SAILOR WRITES OF THE PLACES HE HAS VISITED
John Eckstein Hits Iwo Jima, Saipan and Tokyo in Travels.
Sailing on a combination cargo and ambulance ship has been the experience of John Eckstein for the last ten months according to a letter recently received from him. In that time he has seen just about all of the Pacific there is to see.
He relates, “We went through Panama to get to the Pacific. You would like it down there for a vacation. However, Hawaii isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, but as far as that goes none of the South Pacific islands are. We went on to the Marshalls and Carolines from there and on to Iwo Jima and the battle for Okinawa. We had five near misses but on the whole came out pretty well.
“Our next stops were Saipan and Guam. Upon leaving the latter, we joined Halsey’s third fleet and remained with it for 67 days. Since Yokohama was the first land we had seen in that time it looked pretty good to us. Before leaving Japan we saw Nagoya, Sendale, Hiroshima, and Tokyo.
“From Japan we sailed to San Francisco and it really seemed swell to come sailing under the Golden Gate. We’ll stay in Frisco eight days before going back out again to pick up more troops.”
In closing John states that he expects to be home on a thirty day leave around Christmas.
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Source: Daily Freeman Journal: The Schools Journal, Webster City, IA – November 14, 1945
NOTE:
John Henry Eckstein was born Jan. 20, 1926 to John L. and Clara E. Ellis Eckstein. He died Jan. 30, 1978 in Los Angeles, CA.
John served with the U.S. Navy in World War II aboard the USS Rescue (AH-18) and at Aiea Heights Naval Hospital in Honolulu, HI.
Source: ancestry.com
