"GQ four times, went to sea during the last one. BUSH going down fast."
... George Davis, EM1c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, April 6, 1945 (from diary)

On 6 April we were ordered to join USS BENNETT at RP Station 4 which was located 80 miles from Hagushi and on the eastern side of Okinawa. Enroute we saw a Japanese plane shot down so we went over to the area and there was nothing left afloat except the pilot's seat but hiding underneath it was the pilot. We took him aboard and patched him up then put him in an empty 20mm locker .... A message was received that the USS BUSH and USS COLHOUN were under heavy attack in RP 1 and we were ordered to get there at flank speed. RP 1 was 50 miles away to the Northwest and needless to say the BENNETT arrived before we did. We arrived at 2230 hours on 6 April .... The BUSH had sunk and the COLHOUN was barely afloat. The sea was rough and there was a strong current running and it was very dark. Again, enemy aircraft were reported in the area.
... William Russell, Lieutenant & Commanding Officer LCS(L) 24, August 22, 2000

About 6:30 we established contact with the CASSIN YOUNG and LCSs 84 and 87 coming from the east to the aid of the COLHOUN, now dead in the water. Searching the area north of the COLHOUN we saw no sign of the BUSH. It was clear she had sunk. It was also growing dark. We then went further south and picked up the radar bearing we had established earlier.
... John Littleton, Ensign, Executive Officer and Navigator, LCS(L)64, August 12, 2005

In the heat of the South Pacific we often slept topside on the deck .... A favorite place was under the torpedo tubes .... It was secluded and little traffic there so you wouldn't get stepped on in the dark. We would use Mae West jackets for pillows and this proved to be a very bad practice. The jackets became polluted with oil and soil and many lost their buoyancy.
... Bob Wise, S1c, May 11, 2001

I kept my shoes about 4 hours and my .45 cal. about 6 hours. I kept my fur-lined jacket all the time and this must have helped. I also kept on the outside edge of the net all night.
... Joe McManus, GM2c, February 19, 1987

Jack Sandt, George Kent, Robert "Stinky" Davis and I were all swimming in the water with Lt. Lubin. Davis was exclaiming "Fellas! We will walk Market Street again!"
... Myarl Rose, RdM3c, August 16, 2001

From the BUSH, I grabbed the first floater net close by. Shortly thereafter, I got a severe cramp in my leg and Ray Mayhugh let me get on top of the net until the cramp relaxed. While on the net, I stupidly removed the kapok jacket---which turned out to be the smartest thing I could have done! Immediately after I took off my jacket a plane came in to strafe us and I had no time to put the jacket on properly. Instead, I laid it out flat in the water, stuck my arms through the holes and used it like water wings, providing body support to ride on top of the swells and eliminating the collar threat.
... Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, Summer 1999

Dr. Johnson, the ship's Doctor and a young officer were next to us. The officer was not able to mentally control himself and kept swimming away in the darkness, and the Doctor would go after him and force him back. After that had occurred several times, (we) told them we would hold Dr. Johnson the next time because he could not continue to do that or the Doctor would be lost, too. Eventually, the young officer swam away and was lost.
... Ray Mayhugh, CTM, September 26, 1993

After I hit the water I removed my shoes and dropped my .45, holster, and belt into the water. I left the ship about 6:00PM. I was able to stay afloat by clinging to a 4X4 piece of lumber. I was eyeball to eyeball with Ed Cregut, who was also clinging to the same piece of wood. There were about four other men hanging on with us. One of these men was burned and not mentally sound. Only Ed and I survived.
... Dan Tontz, Lt.(jg), Assistant Communications Officer, April 20, 1999

Sometime while still daylight, I found myself with my friend Northey, the Bosun's Mate that had always looked out for me when I was part of the Deck Division. Northey was tops. He had been injured, and together we were clinging to a log. I have no idea where the log came from. After awhile, Northey said something like "I can't make it, Pappy, but you can." I told him "Hold on, Northey." "I can't", he said, and then he was gone forever.
... Ben Libassi, S1c, June 2, 2001

Commander Willis, the Division Commander was up in the center of the net, and Lieutenant Stanley was injured and hanging on the side of the net with help from other men. They tried to place Lt. Stanley up on the net with the Commander, but that was too much weight for the net. One of the men on the far side asked if they could take the Commander off since he appeared to be dead. Then Lt. Stanley could be placed on the net. Chief Homer (Phamacist's Mate) ... confirmed that the Commander was dead. The Commander was placed in the water and tied to the net. Lt. Stanley was placed on top of the net where his head was above the water.
... Ray Mayhugh, CTM, September 26, 1993

