May 22, 46 Naval Barracks, Bath ME
I've seen my ship; they are still working on it. I
think it
is to leave here June 23. It is the last DD they are
going
build here. The 849 is leaving tomorrow for Boston.
There
will hardly be anyone here when it leaves. There are
only
about 15 of the Agerholm's crew here so far. In ten
days
they are going to close down this barracks and keep
us at
the Naval Air Station at Brunswick.
This isn't much of a base. There is one barracks, one
mess
unit, and some office buildings all fenced in with
one gate
just outside of Bath. It's about a mile walk to the
ship
yard. Bath is a nice little town from what I've seen.
I'll
take some pictures around and send them to you. As
soon as
the ship is ready enough, they have the crew go
aboard just
to look around and get acquainted with the ship. We
don't
have anything to do with sailing the ships to Boston
-
civilian men have it. We are just here to get to know
the
ship. There is about one-fourth of the crew to go
aboard
here, the rest get on at Boston. I sure am in on the
bottom
floor. Well, I'll try to write often and let you know
what
is going on. So long for now.
May 25, 46
The Agerholm is the last ship (destroyer) to be built
here.
The yard is going to close down for a while and then
start
building a type of small ship for France. The
Agerholm is
scheduled to leave *****23, but there are rumors that
it
will be about three weeks late. I went down to the
yards
yesterday morning and went aboard. There is still
plenty to
do. The decks are all cluttered up, etc. It will take
a week
to have a clean sweepdown.
Charleston Navy Yard, Boston, Mass
June 21, 1946
Dear Folks,
Well, I am aboard my first ship. Everything is kind
of
fouled up a bit but they will get things squared away
in a
few days. We left Bath 0715 yesterday morning and
were in
Boston around 1230. It was a smooth cruise down. Most
of
the time we made 32 or 34 knots and one time 37. She
took
the speed fine and we had no trouble at all with any
machines. Bath built ships live up to their fine
reputation
of being the best built. The commissioning was at
three
o'clock. It lasted less than an hour. Some Marine
officer
gave a talk about the Marine private the ship is
named
after. He died in ****Sipan*** His mother was here at
the
commissioning. The Skipper talked a bit, also the
Rear
Admiral of this naval district. They set the watch
then and
ran up the flags. That was about all there was to it.
I am in the first section. I stood the first watch in
the
***Aft. engine room. It's just a security watch while
we're
in port. Cold Iron Watch they call it. Nothing is
running
but one or two fire and flushing pumps. I have (been)
put
in the forward engine engine room now though. That
will be
my permanent station. Under way I will stand the main
feed
water pump watch. It is a good watch they tell me. I
also
have the duty of caring for the refrigeration. There
is a
log book and the forward engine room watch takes
readings
of the gages every hour. I will just see that it is
operating all right. This morning they brought aboard
fresh
provisions. They went into the refrigerator. I will
have to
make some adjustments tomorrow now that there is a
load on
the machines.
Well, living aboard a ship is really something new
and
different. Besides while I was up at Bath I got to
know the
ship so I get around just a bit better than the
fellows
that came aboard here.
June 30, 1946
Saturday they put our ship in dry dock. I am going to
try
to get some pictures, maybe you aren't allowed, I
have to
find out. Enclosed are some I took at Brunswick and
Bath.
Have some enlargements made of the best ones.
Late July 1946
Somewhere in Cuba
We tied up this morning about 1000 alongside another
ship.
The trip down wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
We
left Boston Wednesday morning. I had the 1200 to 1600
watch. When I got off watch and came top side, there
were a
lot of fellows sick and hanging over the rail. I did
not
lose any of my chow on the whole cruise down. I felt
a
little sick once but not too bad. We stood watch four
on
and eight off. I had the 1200 to 1600 and the 2400 to
0400.
Boy that wears you out. You get seven hours sleep if
you
hit the sack real early but it is noisy and the
lights are
on. It's not all in one run. Sleep four or five
hours,
stand a watch, sleep a couple more hours and
reveille, then
chow, and turn to at ship's work - noon chow and then
back
on watch - evening chow, wash clothes and hit the
sack -
some routine.
The trip down was smooth so the old salts say, but
the ship
was rolling from side to side and up and down. It is
nice
at sea though. The water is the most beautiful medium
blue.
It foams white as the ship pushes through.
