Class Note 1943
Issue
May-June 2022
“Land ahoy!” Who among the super-happy GIs on board would be the first to shout out those magic words? Our good ship, the MS President Monroe, steadily plodded toward the Golden Gate of California. “California, here we come—right back where we started from!” was the talk of every get-together. I would hazard a guess that about 85 percent of the Army soldiers began their overseas trek from San Francisco to action in the Pacific during World War II. And now here we were, thinking how fortunate we were to be heading home to our loved ones.
My best buddy, Sam from New Jersey, and I shared every meal and bull session. What a good friend he was. Sam and I especially enjoyed hearing how the air superiority gained by the Americans hastened the end of WW II. They extolled the change in the skies when the United States introduced new fighter bombers, including the twin-hull P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang (my favorite), P-47 Thunderbolt, and the Navy’s F6F Hellcat carrier. All four could out-maneuver and out-gun the vaunted Japanese Zero fighter, which ruled the air in the Pacific war from the days of Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) until 1943. During WW II air power really helped, on land or sea. How comforting it was to see a plane flying toward us, to know it was a “friendly.” What a delight when the President Monroe glided under the Golden Gate Bridge. It seems to me that we were one of the last of the returning soldiers. There was a brass band welcoming us home! We could hear a voice saying. “I never thought I’d see this place again!” Another hollered, “I’m going to kiss terra firma when I get off the gangplank!” Sometime later, a dude named Tony became more famous by crooning “I left my heart in San Francisco, high on a hill.” Looking back, everyone had a warm feeling for California. Many fellows told me they planned to move to the West Coast. Sam and I agreed we were two lucky guys. More to come.
In the sad news department, I have received word that classmate Waldo “Doc” Fielding died on January 1, 2022.
—George Shimizu, 2140 Sepulveda Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035; (408) 930-2488; marymariko@comcast.net
My best buddy, Sam from New Jersey, and I shared every meal and bull session. What a good friend he was. Sam and I especially enjoyed hearing how the air superiority gained by the Americans hastened the end of WW II. They extolled the change in the skies when the United States introduced new fighter bombers, including the twin-hull P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang (my favorite), P-47 Thunderbolt, and the Navy’s F6F Hellcat carrier. All four could out-maneuver and out-gun the vaunted Japanese Zero fighter, which ruled the air in the Pacific war from the days of Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) until 1943. During WW II air power really helped, on land or sea. How comforting it was to see a plane flying toward us, to know it was a “friendly.” What a delight when the President Monroe glided under the Golden Gate Bridge. It seems to me that we were one of the last of the returning soldiers. There was a brass band welcoming us home! We could hear a voice saying. “I never thought I’d see this place again!” Another hollered, “I’m going to kiss terra firma when I get off the gangplank!” Sometime later, a dude named Tony became more famous by crooning “I left my heart in San Francisco, high on a hill.” Looking back, everyone had a warm feeling for California. Many fellows told me they planned to move to the West Coast. Sam and I agreed we were two lucky guys. More to come.
In the sad news department, I have received word that classmate Waldo “Doc” Fielding died on January 1, 2022.
—George Shimizu, 2140 Sepulveda Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035; (408) 930-2488; marymariko@comcast.net