USS Vella Gulf, Aircraft Carrier

chapter 6 | for god and country Naval Medical Center and USS Vella Gulf

On Tuesday, May 30, 1944, following a one-month leave in Boston, John Foley began a seven-month tour of duty as a chaplain at the National Naval Medical Center, today’s Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland. He may have found the work unremarkable as compared with his experiences on the Clymer, and he made only a handful of undated entries while at the facility, including a list of “Experiences in Naval Medical Center.”

Remark of Protestant—“Some of my best friends are Catholic, not just one day a week, but seven.

Apgar, wounded aboard the bridge of the USS Texas off the Normandy Coast, lost one leg below the knee, other in bad way also. Asked him how many blood transfusions he had. “Wish I never had any.”

Jensen, dying of cancer of the bronchial tubes, listed as a Catholic. Asked if he wanted to go to Confession and Communion. Puzzled expression, said he wasn’t a Catholic. Checked with mother; mixed marriage, that boy brought up by an uncle, a Lutheran. Trying to catch the last word; hardly strength to whisper message. “Give my best to everybody.”

Russian member of Soviet Embassy broke neck swimming. Introduced self as priest; I inquired what he was. Although he understood and spoke English up to that point, answer, “Sorry, I do not understand.” Same of two of his friends whom I met in the passageway. WAVE loaned $166 to two sailors for liberty, and to one who wanted “to buy flowers for his wife’s grave.”

Foley lobbied to be returned to sea, and in January 1945 he was assigned to the USS Vella Gulf, an aircraft carrier that was being built in Washington State. Named for an American Naval victory in the Solomon Islands in August 1943, the Vella Gulf carried 34 aircraft comprising torpedo bombers and fighters, and a crew of more than 1,000. She was commissioned on April 9 and, with Foley on board, was engaged in sea trials off the coast near San Diego when word of the German surrender was received.

tuesday, may 8, 1945

Service of Thanksgiving for Victory in Europe aboard the USS Vella Gulf.

0800 – General Quarters. Emergency drill.

0930 – Bugler sounded attention before ship’s company was dismissed from General Quarters.

ATTENTION ALL HANDS: This is Fr. Foley, ship’s Chaplain speaking. This morning official confirmation was received that the war in Europe is over. In accordance with the wishes of our Commander-in-Chief, President Harry S. Truman, and in prayerful union with millions of our fellow Americans ashore, we stop for a few minutes in our busy lives aboard ship to thank God for the victory that has crowned our arms.

First we shall say a prayer, then pause for a minute of respectful silence in tribute to the men who have died ashore and afloat in the Army and Navy and end with a blessing.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Almighty and everlasting God, Lord of battles, mercifully hear the prayers of us, Thy servants, who turn to Thee in gratitude in this hour of victory for our arms in Europe. We thank Thee that the scourge of war, the blood, the sweat, and the tears will no longer wrack and agonize Thy people and our brothers in arms in that part of the world. Grant that we, who have stern tasks ahead, whose duties call us to the fighting line in another theater, may be strengthened by Thy grace for their courageous execution. May we continue to place our trust in Thee, mindful of Thy words, ‘In vain do they build unless the Lord builds with them.’ Finally, we ask, O Lord of Mercy, to remember the souls of those who made this victory possible by pouring out the red sweet wine of their youth on the altar of our country’s freedom that others may live. Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On May 11, at San Diego, aircraft loading was completed, and on the following day, pilots began their trial runs for qualification for carrier duty.

saturday, may 12, 1945

Mass as usual at 0600 with attendance of about 50. 1515 – Our first plane is catapulted off successfully. Everyone breaks out in a broad smile of relief that she made it, an F4U fighter that sails off directly into the teeth of a strong wind up into the blue of the sky, with the sun glinting off her steel skin.296

Second makes it without a hitch also, with men in colors of the rainbow running here and there on the windswept flight deck, all about their assigned tasks. They are wearing red cloth helmets, green, yellow, white, blue, brown with jerseys to match, all indicating their special job. As yet I don’t know what that is, but will learn shortly. Plane director, an officer, speaks a sign language to the pilot as he sits in the cockpit, tunes up his motor with a crescendo that all but deafens, then he swings his hands down vigorously and the war bird is flying.

