Shortly after my original post a truly great thing happened. My sister found a large Manila envelope tucked away in my father's closet. Inside were all the letters home he wrote to his folks, dating from his training in San Diego in 1944 to his discharge in May of 1946. It was pretty great to get a glimpse of who my Dad was at age 18. In a letter dated Sept. 30, 1944 we was unable (of course) to tell them where he was but I already knew that the SS Yugoslavia was offshore at Peleliu on that date. Some time ago in my endless internet search I found part of a Destroyer Escort Captain's log that mentioned receiving orders in Sept. 1944 to escort the SS Yugoslavia Victory to the spot where she could be unloaded at Peleliu. My father could only write about the sights, sounds of the naval bombardment and the terrible smell as they got closer. I can remember him telling me of how sad it made him to see so many badly injured US Marine's after their costly Victory.