We went ashore for the day and that night returned to the ship in the bay. During the night a Jap plane flew over and dropped a bomb, for many of us our first experience of war. Fortunately, no damage was done.

On October 8, 1943, we sailed from Goodenough Island arriving at Milne Bay, New Guinea, on October

11 for further training and maneuvers. Then on Christmas Eve, we boarded the SS Noel Palmer, and sailed a hundred miles or so up the New Guinea coast to Oro Bay.

On December 26, we sailed from Oro Bay on LST 204 for Cape Gloucester, New Britain, arriving January 1, 1944. In the battle for New Britain, K Company, Fifth Marines, suffered 21 killed and many wounded. NEXT>>