Plane number three is jockeyed into position on the catapult. The flight officer director goes through his gestures; she spins down to the edge of the flight deck, rears up like a charging horse, turns over, lands with a crash right side up and then drifts by within 15 feet of the port side forward sponson [gun platform], where I am. She is slowly sinking with the cockpit half under water, the pilot slumped over, and blood staining the water around the area.

We feel so helpless, a man slowly sinking under with the cockpit just fifteen feet from us and we are powerless to help. The only part that shows as she drifts by the stern is the tip of her rudder. A young man, 2nd Lt. Edward Groves, USMC, son of Mrs. Susan Groves, 205 South 20th Avenue, Maywood, Ill., has gone to his death. May the Lord have mercy on his soul.297

296 Favored by the Marines in the South Pacific, the F4U Corsair was capable of flying at 400 miles per hour, and adaptable for both land and shipboard use. It was particularly effective against the Zero—the most capable of Japanese fighter planes—for which its kill ratio was 11:1. Its main flaw was a long nose which could interfere with pilot vision during shipboard landings. When taxiing the planes, pilots would make “s” turns to improve their ability to see what lay ahead. 297 Edward Clifford Grove was 25 years old. He’d been an inspector in a tractor factory prior to joining the Marines in 1942. He was survived by his parents and three sisters. His body and his plane were never recovered, and he is listed as Missing in Action. As in other cases, Foley noted a mother’s name and address so he could later write a letter of condolence. See entry for May 5, 1943. In one of his interviews with Stephen O’Brien, he recalled that he’d said a Mass for Grove—who was not a Catholic—on the deck where the planes were garaged, the pilot represented by an empty chair. See photo page 237.

Destroyer races over behind us, but search is useless. This boy failed to qualify. Later learn that these boys must take off from catapult once, then land and take off under their own power four times more for final qualification. Trials must go on. Next man lines up, next, next, etc., without mishap, thank God. Only casualty for the rest of the afternoon is a plane handler who ran into a cable barrier and cut his face, much the same as running into a clothesline in the dark.

sunday, may 13, 1945

Mother’s Day. Masses as usual. Ship still saddened by death of Groves. Memorial Mass at 0900.

monday, may 14, 1945

Into San Diego.

May runs out with trial runs and qualifications for the flyers with happily no more accidents. At the end of May we went into the Naval Repair Base at San Diego for a yard overhaul of 14 days, during which some minor changes were made to some of the ship’s installations.

Official business is heavy when men find out that leave will not be granted. They concoct many reasons for excuses to go home. However, policy is settled by Executive Officer that only leaves granted will be for emergency.

One boy came for straight information on marriage to a Catholic girl in New York. He was already divorced after a valid marriage. She failed to let him know that she could not marry him at the time of their trip before a Justice of the Peace. He cried quietly when I told him that he would have to give her up.

Another man wanted to get a special liberty in order that he might obtain some meat for his baby in Mexico. That was the latest wrinkle for me. I wound up down in the butcher shop, carrying out two pounds of hamburg and a pound of liver.

Lost my garrison cap with insignia over the side when propeller wash seized it and whipped it off my head. I’m learning.

sunday, June 17, 1945

0600 – Mass aboard ship. 0730 – Mass at Lowery Annex at Naval Air Station, San Diego. 1900 – Mass aboard ship.

Today was the day. We got underway for Pearl Harbor at 1000. I dropped into the Pilot’s Ready Room on the way up to the flight deck where our war birds are lashed to the deck. One of the pilots was playing “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning,” on the record machine. He turned to me with a smile and said, “Don’t you think that is a good song for this morning?” Another pilot answers very quickly, “We ought to put on the one entitled ‘I Got A Funny Feeling.’”

