April 27 Baker Co. has been ordered to patrol around Division C.P. since 15 Nip mortar shells landed in the vicinity. We rode to the C.P. and disembarked and began scouting the hills. No trace was to be found. We hitch hiked back after eating at the Division's Hospital Galley--I really enjoyed the ride back for the civilians and children were all along the road yelling Hubba! Hubba! stretching their arms for candy, etc. Some of the tiniest were there with a large grin from ear to ear. Some of the Marines taught the natives to say "Tojo eats S—t" and "doggies eat s--t". The river is really refreshing. Received one letter from folks.

April 28 This morn had a short arm inspection. Fixed up the boudoir and began my long overdue washing. This aft learned 3/4 of Berlin is in American hands. Russian and American lines are 17 miles apart. The Army has begun to push. Perhaps Nimitz put a spark up Buckner’s but. Shaved and showered. Received four letters, one from Eileen Doeres, Klosterboer and folks. Sat in boudoir and a snake stared me in the face. It was small, but poisonous. I don't know which of us was more scared. Am now going to write a few letters.

April 29 Yesterday Dunham and I inquired about O.C.S. Diliberto gave us the information we needed. We are to take a physical soon--write a letter to the commandant etc. I don't know whether it will go thru. I hope so in a way and again I would just as soon put in my 24 months first. Went swimming--played hearts.

We are not sure if we are or are not to help the Army--hope not.

April 30 Arose early. Started fire--ate bacon and eggs and jo. Learned LT. Joe DeaI is to be exec. of Charley Co. Red McGee and I went for a dip--came back and six of us played hearts--I won one for a change.

May 1 Arose late--washed--ate my daily can of ham and eggs. played volleyball all morning. Took a shower in the river--played hearts and hit the sack.

May 2 This morn Nemsing accidentally shot himself in the leg. Hoover had an epileptic fit. We were formally introduced to the new officers. LT. Higgins is the new M.G. officer. LT. Flanders is the new first platoon leader--the best story of the campaign was told this morn by Denny Hines. Gary said "We have a new 2nd LT. who has been in the Marine Corps six months." Denny replied, "Where did he have his boot training, on the beach?- Ha! The day after tomorrow we leave for Naha to help the Army.

May 4 Arose 3:30 A.M. Left via trucks 4:30 A.M. 4th Marines traveled till approximately*9:00 to 9:30 and set up camp. We are south and east of Yontan and North of Naha and airstrip. Buckner's jolly little characters have been giving the 1st

Division hell because the Marines push too fast. The Army sat on their fannies for 21 days before moving. We are placed in the entrance of a tomb. Nap punned, "Those people living in the tomb make an ash of themselves."

May 5 Went to 2nd Bn. Saw Luckemeyer Sweet Rudkin--2nd "G" Co. were making hot cakes. Learned Hitler and Mussolini were killed. Allies are 10 miles from Adolph’s home in the Alps. Russians and Americans are tied in and have Berlin.

May 6 Sunday 0830 went to church--came back and Dutch, Barbour and I left for Yontan and 6th Marine Division cemetery. We saw 1st Division cemetery. Took pictures of Nip zero, our corsairs and hellcats. Took some pictures of Harbor and Straups and Ski's graves and various other graves. Ate chow at 2nd Air Wing. Had meat loaf-onion-carrots-corn and apple pie--Hmmm! Came back via jeep and truck and recon. What a dusty trip. Very enjoyable. However, we may move out tomorrow Learned Col. Bleedsdale made Brigadier General.

May 7-10 Received letters from dad saying mother is all right. Am very much relieved. Letter from Eileen Doeres, Iowa U. and heard all about my alma mater. Washed clothes at water point and now have everything cleaned. Learned Germans surrendered May 9th. Believe this is definitely true. Have been holding school yesterday and today. Jennings and I are ahead 3-2 in 2nd series of 7.

May 11 Played more hearts. Took a few more pictures of tombs.

May 12 Dunham and I were called to 1st Bn to take a form of exam for OCS. We both passed and that afternoon wrote a letter to the commandant of the U.S.M.C. requesting a commission. I don't know whether it will go thru and don’t care too much. If the chance comes, I'll take it. If not I would just as soon spend my 28 months overseas as an enlisted man. I've seen so damn many of these replacement officers who are so poor, I feel I should accept the responsibility and would.

