A few of my Father's memories, WW2 Seabee

[bayonetman]

Off and on during WW2 my Father, Chief Carpenter's Mate Homer Cunningham kept a small series of handwritten notebook diaries. There are large gaps in time, both in the diaries and apparently when ones are missing, but they provide a look back on what life was like for the serviceman. Thought I would post one of them here for those that might have some interest. All is just as written, spelling, punctuation, etc. He mentions his ankle injury (which caused him some problems for the rest of his life), it was jammed between two large crates while moving supplies at Dutch Harbor.

 

Dec. 26 (1942) – Left for Seattle Wash. Sure was nice trip up through Calif. and Oregon. Had train wreck 50 miles south of Eugene Ore.

 

Dec. 28 – Got to Seattle Wash. and went aboard the Chaumont. Went to Dutch Harbor. Got in Dutch Harbor on Jan. 6. Went into tent city. Boy was that something. Wind about 80 miles & snow. Cold as the devil. Stayed in tent city 10 days and went to the barracks at Fort Mears. Sure is nice here.

 

March 10 (1943) – Left Dutch Harbor. Went to Adak stayed two days was sick again. Left two Companies there and went to Amchitka. Boat got here on March 16 and unloaded on barge and it broke loose, floated around the harbor. Landed on March 17 and it was mud to your knees. Had to build our tents.

 

March 19 – Worked on moving things around the wind is sure strong. Our tent has 9 men in it has a coal stove. Worked as best we can for 10 days Mr. Green is our Officer in charge. I was down to Air port and in a P-38, a P-40 and a Martin B-25 bomber. Boy what planes and the boys who fly them sure can do their stuff. My ankle is causing me a little trouble but not too bad. Some times our stove is red hot and 10 feet up there is ice on the stack.

 

April 4 – We had an all night alert and all day today (Sunday) as the Army says there is a Task force headed this way. The air force beat them back, we had one Zero over yesterday looked like a reconnaissance flight put lots of us in foxholes though.

 

April came in like the devil. Frenchy Beemer has a birth day on April 6, On 7th packages came in and I got my pictures from my wife. Boy was I glad to get it – it is good too. We are snowed in for the day. Frenchy is giving fruit cake. Malone is also giving out treats. Conley and I go to the PX and get a little stuff. It is hell outside the wind and snow is so bad that you cannot see or even breathe at times. Have to use parka and face mask, worse I ever saw.

 

April 9 – I did not think we would work so let the men sleep and then we had to work without our breakfast. Boy and was it a lousy day. We worked on a steel hut I fell from a ladder flat but was not hurt. The fire was out and I had a hell of a time getting it going this AM then had to go to work anyway and no breakfast. Not too bad of a day, it has snowed about every day since we hit here.

 

April 10 – Worked all day on steel hut for recreation and we have no heat or any way to take a bath and we have to wash our mess kit in cold water and wipe it out with toilet paper. Our lights were out this evening the officer’s have warm tents and electric lights and the men have none sure is a nice way for them to act. It snowed like the devil, 4 inches left on the ground. The wind must have reached 60 or 70 miles per hr our tent was sure hell to stay in. 9 men in our tent and each has 4 bags tent is 16 by 16 so it is a little crowded.

 

April 11 – Today is snowing and then the sun shines. We got a little time to fix up our tent so we could move in it we are always the last it seems we do all the Gold braids work. Sure is a hell of a mess I feel quite disgusted. I got a lot of mail yesterday and today that helps. I like to just look at my wife’s and son’s pictures must be homesick.

 

April 12 – Moved into our new tent with Cole, DeTruck, F.E.Cunningham, Conrad and Carroll. It is much better than our old place but the mud is much worse.

 

April 13 – Snowed a little early nice this evening, nothing new.

 

April 14 – Garage burned. Snowed and sunshine all together. Like spring but snowed every 30 minutes – darndest weather I ever saw. I finished the rec hall today.

 

April 15 – Nothing much only it’s the first day the sun shined all day. The planes sure have been busy today going over to Kiska.

 

April 16 – Nice day, little snow. I worked on the Skipper’s tent.

 

April 17 – Nothing new.

 

April 18 – Nice for a while and then the largest sleet I ever saw, big as peas and so thick you could not see. Worked on the new Add building. Was down to see the PBY and bombers – B-25.

 

April 18 & 19 – Worked on Add building. Snowed and bad. Finished.

 

April 20 – Nothing new

 

April 21 – I was put in charge of building three huts (strand steel) for garages and carpenter’s shop. I am replacing the shed that burned down. We also had two tents burn.

 

April 25 – Easter. Very nice day all day. My ankle was bad but got 15 letters so had a good day. I got one hut done yesterday so the boys can finish the other two. We had another tent burn down last night, sure is getting bad. There was a P-40 plane crashed yesterday in the ocean, pilot was killed, too bad. Tail came off I guess.

 

April 26 – My ankle was bad so stayed in the tent all day.

 

April 27 – Too bad to work, ankle still bad.

