Saturday, May 23, 2015

Summer on the Pickens 1945

The battle for Okinawa ( to end June  21) was still going on but the early summer was a  period of mostly rest and recreation for the crew of the Pickens.  I have some memory of a couple of visits to vacant islands where we swam and played touch football.  In one game the famed Holy Cross backfield teamed  to hit me and send me limping from the field.

I think it was during this time that I caused general quarters to be called and all of Saipan and Tinian put on alert.  I had picked up on  radar a  plane was coming in without identification.  It may have been during this period that I fell off the ship into a boat and injured my back.  I know it was after Iwo Jima because a stretcher was lowered to pick me up, and I did not want that, having seen wounded Marines brought on board that way.

I  will need to review earlier blogs to  restore my memory of shellback  initiation and our visit to Noumea, New Caladonia.

No comments:

Post a Comment