May 13 Hassell and I have 2 years in the corps today and today we move out to help the Army and Marines on southern end of island. The trip was dusty and we had a few laughs at the Army. We are now set up on beach and have both heavy and light M.G.s.

May 14 Whitey Congdon and I put up a boudoir on sea wall and have the deepest hole I was ever in (of course the-hole had been dug by the Army) There are 2 things we Marines are allergic to, steel helmets and fox holes. Went to church today with Hassell. Came back, cooked chow and hit the sack.

May 15 Early this morn we were alerted for possible invasion by Nips. No invasion.

May 16-18 Nips had a barge off our beach--our flares chased it away.

May 19 Pulled stakes and rode by truck for a while. We walked for a couple of miles. I saw Ben Trickey and he told me Hofer was home and wanted to come back over. He also told me the military police captured a half breed Okinawan and Nip who said he sold his daughter to the Nips at night and then came out of the Nip lines. We advanced up ridge and after we arrived on the reverse slope, then Nip artillery began popping around us.

Dunham was reading a pocket book on the Civil War when a Nip shell landed near; he was shook up a bit, but not hurt and continued reading the book on the Civil War--What a character! Later this afternoon, Dunham and Allen played Bowers and me in bridge. We were in a nice deep hole. Bowers and I won. This contract is quite the game. We have a full squad now since Ablett (alias stretch) joined our ranks.

May 20 Well we have really had a taste of Nip artillery. This morn 1st Bn is in reserve as we move out. We are heading toward the bloody Sugar Loaf Hill where marines have already been repulsed 8 times. We set our lines to the rear and left of Sugar Loaf Hill. 1st platoon was to be in support of 2nd and 3rd Pltns. At 9:45 P.M. one of the few advances at night by the marines was made by our company to reinforce "K" company which had lost heavily while repelling a Banzai attack. Everyone made the advance safely. We yelled and hollered to keep contact as we ran and walked. I imagine the Nips thought a whole division was coming. We got into this partially constructed trench which "K" Co. had dug. Then all hell broke loose between Sugar Loaf and Horse Shoe Ridge. There wasn’t room on the line for both squads of M.G.'s, so I deployed my squad in a safe position behind the line. Temporarily--Dutch and I just left Doc Hollon's hole when a mortar shell landed in his hole and killed Doc. Then Flamish, Weidinqer and Meador were hit. I took over the section after Dutch was hit and brought up Nap and the other M.G. Chris and I manned one of "K" Cos. guns and we all stayed awake all night.

We held the line the rest of the night.

May 21 Between 6 A.M. and 7 A.M. we received the most concentrated amount of Nip artillery fire we have yet received. We all hugged the bottom of the trench and it was a miracle that at least one shell didn't land in trench for they were zooming over between Sugar Loaf and the ridge, missing the trench sometimes by only a few yards. 7 A.M. we withdrew our lines to reform and recommence the assault. What was left of "K" Company remained till we passed through--approximately 8 A.M. we began the assault. Donvito was first to be hit. Shrapnel in the hip. Dunham was next. He received a concussion and possible broken collar bone. I couldn't believe he was hit. I just couldn't believe it. I just looked at him and didn't say a word. Next Ward Bowers was killed by Nip artillery. 9:30 we were held up in reserve of 2nd and 3rd platoons. We were in a couple of bomb craters. Cullen was passing by with a piece of shrapnel in his back. Andriola was helping him walk back when a Nambu opened up and wounded Andriola in buttocks and Cullen in leg. Hassell was close to them and ran out to drag them in out of the fire lane and was hit in nose, mouth and arm. McGee and Congdon ran out and drug Cullen, Hassell and Andriola to safe positions. The artillery and mortar fire became heavier and more intense so I took my section and ran across the open field to Baumhardts 3rd platoon. It is lucky we moved out for Congdon was killed in location from which we came and probably more of us would have been killed had we not moved. Maritato was hit in buttocks and testicle. Acuna was hit. We tried to set up lines and contact

"A" Company. I placed M.G.s in and had the men get in a ditch by the R.R. track. Supposedly this was the safest position anywhere. But the Nips lobbed a mortar right in the ditch and killed instantly 3 of my men. Jennings, Ablett and McGee. Simons was sitting with the other three and received shrapnel in leg, arm and side. I patched him up while the corpsmen administered plasma and albumen. Simons will be O.K. Well, that makes 6 men killed out of my squad. Too damn many boys to lose for any damn land. Poor Red McGee was blown all over the side of the hill.

