The 92nd Evacuation Hospital, with many of the old doctors gone and new ones trickling in, is getting ready to do their part in MacArthur's push to retake the Philippines. No one knows when that push will be, nor their place in the line up. So they wait and Gene takes photos.
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| The officers' tents on Owi (Gene's is the last one on the left) |
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| B-24 bomber returning to the Owi airstrip; taken from just behind Gene's tent |
October 5, 1944
This evening we received about 70 escaped [American] prisoners from the Phillipines [sic]. I found a Col. McGhee who knew Arthur Fouret [a friend from Trinidad, Colorado, who had been a captain in the army and was captured when the Philippines fell]. He said he'd been very sick with beri-beri and malnutrition, but had recovered and been sent to another prison camp farther north. Also I met a Major who knew him. The Col. had seen him last in June. He said he did a wonderful job in the fighting.
This group is what are left of a Jap shipload of 700 or 800 prisoners being evacuated, which one of our subs sank.
[Arthur Fouret later in December 1944 was on another of the ill-fated Japanese ships full of American prisoners that was sunk by an American sub while on the way to Japan; his body was never recovered]. 83 got ashore and lived with the natives for a month. Most of them spent it eating, for they were all starved.
They say it won't be hard to retake the Phillipines [sic]!
October 15, 1944
Another birthday has rolled around [his 34th]. It makes me feel older to see all the young squirts in the Army!!
Last month I met Mike Passarelli from Trinidad. Last Sunday Edward Hainlen and today Bill Nuchy! What a collection of Trinidad fellows! Last week I also saw Bob Hutchinson. It's a small world!
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| Nighttime landing of a B-24 bomber on the Owi airstrip |
October 21, 1944
Maybe we'll be going to Luzon before long! Anyway, they say we are hotter than a pistol. But we'll be attached to a different division.
The 17th Station Hosp. is setting up. In another 2 months there are to be 2 more general hospitals set up on Biak. There's one now.
I laugh at Beth's statement that since Owi isn't so big there can't be many troops here. But there have been over 10,000 at one time!
Hiram was going on leave, but he was yanked back. One of the men was going to be married while on leave. Too bad. 4 of the officers left by plane for Sydney. Well, they'll have had the ride and a short leave!
22 Oct. '44
Dear Folks [Mary X and John],
Your birthday message didn't miss it far. Air mail has been unusually swift of late.
Gosh, it doesn't seem possible, Jack, that you are now in high school! I'm glad you like it. There are 2 Javanese doctors on the other island [Biak] who went to the U. of Rotterdam. They are very nice, and show the European custom of bowing when introduced. The only native word I've picked up is “Bágŏŏs” meaning "good".
Your Christmas gifts sound most interesting. There's no telling where I'll be by that time. Your description of Uncle John's [the Honorable John Barrett was a diplomat in Siam and other places during the Theodore Roosevelt years, and was an uncle by marriage who had attended Gene and Beth's wedding] activities was especially interesting to me in light of the present circumstances!The film Beth sent 2 1/2 months ago. Now I really have a supply. I hope to find more interesting subjects. She does a marvelous job of packing and sealing the film. I've been watching my camera lens closely for signs of mold. They say it can really ruin things.
I plan to go fishing tomorrow [a hint of getting ready to move?]. Unfortunately our gear is limited, and our knowledge more so.
Love, Eugene
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| Native boat near Owi |
We stopped receiving today and are closing. We've had over 11,000 [actually 11,963] patients in the 5 months here.
Gene thinks pretty constantly of Beth, but feels very out of touch with what is popular or needed back home. He asks Beth's sister for advice.