Last night I went over to the San Diego Cathedral to go to Confession. Walking down the street was a peculiar sensation, realizing that it would be a long time before we would see a city, an American city, again. You were aware of a conscious effort to impress scenes of the busy rhythm on memory to be stored up for a future day when you tried to fix faces. You were tempted to go up to some people, “This is my last walk down a street like this for ages. I’ll be thinking of this for a long time. I’ll miss the store windows, the busy throng of shoppers, the lobbies of crowded hotels, the lines of people in the restaurant. In other words, I’m going to be missing you, even though I don’t know you.”

friday, June 22, 1945

Talk with Seiss, one of the TBM pilots.298 He was looking down at the marvelously blue waters of the

298 A torpedo bomber manufactured by Grumman, the TBM or TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber widely used in World War II. It was crewed by a pilot, a turret gunner, and a bombardier, and could carry 2,000 pounds of bombs. President George H.W. Bush was flying an Avenger when he was shot down in the South Pacific in September 1944. Its stout appearance as compared with other airplanes, earned it the nickname “Turkey.”

Pacific for the first time. Twenty-four years old, he spoke from three years experience Stateside training for pilot. Would not marry because he did not think it fair to the girl. Loved flying, but it has its heart-stopping moments, e.g., This morning he was up 5000 feet, started down when his engine died on him. Apparently bubble in gas line, but had some anxious moments until she started up again. Worries about other two men, radio gunner and bombardier. Hates idea of responsibility for lives of those two men. “But one good feature, the three of us are single.”

Now and then we see a plane on the way from Frisco to Pearl or vice versa. They make the 2300 odd miles in a few hours whereas we take seven days. Our flight operations hold us up.

monday, June 25, 1945

We sight Diamond Head about five o’clock. Flight operations began early with reveille at 0400. Mass was at 0630. Espy in distance Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

We cruise up and down off Diamond Head following our flight operations schedule, then about 11 o’clock we start for the channel off Ford Island, scene of the holocaust on December 7, 1941.

We discover that Ford Island is a small island in a bay just about eight miles from Honolulu. On one side where battleship row used to be is one capsized ship, the Arizona on which Fr. [Aloysius] Schmitt met his death.299 Just off our side is the Utah, training ship mistaken by the Japs for a carrier. No land around bears any scars of the damage wrought by the surprise attack four years ago. Hundreds of ships are anchored here, which will be a jam-packed harbor when troops are deployed from the Pacific.

Wednesday, June 27, 1945

To Honolulu, eight mile ride in bus from Pearl Harbor. City itself is a bit on the dumpy side. Straggling houses, in the way which Hawaiians and Chinese and Japanese of all shades and castes live. Continue in bus to Royal Hawaiian Hotel which is now a recreation place for the submarine men back after a long cruise of duty. Buff colored walls, awninged windows, lovely foyer, then outside golden sands, long breakers curving in on a curving shore help it to live up to expectations.

Learn that one of our fighter pilots was seriously injured last night while practicing night land carrier landings. Lt. William R. Winn from Georgia.

thursday, June 28, 1945

Night carrier landings at midnight, eerie setting. Landing Signal Officers are dressed in luminous outfits that reflect back in orange, green and black colors. Paddles in hands with which they wave on or off the pilots, also luminous. Incoming planes look like giant bugs with purple flames leaping in angry shortings from exhausts on both sides of the engines, much like the two eyes on a giant bug.

Then wing lights of green, red, and tail of blue light up the plane for all to see. Long, slender pencils of light from little fountain pens along the deck help the pilots to make the hazardous landings. Fortunately we have no accidents as they fly on and off all night until dawn. Sleep, naturally, was intermittent.

We learn that Lt. Winn died yesterday. Executive Officer desires memorial services after we complete night flying exercises.

sunday, July 1, 1945

Plane brings mail out from land; everybody rejoices, but some sad news. One man from hills of Kentucky visits me to tell of grandmother’s death. Can he get to see her? Impossible. Tells me how he was her favorite grandson. Grandfather used to drink heav-

299 Schmitt, a diocesan priest from Dubuque, Iowa, is believed to have drowned after the ship foundered while he was helping other trapped men to escape through a lower deck porthole. He had a short time earlier declined an offer to climb through the porthole to safety. Thirty-two, he was the first American chaplain to be killed as a result of hostile fire since WW I. His remains were identified through DNA testing in 2016 and returned to his family.

ily until one day when he was seen to take a jug of whiskey, leave the house to go up to the brow of the hill, tie the jug to a bent branch of a tree, pull back and send it crashing down the hillside. Never touched a drop after that. Grandmother always gave this boy hot corncakes and buttermilk when he came into her house. Boy cried as he said how he would miss her. At the end of the visit we said a prayer for his grandmother.