Only his red hair and scalp remained where he had been sitting. Jennings, a devout catholic and one of the most religious among us said before his death, "It will be only by the grace of God for those who remain to walk today." He never knew what hit him for it was concussion. I could hardly recognize his body for it was blown up twice the normal size. We moved our lines and set up one gun--the rain poured. We were miserably cold and wet. That night a Nip slipped in from behind and got to within 3 feet of the man's hole, threw a grenade and charged with a stick. Upchurch and Brennan shot him.

May 22 This morn Cooper got out of his hole to get chow and was hit in leg above the knee. I believe his leg was broken. He took the pain like a man. I dashed over to C.P. and got stretcher bearers and we took Coop out. He will be all right and will probably go stateside. We became reserve platoon and stayed in the general area. We had 1 gun and 8 men in M.G. 37 in platoon with M. Gunners. We stayed awake all night and believe it or not jo and buns were brought up. We got about 4 Nips that night. I tried to give 81 MM directions of enemy guns--had a phone in my hole and could see enemy guns firing. I don't know if it did any good.

May 23 1st platoon moved out in reserve, all 37 of us and began the advance to NAROS, the outskirts of Naha. We hadn't gone over 800 yards before we were pinned down. This time Mullikin who was hit before and returned, was hit by shrapnel above the eye. The Nips waited till we were almost ready to advance up the ridge and then opened up with knee mortars and with nambus. Allen was killed. Good old Al, a staff sergeant who carried ammo when he could have been in rear echelon--a boy who volunteered for everything, working parties, stretcher parties, etc. Barbour was hit in the ass by shrapnel. McKenna was hit in the leg with shrapnel. The Nips were on top of the ridge and we were 15 to 20 yards below the ridge. They had knee mortars and nambus that gave us one hell of a time. Copeland and I who were in advance both thought Nap, Lamberson and the others had been wiped out.

So Cope, Banker and I crawled into a wrecked hut. We drug in the wounded--Wormouth and I stood guard in one place. Freeman and Banker and Stringfellow on the other side--Wormouth saw a Jap and didn't want to fire hie B.A.R. because the Jap was real low, so as he crawled up, Wormouth guided me so I could get the bastard as soon as he got around the tomb. Sure enough the Jap came out and I shot him dead thru the head. Number three so far. I then saw another and shot him. Wormouth saw more and opened up and got a couple. Dobrojevic (George) spotted one right in front in an entrance to a cave. Before he could fire, Cope, Wormouth and I opened up and fired simultaneously and got him. Cope used a 45 and found out he could shoot one straight. The corpsman worked on Mullikin and Barbour. Davis had a leg blown off and they carried him into the shack and amputated with a kabar and pocket knife. Davis took it like a man and only screamed once. Tex Durisoe sharpened the knife and off came the stub. All wounded were evacuated and we moved back to last nights holes. We left a lot of Nips dead but their toll on us was too heavy. We now have 5 left in MG section; 8 have been killed, 9 wounded and one cracked up. War neurosis yesterday. Parisot cracked--Micky Sparks is either dead or barely living. For a while yesterday, I thought the strain was almost too much for my boy Copeland. But he recovered and is damn good now. Copeland is a damn good man but thought that all of his men had been killed and wanted to go back and be done with the whole works. I gave him a 45 and told him to keep watching out of the hut and after he fired and hit one Nip, he snapped out of it, his fear, and was the same old Cope. If anything would happen to Banker, Nap, Cope and Lamberson, I would be ready to secure. This artillery gets on one's nerves. I now duck at every shell whereas I use to laugh as they went over. This day and May 21 I will remember as long as I live as being the closest to death and most similar to hell. We who remain have God and only God to thank for our being alive.

May 24 Copeland and I hit sack before 8 last night. Nip or no Nip we were going to sleep--it was the first sleep in 3 nights. This morn 1st platoon with M.G.s attached had 24 men including LT. Flanders. 1st and 2nd platoons combined--Flanders is officer. Raynes is Plt. Sgt. Carney, Eagleton and Murdock have rifle squads. Courtney has M.G. section. I have one squad. Exinger has the other squad. Nap and Banker are gunner and assistant gunner. Cope and I are handymen. I guess. The strain has been too much. We need a rest. I hope and pray we will receive it or many more will crack up. I know I've had enough and am ready to go stateside or back to Guam. War is hell. The battle for Guam was a picnic compared to Okinawa.

