(from a 10 November 1945 letter)
We arrived yesterday afternoon with the Golden Gate lighted by the sun’s rays poking through dark clouds. Despite the rain it is a change and it is San Francisco, so I’m happy.
A decommissioning board will arrive on the thirteenth. No doubt it is just a formality; we know that this ship is slated for the scrap heap. Because a shipyard strike is holding up decommissioning work in ships that arrived earlier, quite a few sailors who are eligible for discharge are being retained. If this is peacetime I want to go to China where there is still fighting.
I have no idea if I’ll get leave or orders to another ship. Everything seems to be fouled up and a few ships that have sailing orders are remaining in port because their crews have been depleted. The many who are frantically trying to get discharged remind me of rats leaving a sinking ship. I do not plan to overwork myself because Congressmen are blabbing about accelerating discharges. There’s a lot of equipment to survey and about nine copies of a survey form for each item are required. Very much is obsolete so I will dispose of material the easiest way, over the side.
Last night I went ashore and stopped by some of the places I visited when I was here three and a half years ago. I had dinner in Chinatown and afterwards went to see the play, Suds In Your Eye. It was quite enjoyable, but not as good as reading the book.
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Copyright © 2005 (text only) by Louis D. Chirillo