30 Oct. '44
Dear Folks [Mary X and John],
Not that it is near Christmas, but that time is always uncertain, leads me to be making plans for Christmas! Please be my proxy, Mary X, and buy Beth a Christmas [not just one Christmas gift!] for me. What will it be? Now ya got me! What will it be? I looked at the ads in a "recent" Chicago Trib, but the August copy doesn't seem to be of much help. Just make it something that Beth probably wouldn't get for herself. Something in clothes, something in knick-knacks, maybe something for the house. Sorry I can't suggest anything definite. Somehow I'm a bit out of touch, don't-cher-know! Maybe your Mother would have some ideas. Golly, I wonder how I'd act if I were suddenly placed in the center of Marshall Fields [the big dry goods store in Chicago]! No doubt a bit odd. Whatever you find, that will be fine with me. The odd cents [from the enclosed check] comes from the lack of change in these parts. This represents £8 with the 15¢ money order fee taken out.
Over here, money is about as useful as a second tail would be to a dog. We are paid every 2 months, and always in coin of the realm. Here it means guilders or gulden. I'd send you samples, but that is verboten. 1.00 Dutch is 53¢ U.S. Hence a person has a lot of money to carry about! But maybe we'll reach civilization some time and be able to spend it. Of course the GI's do pretty sell, with gambling and buying items such as fountain pens and cameras. A used $10 pen in good shape can be sold for $15, easily. Merchant marine fellows commonly sell a quart of Schenley whiskey for $30 [selling in the States in the 1940's for $10], a box of cigars from Havana may bring $10. Fools and their money!
It now appears that our high tides of the month won't quite wash us away. In the row of tents next to the beach, waves have washed into the tents to the depth of several inches and carried in debris. But with the sandy floors, it isn't much of an inconvenience. You'd be surprised at the things we pick up along the beach - mostly boards. As a result we have a floor in most of out tent. For a wastebasket I'm using a native hand sewn square "glass bottom bucket". The handles project a full 3 1/2 inches from the sides, and the whole thing is made from one block of wood. The gable piece of the roof over a native grave is a board hewn to fit the angle.
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| A native grave on Owi: note the partly finished canoe (proa) in front |
It seems a bit chilly this evening. The thermometer registers a cool 79°. Every night yet, I've pulled a blanket over myself before morning, believe it or not. What ever will I do when I return to Colorado! Oh I'll chance it! The moon is beautiful tonight across the ocean. Ordinarily a bright moon means only one thing - good bombing light for the Nips. but they are otherwise engaged now, and don't bother us. On the night quite a while ago when I was O.D. and finished the V mail to you in such a hurry, there were 11 killed and half a dozen wounded. We follow the news of the Jap fleet's defeat with great glee.
I'm getting along fine - except that I'm terribly lazy from doing so little!
Love, Eugene
November 1, 1944 Closed. Pt's transferred.
November 2, 1944 Packing
November 9, 1944 Packing the hospital.
13 Nov. '44
Dear Folks [Mary X and John - he doesn't write them more often, they just saved more letters],
A card from the National Geographic Society (mailed Sept 30th!) came today informing me that you were again sending me the magazine. Thanks very much! I do enjoy it a lot. The 3 fine maps it has included are better than any others we have available. And each copy of the magazine makes the rounds. I was surprised to received the October issue about 10 days ago. That was unusually prompt.
Did you receive the money order for Beth's gift? I mention it again, for accidents do sometimes happen to the mail.
Jack, I thought of you the other day as I was idly whittling a fine large piece of balsa wood from a small wrecked observation plane (the light, fabric covered and wood construction kind). Too bad I couldn't sent you home a big hunk. One variety (inferior, I'm certain) grows around here and the natives use logs of it, hollowed out, for canoes.
Again, I say thanks!
Love, Eugene
November 17, 1944
New officers - Capt. Coshak and Capt. Gentry.
Readiness date is Nov. 20. We are having lectures.
The 9th, 105th and 132nd general Hosp. are on Biak.
Christmas gifts are arriving. I open most of them at once. I've learned the theory of using the best things I have, for tomorrow they may be lost, or we may be. This next campaign is going to be a bad one.