monday, July 2, 1945

Back again at Pearl Harbor late this afternoon, too late for shore leave. We moor again to the same dock and note that the Utah is aft of us, one of the ships the Japs sank at the time of their attack on December 7, 1941.

thursday, July 5, 1945

Joe Cummiskey and I tour the town, visit the 5 & 10, Kresges, big banana split. Counter girls as alert as at home, only difference color of skin, brown, yellow, shape of eyes, straight, almond, etc. We also visit a Buddhist Temple; big golden casket-shaped affair before the altar on which an open tabernacle affair housed statue of Buddha. Incense was burning perpetually before the altar in a big urn, thin wisp of it rising to the ceiling.

tuesday, July 10, 1945

Gunnery practice for gun mounts with drone up in the sky, a radio-controlled small plane that successfully eludes all efforts of our gunners to shoot down in the morning. It simulates all attacks, approaches on the ship, diving in on us out of the sun, making port and starboard runs, as well as coming in from forward and aft. It is controlled in its operations by radar on an LCI, Landing Craft Infantry, that cruises directly behind us. In the afternoon two of the drones are shot down, but are recovered by the LCI.

From Pearl Harbor, the Vella Gulf was dispatched 3,800 miles west, to an area from which its planes would be dispatched to attack Japanese position in the Marina Islands, 1,500 miles southeast of the Japanese mainland. At the conclusion of the voyage, Foley, the inveterate observer, made these undated notes, which he called “Carrier Sidelights.”

The Landing Signal Officer, LSO, is the man who flies the planes aboard. His is an important post and dangerous, too, as the emergency net beneath his platform witnesses. In each hand he holds a gridded wire paddle, somewhat larger than a ping-pong paddle, strung with brightly colored strips of cloth, his signal flag.

The ritual of landing aboard a carrier is a fascinating one. At its best, it is a virtuoso performance of perfect coordination, quick-thinking and split-second timing. An Army aviator who watched his first carrier landing said, “I see it but I don’t believe it. How can a plane land in that space without spinning in?”

Something out of Walt Disney. Picturesque lot, plane-handling sailors. Deck, battle-gray, many-hued jerseys and helmets: 6 yellow for plane directors; 5 green for arresting-gear crew; 1 red for armament and fueling; 3 blue for plane pushers; 4 brown for plane captains; 2 white for hospital corpsmen; 2 white for firefighters and 2 men in asbestos suits.

At night, luminous suit worn by LSO can’t be missed by pilot. He swings paddles in hands at night, too, while the flight deck men wave illuminated wands, long slender pencils of orange and red.

Blue flame, blue and incredibly clean spurts from exhausts as planes make night landings.

“Stand clear of propellers.” “Start engines.”

Aboard a carrier you have what other ships lack, the intimate contact with the offensive blow, the conversations with the pilots and air crew before and after the strike. You hear the thunderous, climactic roar of the engines in the gray dawn; you see them quivering with tremendous power as they strain to get airborne.

Then, too, you experience the constant heavy apprehension over the fate of each pilot and you participate in the daily routine of flight preparations.

Anti-aircraft practice – terrible, deliberate rhythm of the 5” guns, resonant boom of the 40 mm’s, and the staccato extraordinary precision.

monday, July 23, 1945

2000 – First briefing on the mission tomorrow. Flyers will make strike on Jap-held island of Pagan, one of the Marianas north of Saipan and Tinian.

Ready Room is crowded with extras, like myself, four newspaper correspondents, two of the flight deck officers, etc. Flyers are reading booklets, “Meet the Marianas,” just in case they are shot down. Others are reading maps, some sharpening their pencils for note taking. One says, “I hope I get me a good target.”

Lt. Col. Koln opens by saying, “We can’t begin the show yet for we haven’t the photographs, but should have them from the lab in a few minutes. From what I have seen of the prints, we ought to be able to cook up something for tomorrow.”

Mr. Royce, Combat Intelligence Officer, takes over for a few minutes with remarks on a slide map that he shows of the island to be hit, Pagan, pointing out some features of the terrain. When he steps down, men relax in leather-upholstered chairs, lighting up their cigarettes for a while. Then all are galvanized into attention by Lt. Koln.

