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PACIFIC WAR DIARY
1942-1945
JAMES J. FAHEY
Seaman First Class, U.S.S.
Montpelier
Copyright © 1963 and renewed 1991 by James J. Fahey
To my parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fahey,
and my foster parents,
Mr. and Mrs. John Bray,
and Susje and Ramy
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
by Samuel Eliot Morison
PART I: THE SOLOMONS
October 1942—May 1944
PART III: U.S.A.
August 1944—October 1944
PART IV: THE PHILIPPINES—MINDORO, LUZON, PALAWAN
October 1944—June 1945
PART V: BORNEO
June 1945—July 1945
PART VI CHINA AND JAPAN
July 1945—December 1945
FOREWORD
Personal narratives of wars by statesmen, generals and admirals are fairly numerous; but
accounts by private soldiers and ordinary seamen are exceedingly rare, although of high value to
historians and great interest to general readers. Hence I was delighted to read the following
sailor's diary of World War II in the Pacific, one with a distinct flavor. The author, James Fahey,
Seaman First Class on the U.S.S.
Montpelier,
was a shipmate of mine in the Marianas operation,
and I can vouch for the authenticity of his diary, which he kept faithfully under conditions that
were anything but conducive to literary effort.
The great merit of Mr. Fahey's diary is that it gives the American bluejacket's point of view
about the naval war in the Pacific, with all its glory and horror, achievement and boredom; it tells
how sailors felt going into battle, their opinions of their officers, their hunger off Okinawa when
the long logistics line grew thin, and their fortitude in meeting the menace of the Kamikaze
Corps.
Samuel Eliot Morison
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I would like to thank the following people for their part in the publication of this book. It was
their confidence, encouragement, and hard work that made this possible and I will remember
them always.
At the head of the list is Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, who recommended my book to
Houghton Mifflin Company, and I am only too happy to express my appreciation to this very
thoughtful and generous man, and to Mr. Joseph Bryan 3rd, author of
Admiral Halsey's Story,
who was the first person to read my diary; Admiral Arleigh "31-knot" Burke, Admiral E. M.
PART II: THE MARIANAS
May 1944—August 1944
Eller, Professor Vernon D. Tate, and Mr. Ken Jones, who saw typewritten copies of this book
and had them put in the Navy archives, the U.S. Naval Historical Foundation Museum, the
library of the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Library of Congress; to my friends who typed the
book, Mrs. Reidar Bomengen, Miss Helen Garrahan, Mrs. Leo Garneau, Mr. Paul R. Morrill,
Mr. John Smith, and Mrs. John Sweeney, with my special thanks for their help; also to my many
friends at Houghton Mifflin Company. I would like to mention every one of them but that is
impossible.
I do not have to remind anyone that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event for someone like me
because I am not a writer, but a truck driver for the City of Waltham, Mass. I cannot believe it
myself because it seems like a dream. It could only happen in this great, wonderful country of
ours.
James J. Fahey
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
James Fahey kept this diary from October 1942 to December 1945, on loose sheets of paper
closely covered with writing on both sides. Sometimes entries were made several times during
one day, sometimes not for weeks; sometimes several days were written up at one time. After the
war he put it away until 1960, when he copied it in legible form, filling out his sketchy notes
where necessary. Whatever errors it may contain, it reflects what he believed to be true at the
time.
THE SOLOMONS
October 1942-May 1944
October 3, 1942:
I enlisted in the U.S. Navy today. It looks like the Navy got the makings of a
very poor sailor when they got me. I still get carsick and cannot ride on a swing for any length of
time.
I took my physical examination at the Post Office Building in Boston, Mass., a distance of about
ten miles from Waltham, Mass. A fellow next to me was rejected because he was color blind.
They told him the Sea Bees would take him. On the way home I relaxed in the old trolley car and
felt like the Fleet Admiral himself.
October 7, 1942:
I got up early this morning for my trip to Boston, on my way to Great Lakes
Naval Training Station in Chicago, Illinois.
Before leaving I shook my father's hand and kissed him goodbye.
It was a clear cool morning as my sister Mary, brother John and I headed for the bus at the corner
of Cedar Street. The bus and trolley car were crowded with people going to work. When we
reached the Post Office Building in Boston I shook John's hand and kissed Mary goodbye.
After a long tiresome day of hanging around we were finally on our way to the train station. The
group was very large and they came from the New England states. We were called the Lexington
Volunteers in honor of the carrier
Lexington.
It was sunk by the Japanese Navy May 7, 1942, in
the battle of the Coral Sea.
With a big band leading the way we marched through downtown Boston before thousands of
people. It took about half an hour to reach the North Station and at 5:30 P.M. we were on our
way.
When the train passed through my city it was beginning to get dark and I could picture the folks
at home having supper. There would be an empty place at the table for some time. It would have
been very easy for me to feel sad and lonely with these thoughts in my mind but we should not
give in to our feelings. If we always gave in to our feelings instead of our judgment we would
fall by the wayside when the going got rough.
