CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - LOCAL SAILOR WRITES ARTICLE FOR FIRST ISSUE OF NEW PAPER PRINTED ON HIS SHIP. ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp. Permission granted by: Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== Local Sailor WRties ARticle for First Issue of New Paper Printed on His Ship (Editor's Note--The following "Open Letter to Home" was written by Woodrow Nelson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ole N. Nelson, for the first issue of "The Pied Piper," a newspaper published monthly by members of the crew of the U.S.S. Hamlin, a seaplane tender. The first issue of the paper was a souvenir edition suitable for mailing home.) "well, here we are--a long way from home. For many of us it is thousands of miles further than we have ever been. There are so many things that we would like to tell you but cannot. It has been difficult for us to write to those who have always shared our innermost secrets and not be able to tell of all we have seen; but perhaps, it has been even more difficult for the censor. Many of us have letters returned. This much we can tell you. We have been here only a short time but it seems much longer. The part we play in this war may seem small, sometimes, but we know it to be an important one if not a glamorous one. "Life is much the same day after day. Reveille is at 0445 and after morning chow we turn to with our daily tasks. A sun tan period, a pinochle game, a nap in a shady place--then back to work. "After evening chow is our real relaxation period. It gets dark early here and if we want to stay top-side and write that letter home we must hurry. The movies start at 1800 and are held nightly on the seaplane deck. Boy, we really enjoy the movies, whether or not we were fans back home. You should see us, sitting on chairs, boxes, GI cans, the deck and every improvised seat you can imagine. Most of the movies are pretty old, but it makes no difference. Some we haven't seen, and even if we did, it was so long ago we had probably forgotten the plot, anyway. "The movie operator usually plays records for an hour before the movie begins. That's when a fellow's thoughts really turn toward home. There you are sitting out on the deck under a gaily colored sky that only the setting sun in the Pacific can blend. A soft-voiced baritone sings 'You'll Never Know How Much I Miss You.' The guy next to you softly hums it under his breath. Maybe you were worng, but when the ship turned in the sun, you could swear the sailor's eyes were a bit misty. And when he wiped the perspiration away from his forehead on the sleeve of his dungaree shirt, his arm slipped down to dab over his eyes. Colors in the sky grow dim as the sun sinks behind the evening clouds and thousands of stars flare out over- head. The voice of a boatswain blares out that the smoking lamp is out on all weather decks--now for the movie. It's all over by about 2000 and we "hit the sack" after a shower and a shave. Many sleep topside, for it's plenty hot out here. Soon, it's "Darken Ship" and another day at sea is over--another day closer to that trip homeward. "About once a week we go ashore for a recreation party. It's a chance to get your feet on land for awhile, even it if isn't very dry as a rule. The officer takes some beer along, about two bottles apiece. And say, I've some swell souvenirs tucked away in the corner of my locker for you. "I've really raved on, haven't I? But I thought you'd like to know how we spend a day in the Navy. Of course, we are all looking toward the day when we can [go] home--when this thing will be all over. We hear things look pretty good for us. Of course, we don't have a copy of the Evening Times thrown on our doorstep, nor do we curl up in the lounge chair to hear Gabriel Heater but we do have our "Scoop" each morning. It's a mimeographed sheet that gives us a fairly concise word picture of what our buddies are doing in other places. "Give my love to the rest of the family and keep those letters coming. I don't care if there's nothing new. We want to hear our name when mail call sounds. I know films are hard to get but if you take any pictures be sure to send me some prints. "So long now. The bugle just sounded 'Come to the movie.'" DECEMBER 21, 1942 CEDAR COUNTY NEWS