“We’ve got the pictures, boys. Here they are.” Lights are dimmed again and photos are flashed on the screen. He talks quietly, like a college prof., as he points out each target for the six strikes. “Strike Able has a juicy white building here on the tip of this jetty. First four fighters will go in strafing bombs. When you do that there shouldn’t be much left. Strike Baker, two big white houses sitting up on top of this cliff. No scruples about hitting them, for natives don’t live in houses like that.” Remarks that he will be sitting up there with them. “I’ll drop smoke on two of the targets to mark them, so you fellows can do your stuff. By the way, on these two positions here, make one pass, then go rendezvous for altitude and advantage, then make a second pass, if you haven’t met with much fire on the first pass. If you have, forget the second pass, pick out some other target for what you have left.”

Questions are answered about strafing shipping; answer negative, may be our B-29 men being helped by natives. All ships will be our own.

Somber reminder that trip is not a pleasure venture by Lt. picking up mike, instructing men, “Remember, fellows, leave your wallets behind and all identification; you won’t need any of that.”

tuesday, July 24, 1945

Pilots return from strike agog with excitement as intelligence officers question them for information that will be of assistance to men making the later six strikes. Report meager fire, sight no Japs, all of them being under cover. Pictures taken will make later strikes immeasurably easier.

0430 – Reveille. Ship was up early to get in pre-dawn launching of first strike. Planes are all armed and ready to go with bombs and rockets, for armament men have been up since 0300, earliest on ship to rise.

Strikes launched and landed with rhythmical regularity, each one. Report from one of the early ones states over the radio that she, TBM, has picked up AA fire in one of her wings.

At the end of the day happily all planes and men return with no casualties except TBM mentioned above and one bullet through one of the window shields of a fighter.

Wednesday, July 25, 1945

Another strike scheduled this morning, but only 2 knot wind across the deck prevents planes from taking off. Sea is glassy calm with not a ripple on its

face as far as the eye can see. Only planes launched during the day are the ASP, anti-submarine patrols, early morning and afternoon.

thursday, July 26, 1945

Another strike; this time on Rota which is situated between Saipan and Guam. Both strikes are launched before seven o’clock, which means that we had to be up again at 0430, an early hour! Again happily no casualties except to the elevators of the planes that went down too close and caught some flak from its own bomb blast or the bomb blast of the plane ahead of it.

We are operating off these islands of Tinian and Saipan, the homes of the B-29’s, the monsters of the sky lanes.300 We see them as they are returning in the early morning from their night attacks on Japan’s home cities and we see them starting out at night as tonight.

For over one hour they are flying over us on their way north as the dusk descends on the ocean. When they began their flight over us the sun was just sinking in the Pacific Ocean. When it is dark, they are still winging their way north to write their blazing message across the face of Japan for the rulers of that unfortunate country to read. It still holds that there are none so blind as those who won’t read.

We stand topside on the flight deck and watch the endless procession across the night sky with their lights showing clearly, to be extinguished later on, somewhere during their fourteen hour trip when they are over enemy territory.

Though they number hundreds, they look lonesome up in the sky with their precious cargo of eleven men for whom families, wives, children, mothers, sweethearts are praying back home. What does the night’s venture hold in store for them? Which will be among those whose trip will be characterized by that simple, short but tragic word, “only” one plane, two planes were lost. I bless them as they leave us, swallowed up by the night sky, their lights growing dimmer and dimmer in the distance until they are lost to view. May God be with them, every one. We shall have our night’s sleep and yet they will be just returning to Saipan and Tinian, their work completed for another two days when they must fly again. I think back on the day I saw two of them flying out of San Francisco over the Bay on the first leg of their long hop to engage the enemy in combat; now they are in it with capital letters.

friday, July 27, 1945

Today we entered port that is open water behind the anti-sub nets off Tanapoag, Saipan. It is about 150 miles north of Guam, with a temperature much cooler and, for that reason, more comfortable than Guam. Harbor has no men of the fleet. Ships are all at sea or another anchorage, preparing for the big strike against Japan.

saturday, July 28 to Wednesday, august 1, 1945

We have qualification runs for shore-based pilots who land and take off immediately. Weather closes in frequently with rain and fog so days are not as profitable as expected.

