Kay Dearest:

Friday the 13th (ouch).

Weather is fine, calm water, weather about 100 (degrees).  Scuttlebut is that MCArthur, is on the Cruiser Nashville.

The scuttlebutt proved to be correct.

Listened to Tokyo Rose’s scuttlebut, she still claims we are doomed.  She dedicated the song “Good Bye Now” to our Task Force. How Nice.
Carriers had a few planes up today. They practiced attacking our ship. Boy! Do those planes travel.

TBF Avenger, the most common type of attack plane used during this time in the pacific.

Always my love.
Action Ahead!

My Darling:

Water is choppy, there is an overcast but no rain.

Typhoons can be Seen forming aft our beam, navigator is avoiding typhoons. We must not be in a hurry to get anywhere, avoiding a storm in a Battle Wagon.

Listened to Tokyo Rose’s scuttlebutt, reception poor due to rain. I wonder where Tokyo Rose gets her records she has the latest tunes by Glen Miller, Harry James etc.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfthhdvbSDw

Our scuttlebut now is we are going to Samar, Phillipines. I wonder???

Action Ahead!

My Darling :

Weather bad. Squalls and more squalls.

Carriers and six destroyers left our Task Force, to go ahead and soften up our opposition. Good luck guys.

I guess I’ll never get seasick again.  The ship is taking quite a bit of water over the decks.

The WeeVee in rough waters

Darling Kay:

Weather worse, a real tropical storm, spray over the entire superstructure, the ship is really rolling and pitching. Stayed below decks most of the day and ate gedunks. Pretty dull day. Played a few games of checkers.

The Gedunk Stand on the USS West Virginia

(A-Day-minus three) Oct. 17, 1944

Dearest:

Weather is still the same. What a storm!

The crew was officially informed that we are to strike the first offensive blow against the Philippine Islands.

Our Marine Captain, held a critique on the tactical situation that prevailes on Leyte Island, The Island in the Philippines we are to strike.

Today the Army landed a Battalion minus one Company of Rangers on the other islands that stand as sentinals to the Gulf of Leyte .

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m55UkV8q7rg

Carrier based planes bombed Leyte Island.

Report on Rangers Operation encouraging; 1 ranger killed,  1 wounded. They captured 30 Japs and secured the island.

Mine sweepers, escorted by destroyers, swept the Gulf clear of mines. One mine sweeper lost, one destroyer damaged. Casualties light. Things are looking,upl

We had been running in a tropical storm for three days and it looked like the attack would be postponed but the weather cleared up today and the force was intact except for one A.P.D. that lost its rudder in the storm.

I guess this is it.

Action ahead!

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