It will be a long tiresome trip and our bed will be the seat we sit in, two to a seat.
October 8, 1942:
The long troop train stopped in the middle of nowhere today. It looked like a
scene from a western movie in the last century. All you could see was wide open spaces with
plenty of fields and a small railroad station. It felt good to get some fresh air and stretch our legs
for a change after the crowded conditions on the train. Some of the fellows like myself mailed
letters and cards home. The postmark on the mail was STRATHROY, Ontario, Canada. It was a
warm sunny day so we sat on the side of the tracks while waiting for the train to get started
again.
At Great Lakes:
On the evening of Oct. 9 we pulled into the stockyards at Chicago and stayed
there for some time. It gave us another chance to get some fresh air and walk around on solid
ground for a change. All the people in the big tenement buildings were at their windows looking
at us.
At last the train was on its final leg of the journey. We were a tired dirty lot when the train
finally pulled into Great Lakes Naval Training Station in the early morning darkness. The
weather was on the chilly side.
They got us up bright and early after a few hours sleep on the floor of a large drill hall. We were
far from being in condition for a physical examination but that was the way we started the day
and it took a long time. We went from one doctor to another upstairs and downstairs and from
one room to another. They checked us from head to toe and even asked us our religion. At last it
was over and our first shower in some time. It sure felt good.
We spent four weeks of training and lived in barracks. Our company number was 1291. A Chief
Petty Officer was in charge of each company and our chief was liked by all.
Some of the Chiefs are hated because they go out of their way to make it as miserable as
possible. They enjoy getting the fellows up at two in the morning and have them stand at
attention in the cold for a long time with very little clothing.
The instructor who taught us judo enjoyed taking it out on the new recruits. He sent one of the
boys from my company to the hospital in a stretcher. Our chief was boiling mad and if he could
have gotten his hands on this punk he would have done a job on him.
You learned that your days of privacy were over while you were in the Navy and they would not
return until you were back in civilian life again. When you ate, slept, took a shower, etc., you
were always part of the crowd, you were never alone.
No one enjoyed sleeping in the hammocks because they were too tight. It was like sleeping on a
tight clothesline. You felt like you were going to fall out if you turned over. You felt safe on
your back but you can't sleep on your back all night.
We will never forget our first haircut. When the barber got through there was no hair to cut. It
was shorter than short. It was funny to see a nice looking fellow with a beautiful crop of hair get
into the barber's chair and leave with no hair at all.
Great Lakes is the largest naval training station in the world and they also have one of the best
football teams in the country. I had the pleasure of talking to Bruce Smith the all-American back
from Minnesota. He was the number one football player in the country in 1941. You could not
help but like him. He slept in our barracks.
We always marched to the mess hall for our meals and kept in step by singing loud and strong.
I had to go to sick call one day because of a bad blow to the ribs I received in a boxing bout but
they did not do anything for me even though the pain was killing me. They think everyone is a
faker when he goes to sick call, that he just wants time off from work.
We were kept on the go at all times and at last our training was over. It was home sweet home
for us. We were very proud of our uniform as we boarded the train for home. After a nine day
leave we returned to Great Lakes and stayed here for two days before leaving for Norfolk,
Virginia, our next stop.
November 23, 1942:
Late Friday evening Nov. 21, a large group of us boarded a truck for the
pier. It was a great feeling as I staggered up the gangway to the ship with my sea bag in one hand
and the mattress cover loaded with blankets, mattress, etc., over my shoulder. The name of the
ship is the U.S.S.
Montpelier.
It is a light cruiser. At last I have a home and a warship at that.
We slept in our hammocks in the mess hall at first but then we were assigned to divisions. I went
to the 5th division. It is a deck division.
It will take some time before we know our way around this large ship. It is over 600 feet long
and has many decks and compartments.
Today at eight in the morning we left Norfolk for the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
December 13, 1942:
We left Philadelphia today, on our way at last. The weather is very cold and
it is snowing. I hope wherever we go the weather is nice and warm. The
Montpelier
is a new
cruiser commissioned in September. Most of the fellows are rebels from the South.
January 18, 1943:
After 35 days and over 10,000 miles traveled, we finally reached our
destination. It is the French-controlled island of New Caledonia. It is only about 700 miles from
Australia, the continent they call the land down under because it is so close to the bottom of the
world. Australia is the oldest continent on earth, and larger than the U.S.A. Now I will cover
some of the things that happened during our many days since we left Philadelphia on Dec. 13,
1942.
When we left Norfolk, Virginia, we joined a big convoy of warships and transports, carrying
thousands of troops plus supply ships. The weather was very cold and the seas were on the
rampage. We thought the ship would turn over. Most of the crew was green and many of them
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