Abell, Joshua Randolph, 1925-2003

"...We did a little work this morning and in the afternoon we had a 'holiday routine'. The first one that we've had in sometime now. But all I did was sleep and talk. I stayed up topside most of the time and watched some of the fellows fish and what do you know, they actually caught one...I got a haircut, by Barrett, a guy in our Division from Penn. who used to be a barber in good old civilian days...."

"...This morning we had 'personnel inspection' by the executive officer and Lieutenant (Junior Grade) at quarters this morning on the tank deck of the LCT. We pased the criticizing eyes okay except for a few who were called down because they needed haircuts and one forgot to put his belt on...."

"...A paper with the round-up of the day's news called 'The Nip Nipper" is now published and put out daily on board and a scandal paper called 'The Gaton' is put out once in awhile giving inside scoops and amusing incidents about members of the crew...They are enjoyed by all--and whoever started surely did a good deed for us fellows...."

"...During the day we get to sack in after we complete our days work. I don't even hit my sack, I just take my life jacket and sleep on the deck...."

"...I worked fairly hard today handling lines and odd jobs. We can now only take a fresh water shower every third night. Sionce I was so darn dirty, I broke down and much against my constitution, took a salt water shower...."

"Last night, being Saturday night, we heard the 'hit parade' over the PA system. There was also a lot of good music coming over the radio up until ten when taps blew...at the canteen tonight I bought a cake which was quite a treat and it was good and cold...."

"I had the four to six messenger watch this afternoon which leaves me with the twelve to four tonight. Seems like those mid (12-4) watches sure roll around swiftly...."

"...I just took a cold but fresh water shower and I feel quite refreshing [sic] now. They don't turn on any spicket except the cold one, when we do have a fresh water shower on, because if they made it nice and warm we'd stay under it longer and waste a lot of water...."

"...I visited ship's service store again tonight and bought my usual rations of sweets. That is a plenty [---]. Three bars of candy, can of peanuts and some mints...I talked to Earl the Marine again tonight. He's a pretty swell, nice boy. He doesn't smoke or drink, which means a lot or at least shows thast he has a very high resistance against these temptations...."

"...How did you like my every day account of my activities as far as I could say without it being censored or rather cut out by the censors? The reason that I put several letters in one envelope was to conserve my Air Mail stamps. It was a good idea, wasn't it?...Guess you've been reading in the papers where three servicemen7 were put off an Army airplane to make way or space for Col. Roosevelt's dog...."