May 25 This morn we moved out with tanks and the rain pouring. While moving up the ridge we were subject to mortar fire. Bill Raynes was killed while we were moving up. Carney was grazed in neck. Denny Hines was hit in leg. We moved in outskirts of Naha and set up our guns and dug in. During the night it rained hard. Nap and Banker were lying under water all night. Murdock and I went to get more grenades for the gun positions. After Connel’s gun had been attacked by one or two Nips who threw a couple grenades, Murdock saw someone running and said "Who is it" a few times. No answer. He fired and the man fell. We ran up there and there was Ed Lamberson dying and in 2 minutes dead. If Ed had only answered. Why he didn't will always be a mystery. It couldn't be helped!

May 26 Didn't sleep any last night. Poor Ed! This morn Banker and McDonald are being evacuated for cold--bad hands and dysentery. Everyone is tired and cold. Exhausted--nervous--the strain is telling. Nap, Cope and I are the only ones remaining out of the original M.G. section. I now have Nap gunner. Brinson ass't, gunner. Jenkins and Menard ammo carriers and Cope protector. Reports came that 75 Nips are around towers.

May 27 This morn we moved down to the bottom of village and set up our section in a dilapidated house. A sniper almost hit Connell as he was digging in the gun. Later a slug went thru his jacket that made the 3rd hole in Connell's jacket. Dunham, Berry and I dug in. We were pinned down by sniper fire off and on. We just heard we are getting relieved tomorrow. Everyone let out a yell and one character yelled as loud as he could, "We are getting relieved Nips, don't come till tomorrow night."

May 28 Last night we stood 1 hour on--2 off. This morn heated a can of ham and eggs and fixed a cup of jo. Cleaned my rifle and went back to place where Allen and Lamberson were killed. The 29th regiment is going to relieve us today. Approximately 10:00 the 29th came. We hiked back to trucks and were taken back to the sea wall from where we left. We came off the lines with 89 men out of 240. B Co. was second in Regiment for casualties.--E Company had 64. We received buns and fruit juice.

May 29 It rained like hell all night, but Courtney and I put up our pup tent in time. This morn we all took a shower and shaved and put on new clothes. For the first time in 10 days I felt tired but at least clean. It is really a wonderful feeling to be clean and alive. Every man has God to be thankful for his being alive after the last ordeal.

May 30 Rain is still pouring down. This morn Ray and I fixed our cheery little boudoir. We sacked in most of the day. It still is raining.

May 31 This morn replacements arrived and I received 9 new men, all of whom are over for the second time. I now have the section. Copeland and Napiwoski have the squads. The new men are Herrin, Brown, Hinson, Howard, Kober, Ossmann, Beauchamp, Martin and Anglin. They are veterans of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th divisions.

June 1 This morn I have been running all over the area securing another M.G., making lists of clothes and 782 gear for 1st sergeants This afternoon we wrote up citations. I wrote one for S.Sgt. T.J. Allen and put him up for the Navy Cross posthumously. He is one fellow who really deserves an award. Strictly a good Joe. Last night we sang songs and shot the bull.

June 2 This morn our galley jo and buns. We policed the area. Then Col. Shapley gave us a short talk on future plans. High command predicts June 10th as the end of the struggle. Shapley disagrees. We will then board ship and sail to Guam. Smoked an acquired cigar. Mighty good.

June 3 This morn wrote letter home to folks. Now have 18 months over seas. Today we learned that tomorrow night we board LVT’s and make a beach head on Oruku Peninsula South of Naha. No rest for the wicked. I guess. The Marines have to continue doing the Army's job. Today had mail call. Believe Jean is still the one and only. Tonight 2:30 P.M. Reville--Land tomorrow morn.

ORUKU

June 4 Made landing on Oruku Peninsula. I had section--Cope and Nap 1st and 2nd squads. Landed without any opposition on our beach. We moved forward. Gained a hill and set up M.G.s.

Banker got quite a few 500 - 750 yards away. Calhoun was shot in mouth and body when he moved out in front of our gun. We soon learned our gun was directly over and on top of a Nip M.G. So we called for demolition and they finished off the cave. A Nip ran out of a cave about 15 yards in front of our lines and in the confusion Dunham was hit in the forearm. We pushed out again in the rain. LT. Flanders was hit in the legs. Durisoe was hit in the chest and both legs. Doc Harris was hit. It rained all day and everyone was miserable as hell. We had the Nips on the run and got a few here and there. Just when we were about ready to set in for the night, a nip mortar landed near Nap and Brown. No one hurt. We dug in guns and sacked in miserable, cold and wet.