November 29, 1944
we've been sitting around a whole month and the end is not yet in sight! Beth is certain that I'm already somewhere else. Steve [a friend from Trinidad] and the 60th C.B.'s [seabees or construction battalion] are going home shortly. I sent my cadet bag and trench coat with him.
The 23rd I had a 2 1/4 hour ride in a B-24, all the way around Japen [a nearby island] and to the NE corner of Biak. They flew too low a lot of times to suit me!
We have 3 officers assigned to us, long overdue. Supposedly we'll get some officers and MC from the 132nd Gen'l. I'll bet they hate to come with us! Burroughs also is long overdue.
The way it looks, we'll be I Corps reserves and won't land until D 3 or 4. The Lengyon [sic] gulf deal is apt to be bad - 3 divisions. 3 Evac are assigned to it, and Field hospitals, besides ourselves.
My letter for promotion from Free went in about 6 weeks ago. Probably it will be refused!
November 30, 1944 Rumor says we'll go in on D+3 or 4 at Lingayan Gulf.
13 Dec. '44
Dear Folks [Mary X and John],
I was glad to receive your letter telling of your ideas on Beth's Christmas gift. It sounds very fine to me. Thank you so much for taking over.
Japs are still active on the other island. [No wonder he didn't want to fly so low over
Biak!]. One day last week 3 of them strung a series of booby traps one night at the edge of an area. They afford good training for new Replacements. By going on patrols they get the real combat atmosphere without too much danger. The men say they learn more in the first 2 hours in battle than they did in all their training. Of course I rather doubt the story that they leave a few groceries for the Japs from time to time, in order to keep 'em in good shape!
How is your heating system working? Ours if doing fine, thank you, only we have trouble turning it down , at times.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Eugene
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| 92nd Evac Chapel on Owi with a Japanese parachute utilized as a backdrop |
Christmas Eve arrives, and the 92nd loads up.
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| A tree shaped like a cross at the end of the Owi airstrip |
We boarded the Liberty [ship] off Biak (went by LCT) about noon and left at 1330.
Christmas Eve was marked by its absence of Christmas Spirit - no cards, no gifts. No cheer. But no one was particularly depressed. It was a beautiful night on deck - cool breezes and bright moon. Charles Goodnight Ship.
Our men built a "rabbit hutch" for the officers on the boat deck. 4 double bunks, 3 tiers each, litters for beds. I had the starboard center one, and got a bit wet from a shower, so I moved to a top one in the middle.
December 29, 1944
Reached Hollandia this A.M. I counted 115 freighters - mostly Liberty ships also lots of Navy vessels. A convoy of 20 Liberties and 20 LST's left Aitape - D day troops - the 43rd Div. They go to Leyte, then on to start the show. Mail went ashore. I sent word to George [Christie] to come out [Gene's good friend and tentmate through much of the preceding time who had been sent to Hollandia to be an administrator]. [Capt. William] Baker sent ashore - psycho [he had gotten a medal for swimming out to help rescue the crew of a downed plane in the ocean near their camp, but, according to Ed Gray, the 92nd Evac transportation officer, he "went off his rocker, was sent home and died"]
January 3, 1945
Left at dawn - 30 Liberties and 3 LST's in convoy. We toured an LCT. Cast it off at noon - too rough a sea. We go past Biak where 20 LST's join us. Then to Leyte [Philippines] and pick up LCM's [landing craft, mechanized, which was not designed for a crew to live aboard it so it remained dependent upon a parent ship] and PT boats [patrol torpedo, or fast attack boats] at Mindora [Philippines]. Maybe 2 escort carriers. Everyone says this will be a bad one.
Neat photo of the native grave--looks like a composite. Do you know who printed it?
ReplyDeleteGene took the photo and printed it, probably in about 1946, so I don't think he could have made a composite. He enjoyed working in the darkroom all of his life!
ReplyDelete