From: Mast1030@aol.com
Date: Sat, 5 May 2007
Subject: My Journey to Eniwetok, US Army
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
I was raised on St. Simons Island, Georgia, drafted into the Army, November, 1952. We had a home on the beach, went fishing a lot, caught some sharks up to 7 ft, swam a lot in the ocean, one time from East Beach to the pier on the south end the island, 3 miles. Loved to be on the ocean, so when they told me at Fort Lee I was going to Eniwetok Island in the Marshall Islands for one year, I said great! ``Old Hat``.
From Camp Stoneman, CA to Hickman, AFB, spent one day there, then flew to Johnson Island, to Kwajalien Island, to Wetok. I worked at the P.X. What I remember on the rock, great food on Fidays, a steak that filled the platter. B-36 aircraft landing on Wetok, if you ever heard one in the air you would never forget the sound. U.S.O shows, there were a few that I saw, one with the guy who played on Perry Mason on TV, Raymond Burr, and all the good looking gals with him. Trips to Japtan Island on Saturdays, going out on the Duks water craft sometimes to other islands, also to get Giant Killer clams, we got a lot of them. The only ones that I mailed home were small ones. I had a excellent collection of shells. One of the best to find was a Helmet shell found in deep water, you could go out on the shell reefs at low tide on Japtan Island, the water was 2 ft deep and turn over rocks to find small shells.
On Japtan Island, you could see the ship on the reef. You could walk up to it at low tide, with the water waist deep. I walked out to that ship three times. The first time, I saw three guys with a rope go into the side of the ship near the front and climb up a ladder onto the ship. When I looked up at the front of the ship it had a name on it was a Japanese name, I wrote it down on paper and I lost the paper later. It ended with Maru. Later I was told most all Japanese ships ended with that name. I remember what I saw on Japtan Island, everyone knew it was a Japanese ship. All you had to do is walk out to the ship and look up and see the name. Later a order was given by the Army at Hqs., The Army was in charge at Wetok, to stay off the ship on Japtan. That is how the island got its name from that ship. I think some Press photographer got his marbles mixed up when he took a photo of that ship with another ship not far away on a island. I saw that ship from a Navy boat as we went by, it was a tanker on the side of the channel. I Have proof the ship on Japtain was a freighter. If you know your ships look at the picture of the ship on Japtan Island, it is a freighter.
Saw the hydrogen bomb test on the rock. The H bomb mushroom you could see for five days after the test. We were told to be prepared to pack up and leave the island. The Trade winds stopped and it was drifting to us, however the Trade winds started to blow it away from us. Some of the guys were hoping we would leave.
On Wetok there was a large Jewfish caught at the garbage pier by rope and a large can for a float. They drug it by jeep over to the warehouse to get it weighed. They lifted it up by a wrecker. I was told later it was a world record by 200 lbs, however it did not count on the record book because it had to be caught on rod & reel.
Almost every day I swam in the lagoon with mask and swim fins and a spear gun made with hollow wood with a hole in it with a rubber tube, like a sling shot. We sold them over at the P.X.
The day of the manta rays. I will never forget that day, it was late in the evening, I saw a movement off to my right, there were three of them swimming straight at me. They were huge, at least 15 ft wide, I froze in the water. I had heard they were not meat eaters, I was not too sure of that. When they swam by, 4 ft away, I could feel the water move, like a large ship went by, that was the only time I saw them in the lagoon. That was ok with me.
The day of two sharks. I was on a Navy ship, not too sure on the name of the ship maybe a L.S.T. It was a large boat. We were going to another island for the day. As we were passing by Japtan Island, we were a mile out to sea, we slowed down, then came to a stop. Two guys jumped in to the water. They had a inner tube with a net over it. I guessed they were going to look for shells as they swam to shore. On the spur of the moment, I decided to jump in with my swim fins and mask and swim to the island. If I was lucky maybe I would find a Helmet shell. The water that far out was a deep blue. As I swam toward the island, I was now about a half mile from shore, you could now see 25 ft to the bottom. Some movement in front of me caught my eye about 50 ft away, I saw two shark fins swimming toward me, I froze in the water. I knew do not panic and try to keep calm. You have to always face them if they swim up to you, punch them in the nose if you can. As I was watching them with my mask on, they swam down to a large mushroom coral and for some reason they started to swim in a circle around it. As I swam by I did not take my eyes off of them. Why they went down there I do not know. I was glad to get to shore. In my one year on Wetok, they were the only sharks that I saw.
Sea shell collection, a few killer claims, small ones and others. All swept out to sea. I live in Gulfport MS., Two years ago hurricane Katrina hit the MS coast, it swept out to sea thousands of homes and my home with a cottage and a two story garage apartment. We lost everything. We were lucky we had insurance to cover our house. We moved into a rental house we owned in Bayou View.
As I look back some 50 years ago, it seems like a past life. I told it like it was, and what I saw. I always said I would go back, I guess I will not make it toWetok. I go fishing now, how can you live on the sea and not fish, I am in good health and have a lot to be thankful for.
Enclosed is a picture of my art.
Jere Newton painting
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God Bless |
