WW II MEMORIES - FRIED POTATO SANDWICHES

World War II Memories - Fried Potato Sandwiches

The Battle of Okinawa was the last major ground battle between the armed forces of the Empire of Japan and the United States in the South Pacific.

The Battle of Okinawa lasted 83 days from the landing of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps on 1 April 1945 until 22 June, when the island was declared secured. The defense of the island was divided into three strong Japanese lines where hidden guns, machine guns and bunkers covered approaches and fields. Soldiers on the ground fought a grueling battle to occupy the island. The U.S. Navy provided support from the ocean and was attacked repeatedly by Japanese Kamikaze aircraft, sinking and damaging a significant number of vessels. Most of the island's structures were destroyed and the landscape was left a barren, muddy morass. It was a battle in which more than 12,000 American and 100,000 Japanese soldiers lost their lives. The losses were the greatest of the Pacific campaign.

The island was considered crucial to establish three airstrips and support facilities from which to launch a final assault on the mainlands of Japan. After securing the island work on these major projects and the business of occupation by the U.S. forces began. But because of the heavy losses during the Battle of Okinawa, the decision was made to release the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force the surrender of the Empire of Japan on August 6 and 9 of 1945.

On 9 October 1945 Typhoon Louise struck Okinawa, with devastating results.  Winds of 92 miles per hour and 30-35 foot waves battered the ships and craft in the bay and tore into the Quonset huts and buildings ashore. A total of 12 ships and craft were sunk, 222 grounded, and 32 severely damaged. Personnel casualties were 36 killed, 47 missing, and 100 seriously injured. Almost all the food, medical supplies and other stores were destroyed, over 80% of all housing and buildings knocked down, and all the military installations on the island were temporarily out of action. Over 60 planes were damaged as well, though most were repairable. Although new supplies had been brought to the island by this time, and emergency mess halls and sleeping quarters built for all hands, the scale of the damage was still very large. If the war had not ended on 2 September, this damage, especially the grounding and damage to 107 amphibious craft (including the wrecking of four tank landing ships, two medium landing ships, a gunboat, and two infantry landing craft) would likely have seriously impacted the planned invasion of Japan.


There were still renegade Japanese hold-outs in the caves and underground mazes of the island, the natives were distrustful of the U.S. troops and there was a lot of repair and rebuilding to be done. This was the situation my father and his troop mates were greeted with in the Fall of 1945. 

Another letter home...

3 November, 1945
Okinawa

Dearest Dottie,

Here I am again, boring you to death. I didn't get any mail today, but I'm not bitching 'cause I got so many the day before yesterday. I missed the show this evening. We've been  sitting here making coffee and frying bacon and potatoes. We usually do that after the movie, but we had company this evening and didn't go. I'll be quite the cook! I can get up in the morning and fix breakfast. Wouldn't that be something?

I'm sure acquiring  a funny taste in food over here. One of my favorites is potato sandwiches. You fry potatoes real crisp in lots of grease, sprinkle them well with salt, and then make a sandwich of them. They are almost like french fries, but not quite so crisp. Real Good!

Can't you almost smell the bacon and coffee and taste those hot, crispy potatoes?

We don't have any trouble getting food here. We just go down to the mess hall and steal it after dark - it is a pretty good set up. We have better chow here in the tent than the mess hall. The chow there is really rotten!  No fresh meat at all except once of twice a week.  They had real potatoes the other day and almost caused a stampede in the chow line. We stole about half a case that night and have had fried potatoes ever since.

(2)

You can't imagine the way dehydrated food tastes until you've ate it for a while. We had dehydrated carrots for the first time today, and I took some not knowing what they were. They tasted like nothing I've ever ate, and if I told you what it tasted like, you would blush - so I won't say anything!  

The only thing I'll miss when I leave this island, if I ever do, will be the bull sessions every night. They sure get good! Sometimes I almost die laughing, and other times I almost cry when they get to talking about something that reminds me of you. I'd never tell anyone but you this, but I actually cried one night when I thought of you. I guess I'm just a big boob, don't you think so?

 Honey, did you get the pictures I sent to you? I hope so, 'cause they cost me quite a bit of money considering what I make. They (censors) may feel the pictures in the envelope and open it. I don't know if they allow them to go home now or not. I hope so. If you get them, Honey, send them to mom for a while, but tell her to send them back.

(3)

I  just finished reading a book called "Not Too Narrow, Not Too Deep." It is the book that they made the picture "Strange Cargo" from. The book is a lot better than the picture. I don't know if you saw the picture of not, but it is about ten men that escaped from Dante's Island and made their way to America in a small boat. On the trip they pick up a man who converts them all to Christians, or whatever you may call them. It is really interesting.

MGM 1940 film released  in 1940
It was the 8th, and last, pairing of stars
Clark Gable and Joan Crawford.

First novel by Richard Sale, published in 1936.

Original envelope

There seems to be some dispute about the 147th going home.They screened all the men out below 60 points, and there are still 90 and 100 point men here waiting to go home, and they are bitching.

Honey, I hope you still love me. It would break my heart if I ever found out that you didn't. You are the only thing I live for anymore. Everything else seems in the far past. All my plans and hopes are built on our getting married and having a home of our own. If anything  ever happened that we weren't married, I would be like a man without a country! I would just as soon stay over here.

Well, I'm getting pessimistic, so I guess I'd better close for now. Please think of me once in while when you have nothing else to do, and remember, I love you with all my heart and soul, always!

Yours truly and forever, 

ブボブ

(Japanese calligraphy for Bob)

Please write soon, Darling.

I love that he is just a 19 year old kid far away from home...thinking about food and movies and missing the love of his life! Wonder if they knew how much trouble they would have been in if they were caught stealing from the supplies? Wow!! 

The point system he talks about was developed during World War II.  Points were accumulated based on length of service, whether you were in a combat or non-combat zone, any injuries suffered and any awards earned. It was controversial (as he mentions) because some commanders by-passed the system if they felt their troops were suffering from "combat fatigue," what we would call PSTD today. The only way they treated it then was a shot of whiskey, a little rest and a good pep talk before returning to duty. 

I am so intrigued to peek into the mind of my father as he wrote these letters home!