(AND I'm very glad to be back on post again)!
When we were coming back from the Pacific we "chugged" through the Canal and headed toward New York. Within a few days we encountered a terrific snow storm along the East Coast and I, for one, put on ALL my foul weather gear. It sure was COLD, COLD up on the bridge!!! (I can hardly imagine how cold the Murmansk trip must have been)!!
I think we had our usual jacket and also had cold weather "bib" overall type warm pants with a very warm Parka worn over that. I wore a face mask and goggles, gloves and kept fairly warm...although not "toasty"!
The deck became covered with snow and a lot of ice. The storm lasted some time and we arrived in New York Harbor on December 18, 1945. I was colder than a well-digger's posterior!
I and several others did not get off the ship until about January 3rd or 4th, 1946. (I really don't remember the exact date). However, others did get to get off and go home on leave.
We WERE allowed some liberty and I was "lucky" enough to be on Times Square on New Year's Eve 1945! What a wild bunch of civilian AND military people. I should say... what a bunch of drunken idiots! WOW! I, too,drank some beer but I didn't get THAT zonked out.
I will say that New York seemed to be rather "safe" at that time. I simply went back to my ship to rest and SLEEP!
Thanks for your concerns.
OOPS! I almost forgot. My Naval Intelligence Dept.has informed me that Fran Kent's birthday is Friday, 20 October 2009. Let's hear it for Old Fran! HAPPY BIRTHDAY old sailor! I hpe you have many more before heading for that Safe Harbor in Heaven!
God Bless all!
Roy Brown
Responses
« Back to index | View thread »