Mass, as every morning, starts the day in the hangar deck. Being Saturday, I visit the USS St. Olaf nearby to arrange for Mass aboard for the Catholic men and nurses since she is a US Army Hospital Ship. Find aboard Fr. Halloran, S.J., Missouri Province, who informs me that Frs. Jimmy McLaughlin and Jimmy Dolan, fellow New Englanders, are ashore on

300 Introduced into the war in June 1944, and used almost exclusively in the Pacific Theater, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a highaltitude bomber with a range of 5,600 miles. First deployed from China in bombing raids on Japanese targets, the aircraft were shifted to the Marianas in November 1944. From there they were capable of reaching all major Japanese cities. The firebombing of Tokyo on March 9-10 1945, which engaged 279 B-29s from the Marianas, is considered the most devastating air raid of the war. An estimated 100,000 Japanese were killed, more than died at Hiroshima. As the war neared its close, 65 B-29s were specially fitted so they could carry atomic bombs.

Saipan.301 Arrange for Protestant minister to come aboard for my Protestant men tomorrow morning. I find that Lt. Greenwood, an old shipmate from the George Clymer, is a member of the ship’s company. USS Woodford is the name of his ship.

Ashore early to Saipan in the afternoon to 121st CB’s where I wake Jimmy McLaughlin out of a sound sleep to say hello when we have not met for four years. He looks well, was on Tinian, moved here a few weeks ago with his outfit. Has a lovely chapel that his men built for him out of spare time and scrap lumber.

monday, august 6, 1945

Early rising as usual for General Quarters, followed by Mass. Marine Stan Glowacki, 19, wishes to become a lay brother when the war is over. Lt. Bill Massey is puzzled by the “meaningless universe” in which we live. Wants some assurance that truths of religion were not manufactured by an overheated imagination.

thursday, august 9, 1945

on this night the atomic bomb, man’s latest instrument of destruction, was dropped on hiroshima, population 375,000, and destroyed most of the city and 40% of the people. man’s inhumanity to man.302

One of the fighter pilots aboard remarked that he should hate to have the burden on his conscience that he personally was responsible for sending that number, 225,000, of people into eternity, “even if I were carrying out orders.”303 Lt. Hall remarks at breakfast that Jap plane approached within 30 miles of our anchorage last night. Sixteen fighters were vectored immediately to him and he crashed in flames. friday, august 10, 1945

2140 (9:40 p.m.) – General Quarters. We all bounce to General Quarters, hear a lot of firing; ships have opened up all around us. Learn later that it was an impromptu celebration at news, premature, that war was over; that six men were killed and thirty wounded by our own anti-aircraft fire. Lack of discipline responsible for their deaths as well as unauthorized celebrations.

0000 – Midnight. Footnote written to rumor about end of war when we have a raid approaching at this hour; no damage done to us, just a lot of night fireworks and thunder.

Sailor’s sister, Army Nurse, comes aboard for a short visit. Their mother will be glad to hear the good news. Another man’s brother also makes contact aboard.

saturday, august 11, 1945

Underway again for Guam with a load of 60 planes to be serviced at Guam by A. and R. shops there, most of them fighter ships, a lot of them with Jap flags painted on their sides.304

sunday, august 12, 1945

Two Masses today and Rosary and Benediction in the afternoon. We learn that a Jap submarine launched a human [manned] torpedo at an LSD [Dock Landing Ship] four hours astern of us passing through the same area. Explosion of torpedo occurred about 1830 (6:30).

monday, august 13, 1945

Pilots going up on Combat Air Patrol had instructions not to molest a Jap hospital ship on the way to Wake Island. Two of them on return reported that they had sighted her. Later we learn that she was

301 James D. McLaughlin (1918 – 1977) was a priest of the New England Jesuit Province, as was James J. Dolan (1903-1952) who later served in a Jesuit mission in Jamaica that was administered by New England. 302 The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6. 303 An estimated 80,000 people were killed as an immediate consequence of the bomb. 304 American personnel would stencil a rising sun symbol on boats or planes to indicate “kills,”

intercepted by one of our destroyers, claimed immunity from attack under the Geneva Convention. On her way to evacuate sick Japanese personnel from Wake [Island]. Allowed to proceed with stipulation that she report back for inspection on her return voyage. Did so; inspection party found in her sick bays nearly 200 of the Island’s garrison, “so decrepit from malnutrition and disease that the destroyer’s doctor doubted whether half of them would live to reach Tokyo, even under the best of care.” Just a sample of what happened to the by-passed Japanese.

