Aboard the USNS Meigs-part 8

continued the next day....

Thurs - August 27, 1953

I just got off KP.  Started at 2:30.  I didn't do anything this morn much.  Last night I played bingo.  They really had some nice prizes.  I didn't win anything.

It is really hot here.  I use to think some nights at home were hot to sleep but this is worse I have ever seen..  Your are just wet with sweat all night long.  Pillows and bed are soaked when you wake up.  The weather is pretty rough.  It has been windy today and yesterday.  The water is choppy.  About the roughest I have ever seen.  We have been out about nine days now.  I guess we have gone about 4000 miles now.  We are close to Japan.

I have a new patch for Snapper. It is the 82ne Airborne Division.  I will send it when I get a chance.  I also got a card and a certificate for crossing the International Date Line.  It is a custom to get one when you cross the line.  I'll send that also.

I don't know much more to say.  I go on KP in the morning again so I'll write tomorrow evening.

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Aboad the USNS Meigs-part 7

almost there........

....continued from August 26, 1953

This afternoon I went to the Sea Store and bought a box of cheese-it the had pecan rolls there, so I bought one of those.  A big roll for 30 cents. They are not as good as the ones you use to get though.

Before we get off the ship we have to change our money to script.  We can't use US money there.  We can only use script in army PX etc. not in town.  I only have 4 or 5 dollars to change.  I would like to keep about 2 or 3 dollars.  They say US money is worth quite a bit in Japan.  I may have you send me some in the mail.  Well I think our compartment plays bingo tonight.  Think I'll go play.

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Aboard the USNS Meigs-part 6

....continued from August 25

I may go to the show later on.  Captain Hornblower was on last night but I was to tired to go.  Sudden Fear is on tonight. 

We have been out 7 days tonight.  I guess we have gone about 3000 miles.  That's a long way from home.  We didn't set our watches back last night but we will tonight.  That will make it seven hours between us.

We have had perfect weather so far.  I hope it stays like this.

We are going to land in Yokohama Sat as far as we know.  Then on to Sasabo, Japan and be there Monday.  Well I guess I will close for now.

Wed. 26 Aug 53
Last night I layed down and went to sleep and didn't wake up in time to go to the show so I went back to sleep.  I got up around 3:30 this morning because I couldn't sleep.  I took a shower and then wet back on the bow of the ship and washed a pair of fatigues.  That is where we wash them.  How we do it is kind of interesting.

We take a rope and tie everything together and drop the clothes over the side.  They drag along the water and really get clean.  No soap or anything.  I didn't do much of anything besides that today.

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Aboard the USNS Meigs-part 5

.... continued from August 23, 1953

Yesterday we were about 50 miles away from Midway Islands.  We couldn't see them because we only see about 11 miles.  We see quite a few flying fish early in the morn.  That's about the only kind of fish we have seen.

I played cards this morning and just fooled around.  We go on KP again this afternoon till tomorrow after noon.  Our food has been good so far.  Yesterday we had a 1/2 pint of milk.  I thought that was good because I wanted some milk.  When I started to drink it, it was so cold it was frozen.  I could only drink about half of it. 

It sprinkled a little bit a while ago.  Last night it sprinkled too but it didn't last long.

Well I am going to chow in a little bit and have KP this afternoon so I will close for now.

Well this is Tuesday the 25 of Aug.  Yesterday should have been Monday but sense we passed the date line we jumped a day.  I was on KP last night and when I got off I went to bed.  We were up early this morning for KP.  We got off about 2:30 today.  I didn't go to dinner I was so tired. and hot.  Yesterday we had ice cream for diner.  I filled up on that.  It tasted pretty good.

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Aboard the USNS Meigs-part 4

....continued from August 22, 1953

I figure we have gone around 2400 miles.  I heard that we are going to be in Japan on the 29 of August.  That is next Saturday a week from today.  I hope so because I am a little bit tired of this ship.  We haven't seen an island or anything but water.