June 5 We are in reserve today. Another miserable day ahead. Last night Betz was killed and Janis and Christein wounded, by mortar shell. Chris and Harry were victims of concussion only and could walk out. This morn pushed out a small distance. This afternoon moved up into a village set M.G. up and prepared ourselves for another wet night. Copeland took over 1st section after Parker was hit the first day. Banker and Nap are gunners and squad leaders combined.

June 6 7 A.M. LT. McBride gave the word to saddle up. We are relieving "C" Company who were hard hit yesterday. LT. Carlson was hit and killed and Charley Co. was pretty well shot up. We took over their positions. Then the 1st platoon was ordered to move over the ridge. Immediately LT. McBride and a fellow named Williams were killed. Eagleton and Snider were hit. Banker was firing M.G. and was protecting the withdrawal of the riflemen who were pinned down. I had just left the gun and was going to check the position of the other gun when Banker was hit in the neck. I helped drag him down off the gun where the corpsman would treat him. I clamped my hand over the arterial bleeding till the Doc could stick a scissors in his throat and clamp the artery. We began giving plasma and albumen.

I called back for the doctor. The doctor ran up but by the time he arrived Bob was dead. Bob Banker was one of the most lovable boys I've ever known. Dick Marr was hit in the arm--one of those flesh wounds everyone dreams about. Baggs, Foulks and three other new men were hit in Copelands section. Gunner James' radio man was killed. We fired M.G. at about 1000 yards with use of glasses and got a few. First time we ever fired at such long ranges. We set in our lines late. I still had time to make a cup of jo and heat a can of chicken on a hot box. Rannels of "C" and I sacked in together in a little hut. Diliberto said my name is on the list for O.C.S. 300 per month are taken from F.M.F. and as soon as 4th sends their quota, I'll go back. I sent Napiwoski back to Bn. aid station. He has carried a small piece of shrapnel in his elbow for 2 days and would not turn in. He finally was convinced.

June 7 2nd Bn. relieved 1st Bn. I just finished taking a bath in a shell crater filled with water. Shaved and feel like a new man.

June 8 This morn we are moving up with "A" Co. "C" Co. is now commanded by, LT. Bangser. "C" led off followed by "B". Just before we set in "A" received mortar fire. Henniger and Pete were hit. We moved up and set lines on ridge. That night Kilby and Brown were hit by Nip grenades. Connell was hit in stomach.

June 9 We moved thru village--Assaulted hill. We of 1st Plt. made out O.K. Nip mortars landed close but not close enough to hit anybody. Then De Lee was hit on ridge by sniper. We set gun in trench dug by Japs. One bullet went thru box of ammo and tore belt. We spotted Nip mortars and nambus and called our mortars. Charley filled in between "A" &"B" and we moved both guns in trench.

June 10 No one was hurt last night. This morn Col. Bell took over our trench for his C.P. He seems like a pretty good fellow. We are moving out in reserve. We moved out in long column--meeting nothing. We began to dig in on ridge and the Nips literally pounded us with mortars. LT. Van Aman who was 10 yards on my right was killed instantly. Lilliq was hit (Brinson was killed last night). Ferris was killed and several others were wounded including Hinson of M.G.s. Fribourq was hit in leg and hit second time in foot while being carried out. At night we moved out on top of ridge and dug in up there while it was dark. Early in the eve "A" Co. killed a couple Nips. Kober, Champ and I were standing watch on the gun. Night was seemingly quiet.