 

April 28 – Still too bad to work, my ankle still bad having my meals brought to me. Our chief commissary steward is in the brig no one knows why.

 

April 29 & 30 – Nothing new.

 

May 1 – First real nice day we have had, snowed yesterday. We lost another pilot over Kiska, transport pilot out for a thrill and didn’t come back.

 

May 2-3-4 – Nothing much new, my ankle is getting better. Got mail. Carr got drunk on alcohol and Ripkey got put in brig for telling an officer off.

 

May 5-6 – I worked in the new Carpenter’s shop with Skaggs and Shuler. Snowed. A P-40 pilot jumped today and parachuted into the sea but swam in. Boy there sure have been a lot of B-24 Army and B-37 Navy bombers land on the strip

 

May 7-8-9-10 – Not much. I worked in the Carpenter’s shop.

 

May 11 – I started to work on the bomber strip today as head of our detail. My Chief told me that I had been made Chief. We are working on a large mess hall for the aviators, sure is a bunch of them. We put a beachhead on Attu.

 

May 12 – Made Chief today all the other men got their ratings to. All third class were raised to second.

 

May 16 – Just working on flyers mess hall. Attu has been invaded by us for a week.on the 17th I hope the boys come out all right. The boys seem to be satisfied for me to be Chief.

 

May 22 – One of the Venturas ran off the strip and bombs blew up, killed all. J.E.Cunningham is building a fish pole. Met Norman Mitchell.

 

May 24 – Another P-38 was wrecked today, fell in the bay. Pilot OK.

 

May 25- Worked and finished the mess hall for the pilots. Another P-38 hit the hill at the end of the fighter strip, burned but the pilot got out.

 

May 26 – I have built another mess hall here in Navy land just like the one on the bomber strip.

 

June has seen us all working hard putting up huts and the 509 Maintenance crew has come in. All the 42nd has moved to Adak but B Co. We are also building a large rec hall and theater. We have lost several planes in the fog, 5 in one day. 2 PV, 2 P-38 and 1 B-24.

 

July 1 – We had to make ramps for PBYs and while we were working I was in a Ventura. They sure are some plane. Also I was in a B-24 and a PBY. One of the Venturas was wrecked went too far on the strip, all safe but the plane ruined.

 

July 2 – Made 3 new Warrant Officers, my old Chief was made one. Sure am glad of that. One of the B-24s came back from Kiska all shot to hell, 5 wounded one killed. Still foggy and cold.

 

July 7 – I got orders to go to Camp Parks, Calif for transfer to another Batt. Left Amchitka the 8th left Adak the 15th with Harvey and Mayfield.

[LtRGFRANK]

Nothing beats that. No stories from 60 years later can match what is written at the time. Enjoyed it very much. Is there more? Robert

[Lee Ragan]

It just proves that wars are won not only by the guys doing all the shooting, but the thousands of behind the scenes troops that make it possible. Ain't much glamor in being a "REMF", (as they called them now), but it's those guys who make it all possible and enable the trigger-pullers to do their job.

Thanks for sharing this from your Dad. :thumbsup:

[The Meatcan]

that's really interesting stuff! The one entry mentioning a plane blowing up killing all on board, then the next sentence stating that so-and-so is building a fishing pole is a good example of daily operations in that remote corner of the war. It's also easy to see how the weather was such a huge factor in everyday life in that theater as well. It sure highlights the nature of the war in the Aleutians. Thanks for posting and feel free to post more if you can.

Terry

[Huntzman]

April 25 – Easter. Very nice day all day. My ankle was bad but got 15 letters so had a good day. I got one hut done yesterday so the boys can finish the other two. We had another tent burn down last night, sure is getting bad. There was a P-40 plane crashed yesterday in the ocean, pilot was killed, too bad. Tail came off I guess.

 

Thank you for sharing that, it is a real eye opener when you realize how the business of war becomes another day at the office. I guess that's how you get through day to day. God Bless them all.

[Tony V]

WOW!

Gary

 

Thank you for posting part of your fathers diaries. This is a very important time line for him and what he did. I would love to read more if you would not mind allowing us to see more.

 

Thank you again

 

Tony

[TomcatPC]

Hello

 

I enjoy reading people's own stories of their part in the War, so much more than reading a large history book that has no personalty.

 

My Dad was in the US Navy in the latter part of the fighting in Pacific Theatre. Two years back he hosted a Squadron reunion in my old hometown where he still lives. In the year prior to the reunion he made drawings of certain events he went through during the War. Then he wrote the story behind each drawing. They go from hilarious, to harrowing, incidents like drinking beer with Paul Newman in HI, to being shot down in Tokyo Bay, to coming back home after V-J Day. Then he made a book out of them and gave a copy to all his Comrades, family members, etc. I have a copy and have shown it to many of the people I know. Most of them have asked for a copy of it. I have asked him to think about making so more copies.

 

Reading accounts of the War, like what you posted, just have an essence of "soul" about them, and that can't be found in a sterile history book.

Thanks for posting.

Mark