The sun is coming down good now.  Seems funny that back home that now the sun would just be going down.  Well not much to say right now.

Sunday-August d23, 1953.  Didn't do much last night but play some more cards and lay around the deck.  I went to the late show last night and saw Fearless Fagan.  It was a good show.  I had to stand up all the way through the picture.  It was about this guy who got drafted and had a pet lion.

We set our watches back an hour again last night.  That makes 6 hours difference between here and K.C..  It is about 11 am now and back home it would be 5 pm.

Tonight we cross the International Date Line.  We will go to bed on Sunday and wake up on Tuesday. So from now on I will be a day a head of you.

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Aboard the USNS Meigs-part 3

...continued from August 20, 1953

I went to the Sea Store today and bought a carton of cigs and a box of cheese-it crackers.  It is funny how cheap different things are.  Everything that has a lot of tax is cheaper.  Just think cigarettes are 8 cents a package.  Well that is about all today.  I am going to bed.  I have to get up at 4 am for KP.  We sat our watches back another hour.  That makes 3 hours now.  I think we have travelled about 1500 miles.  Maybe be and maybe not.  The ship has turned a little more south today for some reason.

I didn't get a chance to write yesterday.  Today is Sat the 22 of August.  It's 2:30 pm here.  At home it would be 7:30 pm.  There is five hours difference between here and K.C.  Last night we sat our watches back again.

Didn't do much yesterday.  Went on KP about 4 am and stayed on till about 2:30 pm.  After that I took a shower and washed up some of my clothes.  I had a headache so I layed down around 5 and didn't get out of bed till about 5:30 this morning.

I played cards with the boys after breakfast from 7 am till lunch and then after lunch we played more till I quit to write this letter.  We play hears and rummy. 

I picked up a cold somewhere.  My head is stopped up.

The weather is nice.  I clouded up a little bit today and it sprinkled but it didn't amount to anything.  It seems like it is a little hotter each day.   Our compartment is plenty hot at night to sleep in.  I think we have gone about half way now.

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Aboard the USNS Meigs-part 2

....continued from August 19, 1953

They had a movie last night but I didn't go.  They have it outside. I might go tonight.  I  haven't been to the PX yet.  There is just a few that can go at one time.  You have to get someone to get things for you.  Cigarettes just cost 85 cents a carton. Well I guess I will stop for awhile.  We just had roll call in our compartment and now we have to leave.  I'll write more later.

We had dinner a little while ago.  It was pretty good.  I just took a shower.  It was salt water and the soap I had would not lather.  I feel clean anyway. This afternoon we just layed around on the deck in the sun.  They played a recording over the speaker.  They were special recordings for the armed services radio. 

At the present time we have two hours difference between here and K.C.  They told us to set our watches back again tonight before we go to bed.  I figure now we have gone 960 miles.  I haven't the faintest idea where we are except we are going west at about 20 knots an hour for 48 hours.

I have taken about two rolls of film altogether. When I have them developed I will send them to you.

All of us are growing mustaches.  That is the 8 of us who are together.  We are all in the same compartment.

There is going to be a movie tonight, Atlantic City. They have two showings a night.  They had Geisha Girl last night.

The talk is that we are going to dock in Japan, Yokohama or something.  Don't know much about it yet.  I would like to get off there for awhile.

We are going on KP tomorrow afternoon about 3 PM.  I hate to go because it is so hot.  I haven't been to sick but could feel a lot better.  It really cleared up today.  The sun came out when I was on deck.  I got my arm burned a little.

Today is August 20, 1953, Thurs.  It is really nice out this morning. Last night I went to the late show and saw Atlantic City.  It was a good picture.  They put the screen on the real most part of the boat and everyone sits around on the deck and watches the picture.  After breakfast everyone sits around on the deck and then everyone goes to their compartment for roll call. 

We went on KP today about 2:30 PM and got off at 7 PM  It is really hot down there.  I work on the serving line and have the same job every time I have KP it seems.  It is better than having the pots and pans.

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