June 11 I had last watch on gun. Tempus erat 4:45. Dawn was just around the corner. I thought I heard some of our men talking--then I knew it was the Jap and plenty of his pals. I spotted them coming over the ridge we were dug in on. Sabers were waving and Nips were yelling. One Jap ran toward me. I tried to fire M.G. but it was jammed and failed to fire. The Nips were yelling "Banzai" and "Marine you die". The little Nip kept running toward me with his bayonet fixed. I called for someone to fire. Time seemed like eternity. I thought sure my number was up. As I lay there exposed trying to put the gun in action, I reached for my MI but it wouldn't fire. Then about 4 or 5 men opened up and the bastard dropped about 15 yards from my position. If the M.G. would have worked, I would have had a field day. A machine gunner's dream. The Nips were all killed except for the few who ran away. All told there were 15 to 20 Japs in front of our lines by lines I mean 5 to 20 yards away. There were sabers, rifles, nambus, airplane M.G.s and Lewis type M.G.s and various kinds of weapons. The ridge we were on was so sandy that many M1’s, B.A.R.s, M.G.s failed to fire--out of the entire Banzai attack we lost one man wounded, Hinson who was hit by a potato masher-type grenade. I later found out that the Nip who charged at me had no rounds in his chamber. Just a Bayonet. (That's enough). If he could have fired, I wouldn't be writing this narrative today. After the Banzai came a terrific mortar barrage, part Nip and part 22nd Marines. Mostly Nip. Brennan was hit. Morati lost his leg. Gaskins was wounded 2nd time on operation. Sent to Guam 1st time and returned to Okinawa. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd combined platoon withdrew out of barrage and our section remained on ridge with "A" Co. Our sector wasn’t under mortar fire. We stood watches the remainder of day. Cleaned M.G.s and weapons and recuperated from this mornings ordeal. About 8:30 P.M. our company moved back to the holes they had evacuated after the barrage and we set in for the night. We had plenty ammo, grenades etc. and thought the enemy would probably try a final Banzai attack. Since we had them practically surrounded in a small area, 100 percent watch was stood by all. We received doughnuts and cans of pineapple. If ever before Marines received such good chow on an operation, I would like to learn time and place. Hot boxes are the handy weapon of this war. Nothing hits the spot as a hot cup of jo after a day's fighting.

June 12 This morn approximately 3 A.M. one Nip crept up with a grenade and club and cranked in a hole with Danny Maczko. The story sounds like a cock and bull story, snow job, or what have you but its true. The Nip crawled in the hole and tried to pull the pin from the grenade. Maczko wrestled with the Nip. First took away his grenade, then his club. He beat the Jap with the Nips club--stabbed the Nip with a kabar--threw the Nip out of the hole and shot the bastardly Nip. What an experience for Maczko. The rest of the morning was peaceful in an exhausting sort of way. We withdrew from our ridge after 3rd and 2nd Bn’s. moved ahead and we rested the rest of the day. I received a few letters and my spirits were raised somewhat. We now have 86 men in our company. We dug in behind the lines and stood section watch. Martin was sick all night. Regurgitating and emitting his bowels--poor kid. He is 26 and has 25 holes in his body, all 25 were shrapnel wounds.

June 13 The Japs were offered but refused to surrender and threw grenades at two of their brothers who had turned in and carried leaflets of surrender. We were not in favor of giving the Japs a chance to surrender--but orders are orders. Anyway the Japs refused and today we are to be relieved and go back to the beach. Wormouth, Champ, Ossmann, Anglin and I took a look at some of the many dead Japs below the ridge we defended. We learned we had been sitting on a Jap Q.M. and we found 4 or 5 women in Jap soldiers uniforms, evidently they had been trying to drag their wounded men into caves. Probably used as hospitals. Most of the women had a grenade on them and all the Nips including the women had been field stripped. We saddled up about 10:30 and began the hike to the beach. Everyone was happy to get the hell out. This campaign in reality has been 3 operations for the 4th Marine Regiment. North End of Island--Naha and Sugar Loaf and Oruku Peninsula. After each, we received replacements for our killed and wounded buddies. At present Copeland and I are the only 2 men remaining out of 2nd M.G. section. Everyone else has been wounded or killed. In the 1st Plt., out of 62 men who made the beachhead, 6 of us have never been wounded or evacuated. Maczko, Dobrojevic, Stringfellow, Freeman, Copeland, and me.

June 14 Today we received replacements - 9 men—French, Wilcox, Friedman, Fralix, Fiore, Frega, Lobb, Freck, Lively. This completes my section and Is the 1st time I've been up to strength. Brown and Kober are squad leaders. Ossman & Beauchamp are gunners. Herrin and Anglin are assistant gunners. Gosh! I miss the old fellows. It doesn't seem possible I'm the only one left in the section and our new LT. for 1st Plt. is named Duncan M.G. LT. is named Campbell.

June 15 Took shower this morn. Made out lists for 782 gear. Today packages came by the score. Grandfolks, folks sent me some. Courtney invited me over for a few shots of Old Crow. talked most of the night about old times, etc.

June 16 This morn washed and shaved. Wrote a letter to Jean's folks. Put up a jungle hammock. Had a steak dinner believe it or not! A destroyer was destroyed and we received the steaks.