Wednesday, august 15, 1945

Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption.

We are steaming on the way to Guam from Okinawa about 10 o’clock with Guam lying low on the horizon when word is passed down the Public Address System to stand by for a special announcement. Perhaps this is the one we have been waiting for so long. Three times before we have bounced to the speakers, hoping rumors of peace would be settled once and for all by the word of peace. The day itself has been an unusual one at sea. General Quarters about 5 a.m., followed by Mass.

that announcement. it was the alnav from secretary forrestal that we had all been waiting to hear. an authoritative statement that the war was over. a roar of joy went skyward from all over the ship, and a prayer of thanksgiving that god had at last harkened to the prayers that were storming heaven for the end of the horrible conflict.

1015 – I approached the Executive Officer for permission to say a prayer of thanksgiving over the PA system for the day of days arrival. At the time we were almost at the entrance of Guam harbor waiting for the pilot to come aboard. He said that I couldn’t have it then. Then I asked him what would be a good time. He referred me to the Captain standing nearby on the bridge. “Captain, I’d like permission to say a prayer over the PA system, etc.” “Fine; now would be a good time.” Bugler sounds attention; all hands uncover.

This is the Chaplain, Fr. Foley speaking. You have just heard the official pronouncement in the form of an ALNAV from the Secretary of the Navy that the war is over. It is only appropriate that the arrival of this moment which has been the object of so many prayers should be commemorated by an act of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the blessing of victory. So we stop for a minute in our shipboard duties to pray.

O Almighty and Everlasting God, Father of Mercies, Whose treasures of goodness are infinite, we raise our minds and hearts to Thee in thanksgiving that this day the nations of the world are no longer locked in deadly strife and that Thou has crowned our arms with victory. Grant, we beseech Thee, that in our moment of victory, we may not forget to walk in the way of Thy Commandments and so merit Thy blessing upon ourselves and our great country in the days of peace that are ahead. We ask Thee, in Thy mercy, to be mindful of our comrades in arms, who made this victory possible, the Marines and soldiers who reddened the beaches from Casablanca to Iwo Jima, and the sailors and pilots who brought their ships and planes to a flaming end. To them, O Lord, and to all who place their trust in Thee, grant a place of refreshment, light and peace, through Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Later in the afternoon I tried to phone Ed on the beach, but this was his day off so failed to get in touch with him. Better luck tomorrow.

1600 (4:00 p.m.) – Another Mass in honor of Our Lady in thanksgiving for the end of the war and for the repose of the souls of those who had made the victory possible.

This evening in the harbor the men are shooting off rockets celebrating in a mild way compared to the tragic premature celebration at Okinawa last Friday.

thursday, august 16, 1945

Mass as usual started the day.

Set out in the afternoon to see Ed. Thumbed my way along the four lane highway Sea Bees and Army Engineers built until I reached Ed’s hospital where he was not at home. Off on a beach party with some of his rehabilitation cases. Shows up about four o’clock, then we return to the ship where he sits down to a good meal of roast beef and all the fixings. He tells me of his hectic night last night and why his fellow officers have started to call him “Salty.” Yesterday, his day off, he and a dentist went out in a sailboat and were marooned about five miles off shore. They were steadily drifting out to sea when they were spotted by another officer on the beach who was supposed to pick them up in a jeep. He saw them in the distance, immediately got in touch with air-sea rescue and before long a plane was circling over the drifting sailors. Then a Dumbo dropped flares all around them when it got dark. As they drifted helplessly, they suddenly saw this big hull bearing down on them out of the smoke caused by the flares. Sailors lined her with drawn guns and rifles primed to fire. When they shouted not to fire and identified themselves, the tension was broken. At 1 a.m. the two unwilling sailors finally got back home. Later on the same evening, a Jap was picked up in the same area, apparently a radio man, who learned of the surrender over the radio and decided to turn himself in.

Ed won’t forget August 15th for two reasons, the end of the war and his saga of the sea.