"Cruise to Johnston"
   by F.E.(Jim) DeVine

On March 1, l944, we set sail from Pearl to Johnston Island aboard
the APA USS Livingston.  In one hold, there were about 200 of us
with canvas sacks stacked about 10 or 12 high with about l8 inches 
between sacks around the 4 bulkheads.  I always grabbed the top
sack to be out of the way of the vomit being spewed by the seasick
Marines.  In the center of the hold were 4 fifty gallon drums around
which the walking sick could puke out their guts. I remember hearing
guys praying to die because they were so sick.  Fortunately, I
never became seasick. However, when the sailors locked the water 
tight hatches at night, I would feel pangs of claustrophobia.

We arrived at Johnston Island on March 6, 1944.  There is only a 
shallow, narrow channel into Johnston, so we had to disembark
at sea at the end of the channel.  The swells were running about 12 
to 15 feet at the time.  We went over the side carrying our rifle,
loaded pack, helmet and gas mask kit and down the landing nets into 
the old fashioned navy liberty-type boats.  Being inexperienced, 
many of the guys did not time their jump properly and fell into 
the sea between the ship and the boats, and some just dropped
into the boats. I was just as inexperienced, but luckily timed
it so that I stepped off the net onto the partition that separ-
ated the coxwain's station from the rest of the boat.

It was a beautiful sunny day to ride in the channel to Johnston
where the Navy band was playing "I wonder who's kissing her now";
whatever a "now" is.

  Jim DeVine (Reading, PA)