Vignettes - Life's Tales Book Three. William M.D. Baker
Randall APA 224
The time setting is from October 20 to November 26, 1945 The Japanese have surrendered and World War II is over. The 69th Transport Command consisting of six APA’s, commanded by the Randall, has been ordered to make two runs transporting Chinese National Troops from Hong Kong (Kowloon) to the Northern China cities of Chinwangtao and Tsingtao to free those cities from their Japanese occupier.
I’m not sure what the US Navy was expecting us to find when we got to Kowloon, but whatever it was, we found something less. The Chinese National Troops were illiterate, under trained and sick. It is hard to portray just how bad they were. Perhaps, it will
When the first of the eleven soldiers died of Dysentery the Chaplain went to the Skipper and asked that the convoy be slowed for a Burial at Sea Ceremony. The Skipper agreed and
After we had delivered the sick and dying Chinese troops we headed for Okinawa. There, we steam cleaned the ship as best as we could and then loaded it with Air Force pilots and crews and headed for Seattle.
END
VIGNETTE NO. IV
SELLING MAGAZINES
From Denver, CO to Richmond, VA
World War II is over. I am out of the Navy and I have split-up with my High School sweetheart. (See: Vignette No. IX, “My High School Sweetheart and Earl”) I have spent the summer in Sonora visiting with my Dad and my Grandmother, “Mums” and working with the California Department of Forestry at a summer-time fire encampment.
I am now back home in Oakland and preparing to leave as there is nothing here for me since my step-brother, Bert, also out of the Navy, is now married to my sister, Barbara and they are renting a house and planning to build a new one. Therefore, all the free time and attention of my working mother and step-father is directed to them. Also, my younger brother, Jim, is not at home as he is stationed on the East Coast in the Army. I’ve come home to an empty nest.
My closest two friends, Earl and Harold, were both classified 4-F and did not serve in WWII. Earl had shattered his heel in a high school basketball accident and Harold had eye sight problems. When I returned something had changed in our relationships. I have never really understood what happened. I think it was a combination of two things. One, guilt. Guilt of having not served, not guilt of excuse or cheating, just a simple guilt of having not served. The other was that they had made new friends and I became a “what about Bill” when it came to outings and parties. Then there was Earl’s part that he played in the separation of my high school sweetheart, Mary, and me. I wanted away from it all. Once again I stuck out my thumb and headed East not knowing where I was going nor did I really care.
In Denver I checked into the YMCA where Harold and I had stayed several years before. For the next few days I walked the streets looking for a job and tried being twenty-one years of age. I was actually twenty. But when I was in Sonora I got a driver’s license with a false birth year of 1924, making me twenty-one. It was important to me to be twenty-one as it gave me total independence.
Why I had not taken advantage of the Veteran’s programs available at that time I do not know. Perhaps, simply because I hadn’t been pointed in that direction. I was drifting, lonesome and low on money.
I saw an ad in the Denver Post. It read something like this: “Wanted: Young man free to travel the US. Must be 18 or older. Veterans preferred. Free meals and lodging. Contact Mr. Green , ext 123, Denver Hotel.” I immediately called and was told to be at Room W-1 at 9:00 a.m the next morning for an interview with Mr. Green.
My knock the next morning was answered with the door being snatched opened by a young man who stepped aside, bowed from the waist and with a wave of his arm jokingly said, “Do come in, we are waiting for you!” The sitting room was occupied by several young men, some standing, some sitting, who laughingly approved of the antics being displayed. One knowingly asked, “Here to see Mr. Green, we suppose?” I answered affirmatively to which he said, “So are we. You ex-Navy?” I answered, “Yes.”, to which the person replied, “So are we, but Mr. Green is ex-Marine Corps. A Captain…. you answering the ad?” I again replied, “Yes” and moved to a vacant wall space as the door to the other room opened framing a beautiful and shapely woman, “Hello Boys, I am Mrs. Green,” she held out a plate of business cards, “please take one of Mr. Green’s cards you will find a number and a time on the back. Please come back at that time, or you can wait” She graciously stepped back and closed the door. My card read, “#4 13:00”
A very tall lankly guy stood next to me, “What’s yer number, bud?” I answered, “four”. He slammed his fist against the wall and exclaimed, “This is bull-shit. I was the first here, before any of you piss-on’s. I ain’t get’n no 9th place. The hell with this.” He exited, slamming the door hard behind him. Three more stomped out. I quietly left, killed time and returned on time for my 13:00 appointment.
The hallway door was standing open and the room was empty. I entered and approached the inner door as it opened. A short over weight man with a head of slicked downed brown hair dressed in a gray vested business stepped into the room, “Nice to see you young man, I am Mr. Green.” He spoke in a measured manner. “Good to see you are on time. Come in.” He stepped to a lounge chair, took a seat and gestured for me to take the facing chair which I did. I looked hard at this man trying to vision him as a hardened Marine Corps Captain. It didn’t fit. Yet, his demeanor and apparent need for control did.