their other sister in California wrote them a letter begging them all to leave Oahu
Hawaii immediately, as she feared Oahu would be bombed by the Japanese and a war would begin.

My father in law got the letter almost a month after Pearl Harbor was bombed..and he kept the letter in pristine condition all these years, with the envelope with the post dating on it.

When his sister was asked how she knew..she said he had heard little wispers here and there..but it was mostly her intution.

My father in law was underground in the oil tanks when Pearl Harbor was beginning to be bombed..his hearing was forever compromised ..because he said the noise was so loud underground...they could not hear anything for weeks!

He joined the Army but was not stationed in the So. Pacific.... he was sent to France.

fly

[flyarm]

10. thank you for sharing your grandfathers diary..it brings back memories

of my dad and father in law!!..both WWII vets.

i miss them both...

fly

edit to add..my dad was is Guadalcanal...as a Seebee. He was 16 yrs old when his dad signed him up on his birthday 16th birthday...Dec 29th 1941...

as my grandpa's ship in the Navy in WWI was the USS ARIZONA...they wouldn't take my grandpa back in the Navy so he signed his oldest son up..my dad..can you imagine going to war at age 16??..i can;t imagine my son having to go to war when he was 16...

[Ghost in the Machine]

12. I think my grandfather was seebee too. He was in charge of a welding

outfit. From what I'm reading, they made a few shops on islands for ship repairs, etc. I haven't seen mention yet of which ship he was on. I've found one person so far that he mentioned by name, which was "McEwen".. no first name, just McEwen...

Some is very hard to read, he wrote real small letters. Some words I can't make out, but am trying.. this diary is leatherbound and over 64 years old..

[flyarm]

17. OMG..MY DAD WAS A TOP WELDER AS WELL AND AFTER THE WAR..

my dad opened a welding business that ended up building huge trucks!!..but that is how my dad started ,.he was a welder in the seebees..and he ran big bulldozers..

dad went on many of the islands..and was left for dead on Guam..by Gen. MacArthur ..my dad did not like Mac Arthur..
but dad became an operating engineer after the war and opened a welding company on the east coast after the war.

WOW..maybe they knew each other!!..my dad is passed now..so we will never know...how sad...

But i know your Grandpa was a hero..as the Seebees were some of the first to land on the islands..my dad would tell me the stories..they set it up for the other troops to land on the beaches..they had dangerous jobs..

and if your grandpa was anything like my dad..he was a "man's man!!"..tough as nails with hearts like a teddy bear!!..but some tough soldiers!!

You have alot to be proud of , of your grandfather!!

The sad thing about any war though is ..my dad died ..reliving the war in his last days..it never leaves them.

War is not a game..and war leaves scars that last a lifetime.

Be proud of your Grandfather..he deserves your pride!!

fly

[Ghost in the Machine]

18. You never know, they may have known each other. My grandfather

went on to become a founding member of Local Union 725 Pipefitters & Steamfitters out of Miami, Fla. My father recently got his 50 year pin from Local 725 and 2 of my uncles are 50+ year members.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

11. K&R cool story

[Ghost in the Machine]

20. Thank you. Nice pics! n/t

[flying rabbit]

13. k 'n' r n/t

[Recursion]

16. Definitely Guadalcanal

Both the date and Henderson Field confirm that.

Semper Fi to him...

[Ghost in the Machine]

22. Yes it definetly is.. I found more info upon reading more.

will post some more later...

[tbyg52]

21. Thank you.

I wish I had more stuff of my dad's. He was on Guadalcanal, 1st Marine Division.

Which always reminds me of my mom. She was working at some defense contractor as her wartime contribution (wish I knew which one), and often mentioned the obstructive politics there, even during the "good war." One particularly bad day she told them that they could run a three-ring circus if they wanted to, but her husband was on Guadalcanal and she was quitting.

[Ghost in the Machine]

23. Sunday, August 15th, 1943 - Night time air raids

Air raid lasted 4 hours last night. I got no sleep. They got another ship. Moon is bright enough to read a paper so they came over the whole island. Sure to catch it again tonight. Going to try to get some sleep in my foxhole.

[Ghost in the Machine]

24. "Monday, August 16, 1943"

No raids last night so got a good nights sleep. Reports are that a Jap invasion fleet is headed this way. 3 carriers, 7 ships. Machine gun strafing raids possible. All available machines are digging trenches and bomber and fighter strip crews standing by. I am as near ready as a man can be and should it happen, I'll take another look at my pictures then go forth to do my duty. The night will tell.


Sounds like he was afraid he was going to die on this night....