An open letter to "Mrs." by GJ

In her comment to yesterday's post, "Mrs." asks me to deal with my time in the South Pacific in 1945. Because my blog-friend has requested the only topic I've received, I'll try to accommodate. But I need to preface my recollections with a caveat. Before anyone gives me too much credit, let me explain that I got to the Pacific in late 1945. Our little amphibious ship was not at Iwo Jima, and even Okinawa was secure by the time we got there.

In the back of my mind, I have this long dissertation on "how to prioritize risk." I don't know if I can ever get that concept down on paper (cyber-or-otherwise) but at times I'm a tad embarrassed to talk about WWII. I received a university education on the GI Bill, and am allowed to wear the Pacific Victory Medal. But I have always felt that I just barely qualified for those benefits. I am way, way down the line from those who died in any battle, those who went down with their ships at Pearl Harbor, those who were held captive in the Phillipines for years, those who were wounded, anywhere, and those who came back terribly changed in any way. I was lucky in so many ways I can't count them.

First, I was "protected," something like armor, by age. I was not yet 18 when we set sail for the Pacific. 17-year-olds think they are invincible. They think of things, even war as an adventure. I didn't know anything of battlefields, bloody beaches, or "bombs bursting in air." I only knew that everything seemed so much better than a high school classroom!

Second, I had the luxury of being aboard ship, where we had hot meals, a dry bunk, and the "image" of safety that comes from being constantly moving. Even in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, with the last of the Kamikaze planes overhead, we were on the move, because our job was to lay down smoke to camouflage the big ships from the enemy's sight. We were the "little guys," running interference for the "big fellas," and subject to equal amounts of fear, bustle, and excitement.

So, I will post some "Pacific" recollections. Three come to mind. In one, I'll deal with the enemy torpedo that passed UNDER us! In another, a visual message that travelled a good 100 miles, I think. In a third, an "R 'n R" on Ie Shima. I will need some time to pull these together for you. Thank you, "Mrs." for the request. You've given me some needed incentive. GJ.