I took my 45 pistol belt off and tied it to the net. I could then sit in the belt, and along with my life belt, stay afloat as I held onto the net. Ray and I shot the breeze together and helped keep each other's cool. There were 2 or 3 other sailors that kept trying to swim away from our net.
... Ed Bennett, Cox, April 6, 2000

Tony Wysocki also was in bad shape and he expired during the night. All we could do was cut them loose to reduce the workload for the other exhausted and injured.
... Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, Summer 1999

We had a hell of a time in the water - it was cold and fairly rough. We lost a lot of men who couldn't last. It was dark when the rescue ships picked us up - most of us had been in between 8 - 9 hours and were pretty well worn out. Our bunch was about the last to be picked up - about 0130. There were about 35 of us on a floater net, which is a mean ... ride if anyone ever asks you.
... Harry Stanley, Lieutenant & Gunnery Officer, July 15, 1945

I can't remember how or when I joined a group of about 8 or 9 survivors hanging around and on a float net -- the net was clustered into a ball about 8 feet across .... I know Doc Johnson was with us .... The sea was quite rough and soon we all felt the cold. We had to work hard to keep our heads above water in the 5 or six foot waves. At one point, I had severe cramping in my leg and so I crawled up part way on the net and Doc massaged out the cramp.
... Coit Butler, Ensign, Fighter Direction Intercept Officer, October 24, 2000

I grabbed on to a double ring on the side of the raft. As some men would drop off, you'd move up a notch. Eventually, I moved up to where I could hold onto the cord that goes around the outside of the raft.
... Bob Shirey, EM3c, April 17, 2000

A bunch of us were hanging onto a raft. One man reached underneath and removed tied containers of food, K-rations. There were malt tablets and Spam. The cans were rusted. I opened one with a knife. Always hated malt tablets, but they sure tasted good then.
... Art Woolfolk, TM3c, October 13, 1988

There were those who tried to climb on the hull of the boat, causing it to submerge, and they had to be pulled off. After a few hours, it got dark and some became hysterical. At least one, and I think more, began to swim for shore, which was about 70 miles away, we never saw them again. Knowing that this could happen to me, I secured the line around my waist so that I would stay with the boat.
... Bob Wise, S1c, April 30, 2001

Darkness fell. At first, the water didn't seem too cold but as night wore on we started to shiver. All we could do was wait for help. As midnight came, the group was getting tired.
... Tom Owen, Lt. Commander, Executive Officer & Navigator, 1989

The water was cold and we were feeling numb. A couple of times I pee'd in my pants and the warmth felt really good!
... Russell Youngren, TM3c, May 1991

I had an inner tube life jacket and it seemed to be better in the long run than the kapok type. The kapok type, if not securely tied down, tended to rise and choke some of the men. If anyone happened to swallow any sea water they became nauseated and weak and had a hard time of it.
... Joe McManus, GM2c, August 2, 1989

The swells were high, the water was cold, we were very hungry, very thirsty, tired, sleepy and scared. Every swell felt like a force squeezing you upward, and then let you down, over and over, endlessly. And each time the collar of the kapok jacket would come up over the mouth and nose. requiring that it be pulled back down in order to keep your face above water. If you passed out, or became too weak to pull it down, you drowned.
... Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, Summer 1999

Joe Pelnar stayed with me during our night in the water, and I think was somewhat instrumental in my survival. What a nightmare! Joe didn't like his confinement on the BUSH and I used to tell him to just be glad that he wasn't in the Army with all the dust and mud and other discomforts. During the night in the water, Joe said, "Doctor, I think that I would rather be in the army!" What could I say?
... George Johnson, Lieutenant & Medical Officer, November 30, 1992

The night seemed endless but the seas did calm down later and it was easier to hang onto the net and keep our heads out of water. By that time we all were numb from the cold and very tired after struggling to stay afloat for 4 or 5 hours. I think we were a somber group then -- not much talking or activity of any kind. All of us just hanging on and hoping it would be daylight soon so we could be found.
... Coit Butler, Ensign, Fighter Direction Intercept Officer, October 24, 2000

I saw buddies go down and not make it. We were on rafts for a long time. Often times these experiences on the BUSH flash back in my mind and make me thankful I survived.
... Gordon Burke, MM1c, February 18, 1999

