Scared on Christmas Eve - 1945 by F.E. (Jim) DeVine

Six of us Marines had traveled across Kyushu to set up a 
microwave communications station between Sasebo and one 
on Honshu.
 
We wound up in Oita, and we sought refuge with the Army's 
Big Red One which had taken over the Japanese army base. 
We set up our radio equipmenton a hill above the base and 
which could be reached via a circuitous dirt road.


I was on the 24 hour watch on 12-24-45; up on the hill 
and all alone. We had been told that rumors had it that the 
camp might be attacked by hungry Japanese while we Americans 
would be off guard by the Christmas holiday. 
The army set up machine guns around the base just in case.


From down below in the camp, I could hear Bing Crosby singing 
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas".


It was black, cold and windy. Then the gasoline generators 
conked out.I tried to call my sergeant, but the telephone line 
had been cut somehow.I had no contact with Sasebo or Honshu.  
I could swear I heard Japanese voices whispering around me in 
the wind. With my rifle on my shoulder and my .45 on my hip,
I went out to try to start the generators without success. 
I spent the rest of the night crouched among the equipment 
expecting a raid at any moment and listening to Bing Crosby. 
I was scared as hell on Christmas eve, 
and I'll never forget it.

F.E. (Jim DeVine)