From: "thomas hawkins" bargood@snip.net
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Able /Baker
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002
Keith
Although I have not joined NAAV as yet I have been in touch with Frank Boeglin in Las Vagas just recently discussing the subject because he had been aboard the Ajax and I had been ships company on the Independence and volunteered for Able/Baker.
Reading some of the letters from J H McCulley and H Schmalen who were both on the Independence really brought back the times.
I was also on the first boarding party to clean up. We were never told how hot she was and none us thought about her capsizing, although it didn't happen. We went through many damaged compartments to get to stores for the canned goods. When you only had k-rations you were hungry. We were put aboard the APA Rockwall for the test. As a matter of fact when we came back to the APA we had to remove all our dungarees and dump them in a pile. They didn't even give us replacements. As you know the Independence was brought back to Frisco area and sunk, she was still so hot
The only time they gave us X-Ray tags was just before we went aboard the Indianapolis. She was so hot we were taken off after 15-20 minutes.No protective cover-ups.
Told Frank Boeglin, that on our volunteer orders, as an inducement we would get an additional 30 days leave over and above. That was a joke. We took it up with the VA before we were discharged since those in charge wouldn't listen and the VA said wait till we got discharged. After discharge the VA guys said we should have taken care of that before we got out.Typical right?
Thanks,
Tom Hawkins
Cape May, NJ
Email:bargood@snip.net
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