We had a badly wounded and burned sailor on top of the punt and were trying to comfort him. Another young blue-jacket suddenly started to scramble up on top of the punt trying to push the wounded man off and take the place himself. He had gone slightly mad. At the same time others were at the point of giving up. Some just drifted away, threw up their hands, slid out of their life jackets and went down. I did my best to keep spirits up and to keep order in the group. My life jacket was losing its carbon dioxide slowly and I tried to blow it up through the rubber tube.....but it took more energy than I could muster so I held on along with the others in a big circle around the punt.
... Tom Owen, Lt. Commander, Executive Officer & Navigator, 1989

Some had one cell lights attached to their life jackets which provided our only light. I don't really know how long it was, perhaps 8 or 10 hours of one miserable hour after the other. Everyone was exhausted.
... Bob Wise, S1c, April 30, 2001

I ended up with 15 to 20 men hanging onto a raft type float. We lost some of this group to strafing by planes before it got dark, and some after dark because they just stopped hanging on. This group was picked up by an LCI just before dawn. I and several others had been burned.
... Jack Day, CM2c, May 29, 1987

I heard the distinctive sound of Japanese planes during the night. Most men had small one-cell flashlights from their life jackets with orders not to use it. I flashed mine against orders and was reprimanded (quite severely, I might add) .... There were ships in the area looking for us. There were still enemy planes in the area, but as they would pass the light near us, we would all shout in unison "Over Here!"
... Ralph Carver, Bkr3c, January 5, 1999

Proceeding slowly in a northwesterly direction out the reciprocal of the bearing we had previously obtained, with John Jubell, our gunnery officer, wielding the bull horn, we established contact with the BUSH's gig a little after 8 PM. It had now been completely dark for some time .... In the next 3 hours we recovered 95 men, including a badly burned stretcher-case from the gig.
... John Littleton, Ensign, Executive Officer and Navigator, LCS(L)64, August 12, 2005

After dark we sailed back into the area of the sinking, killed our engines, turned on our search lights and began to take on survivors. I think that we rescued Ninety men, some of these were critically wounded.
... J. C. Mc Lendon, FC2c on the LCS(L) 64, May 26, 1999

When we were picked up, I saw one of our Machinist Mates named Futrell on the mess hall table. He was badly burned.
... Bob Shirey, EM3c, April 17, 2000

We were carrying a staff doctor, James Datillo, and medical supplies for 6 ships, including plasma, all of which, I understand, was consumed that night trying to keep the stretcher case from the gig alive and he was still so when we transferred him to the hospital ship .... the next morning. The doctor, our pharmacist mate, John Groome,and, if I remember rightly, a staff pharmacist mate worked unceasingly and effectively that night.
... John Littleton, Ensign, Executive Officer and Navigator, LCS(L)64, August 12, 2005

When we left the rescue area about midnight headed for Pt. Bolo and the Hagushi anchorage (in a somewhat tender condition, I thought, due to our heavy and shifting topside load) we knew that LCS 40 and the ATF were on location continuing the rescue work.
... John Littleton, Ensign, Executive Officer and Navigator, LCS(L)64, August 12, 2005

By the time we reached the area in which the BUSH had been sunk, it was dark. We started our search. We turned on a few lights to help us spot any survivors and also help the survivors spot us. When we received word that another air attack was coming the lights went off again.
... Harvey Miller, GM2c on the LCS(L) 37, August 15, 2000

We saw search lights looking for us and when the lights went off, we feared they missed us. We found out later that the reason they shut off the search lights was because there was enemy aircraft in the area. The waiting seemed endless, but finally an LCS came to our rescue and picked us up.
... Russell Youngren, TM3c, May 1991

At 0042 on 7 April we were able to locate two life rafts loaded with survivors from the BUSH. I greatly admired the efforts of an Ensign to help his shipmates get from the rafts onto the LCS 24. I understand now that his name was Buchanan. We took them aboard and our PhM1/c Salata gave medical attention to six wounded men. Quiet word was passed to our crew members to say nothing about our suicide pilot prisoner as feeling among the men of the BUSH was quite strong.
... William Russell, Lieutenant & Commanding Officer LCS(L) 24, August 22, 2000

We pulled into the area - and saw many bobbing lights that were on the men's life jackets. Very rough seas. We turned on our search lights to start picking them up. I do not know the men in the rescue unit, but there were many. A lifeboat was cut loose so they could climb into it and we could pull them aboard. I was in the Director tub ready to fire if anything approached us. Planes started coming over us (Japs) - started dropping flares to find us, but it was a cloudy and very dark night. We shut off the search lights and headed back to Okinawa to Buckner Bay.
... Clifford Brafford, F2c on the LCS(L) 40, August 22, 2000

