[Archive] Re: B-29 Life on the Ground

In a message dated 8/18/00 1:41:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time, agewood@home.com
writes:

<< Anybody else got memories of Guam? Tumon Bay
(today populated with luxury hotels) was a treat unless you stepped on a
inch diameter slug. One day we were under orders at North Field to go
swimming there - not good to let the troops lie around between missions. >>

When we first arrived on Guam, we lived with th e Seabees (2nd Construction
Battallion) and when our "stuff" arived, it was dropped off out in the jungle
where our camp would eventually be. We were assigned guard duty (in six hour
segments, and two men together) - from six to midnight, and midnight to six.
In pairs because it could get lonely as hell out there by yourself.

Another guy and I were out there one night- we did have lights - and we heard
someone crashing and thrashing around in the jungle, apparently attracted by
our lights. We just sat tight for a while, but it was a temptation to fire a
few rounds to be sure rather than take a chance! Then finally, we could hear
men talking (speaking English) and it turned out to be a couple of Chie Petty
Officers that had gotten lost out in the jungle - I think they had gotten
drunk and then got lost. I don't know whether or not they ever realized how
close they came to being fired upon.

We finally ended up in quonset huts and had a litle nine year old boy that
did our laundry for us - fifty cents a week. We were warned not to pay too
much because they were so unused to having any money at all that a little bit
really spoiled them. Sugar and mattress covers were extremely valuable.

Re not being allowed to lay around - while on Eniwetok, we were required one
time to "police the beach" pick up driftwood and other trash! Just for
something to do - we had been a while without any activity and I guess they
decided we needed something to bitch about so we wouldn't be thinking about
the next mission.

God bless America
The Hoosier Hotshot