August 2, 1946
Friday, 1630
U.S.S. Agerholm
It's really been hot here the past couple of days. In
watch, all you can do is just stand under a blower. I
was in the fantail just an hour or so yesterday when
I wrote a letter to Erlynne and I got red across
shoulders and on my neck.
I went swimming last night on liberty. It is a nice
pool. There were just six of us from our ship there.
We played water basketball. The water was the same
temperature as the air, you hardly knew you were in
swimming. Tomorrow and Sunday we won't be going out.
There will be a personal inspection in the morning
and liberty will start early. Some felow and I are,
maybe, going horseback riding. I am
going to try to get some pictures of the island.
August 10, 1946
Guantanamo, Cuba
Dear Dad,
I am coming along fine learning how to operate the
pumps in the engine room. There are 12 pumps that the
pump men care for. Of course, they are not
necessarily all running at once but they could be.
They're all alike except the fire and bilge pumps.
It's a reciprocating pump while the others are
centrifical. To start any of them you've got to open
your suction and discharge steam & exhaust and the
cooling water. You have to drain the water out before
you start them. The most important one is the main
feed pump which supplies the boilers with water. You
got to keep the discharge pressure at a certain
point.
On watch there are certain things you have to do:
1) Clean the lube oil strainer
2) Pump bilge
3) Check for leaks in system
4) Check oil pressure and temperature in pumps.
5) Sweep down and keep the deck plates clean.
August 17, 1946
Saturday, 0100
U.S.S. Agerholm, 200 miles off Key West
Dear Folks,
We are playing nurse maid to two LSM's. Wednesday
night our ship had the duty. The duty ship stays out
all night. We received word to go to the aid of two
LSM's that were in trouble north of us. One was
shipping water. Well, we started north right away at
20 knots, that was Wednesday night, yesterday morning
we caught up with them. They are diesel powered ships
and were having trouble with their diesel. Also,
their steering and gyro compass was out and they were
compltely out of fresh water. They had beer aboard
and that's what they had been drinking for a couple
of days. Last night we made an attempt to pass thru a
hose and give them some water but they went about it
bass acwards and were unsuccessful. This morning they
got everything ready and we succeeded in giving them
some water. The one ship isn't realy bad off, but the
other one makes up for it. We just gave water to one.
These ships have come all the way from China. Step by
step to the islands refueling and taking on water.
They do not have evaperators. An LSM is something
like an LST except the well on an LST is covered.
You've seen pictures of these ships drive up on the
beach and a big ramp drops down from the bow. Their
full speed is 11 knots. Right now we are making about
6 or 7. One ship off the port, one off the starboard.
When we received the first message one of them was
dead in the water, but they got underway again before
we caught up. They were headed for New Orleans and
Mobile but now they are going into Key West.
If nothing happens we will get there sometime
tomorrow. A good number of men on these ships are
past time for being discharged. The skipper off one
has six days to go. We don't know yet if we will have
to make up for these days actually training. I hope
not. I have been standing the 12 to 4 since we shoved
off Tuesday morning and I am all worn out. We are
goingto dog the watch tonight - shift around.
Evveryone would like to have liberty in Key West but
I don't think we'll get it. We will refuel and head
back to Guantanamo.
September 11, 1946
Wednesday 2000
Dear Folks,
We got back from San Juan early this morning. About
0700 we went in and picked up observers and came
right out again. Today we had our midterm battle
problem. At 0900 we went to general quarters and were
at it till 1200, then back again at 1300, lasting
till about 1500.There were fires and flooding from
hits everywhere. Casualties and everything to make it
seem real. It became very real when the chief
electrician took a shot of 440 currents. He was
rigging a casualty power line and power was cut on
before it was supposed to. Messages must have got
fouled up along the line somewhere. Well, it must
have been a real shot. He had to lie down for awhile
and take it easy. Much as things seemed fouled up
during the problem, we did very well so they told us
tonight. I am glad, maybe they'll take it easy for
awhile.
As I came on watch, the moon was just rising, sure is
beautiful. The water is calm and peaceful tonight and
the moon in the water is just like you seee in the
movies. Just the right night to sit on deck and take
it easy. Not me though, I've got the 8 to 12. The
engines hum and hiss so peacefuly. The air from the
blower is cool, but the lighting effect down here is
terrible. The water in the bilge is so smooth and
peaceful, maybe a little dirty but the light still
shines on it. Oh yes, it's a swell evening.
Friday the landing force will go ashore and drill and
have firing practice. It's going to be a tiring day,
but there may be a little fun to it.
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