I think it was around 0200 when we suddenly saw a searchlight sweeping the water close to us and then almost at once pointing directly at us. The ship (I found out later it was the LCS(L)-40) .... soon came up and stopped about 30 feet from us and dropped a large cargo net over the side. It was a struggle but I remember swimming over and climbing up the cargo net and being hauled over the gunnel and onto the deck. I was immediately offered a cigarette and a slug of brandy. Next came a wonderfully hot shower and a warm bed. My heartfelt thanks goes out to the men of the LCS(L)-40.
... Coit Butler, Ensign, Fighter Direction Intercept Officer, October 24, 2000

We arrived at the area where the remainder of the survivors were .... several hours after the sinking. The night was very dark, no moon or stars. When we had stopped dead in the water we could see the tiny lights of their life jacket flashlights, but little else until the bridge floodlights were turned on and trained on the water on each side amidships. There was worry that the lights might attract Jap planes.
... Paul Wing, S1c on the ATF 108 PAKANA, August 17, 2000

The "lights out" order was absolute, but in my memory lights came on when the rescue ship got near us.
... Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, Summer 1999

The seas had smoothed out from what they were earlier, and we spotted some light from one or two 1-Cell flashlights in the distance. A number of BUSH sailors were all clinging to a floater net, about 300 yards from the PAKANA. If the seas had not smoothed out, I don't think we would have spotted them.
... Martin Tschirhart, BM2c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, June 22, 2000

After I jumped off the ship, I can only recall about 30 minutes of my time in the water. The water was cold and numbing. The next thing I remember is being on an LCS about 2AM the next morning. I asked who picked me up, and a sailor from the LCS said, "No one did." He informed me they had spotted my flashing one cell flashlight and started towards me. He said I had grabbed one of the knotted lines hanging over the side and climbed up unassisted, hand over hand. I can recall none of this. I have never had the strength in my shoulders to perform well at pull-ups or push-ups, so this was surprising.
... Telio Borroz, TM1c, May 31, 1999

In the water, I was by myself when rescued (and I think the only one rescued alone). Once safely aboard the rescue ship, I learned they had picked up a Japanese pilot whose plane had ditched instead of hitting the ship. I was advised that the pilot was locked up and would be delivered to Naval Intelligence for questioning. I asked if I could see the pilot, and was so allowed.
... Charlie Dixon, MM2c, March 7, 1999

All night on my 2 powder cans and early next morning a small LCM comes looking for what's left. Don't remember much about the night.
... Frank Grigsby, WT3c

We were picked up sometime after midnight, I think by an LCS. It took some doing to evade the screws of the rescue craft. I am sure that several lost their lives in this manner.
... Dan Tontz, Lt.(jg), Assistant Communications Officer, April 20, 1999

Finally, we saw a light come on and heard the engine of a ship. It was an LCS who had been running in the dark looking for survivors and they spotted us .... They pulled up near us and dropped a rope net over the side. All began to swim madly to the ship. The water was rough and the bottom of the ship and the screws turning underneath were exposed .... I attempted to swim and was held up by the line tied around my waist. I tried to untie it and it was so water soaked that I couldn't loosen the knot. That's when I lost my cool, I thought sure they would go and leave me. I screamed for help and a shipmate .... came back and managed to loosen the knot. I'm not sure but he may have had a pocket knife.
... Bob Wise, S1c, April 30, 2001

The LCI has an exhaust right at the waterline. Some of the men were so tired that before I could get them in order for climbing up the ladder, they swam to the side of the ship and were overcome by the exhaust fumes and sank. I finally got the rest of the men aboard and then climbed up myself. I had hardly the strength to make it to the deck. The LCI crew took our people below while I went to the bridge to inform the skipper of the circumstances. I then went below where they took off my clothes and gave me some dry things. I fell asleep immediately.
... Tom Owen, Lt. Commander, Executive Officer & Navigator, 1989

When helped aboard an LCS someone asked if I would like some coffee. I quietly quipped, "Yes. With cream, please."
... Bob Carney, Ensign, Supply & Disbursing Officer, April 7, 1998

I threw a life ring on a line to one of the survivors near the ship, but he was too weak and cold to hang onto the line. When it became apparent that the survivors could not do much to help themselves three Pakana men jumped into the water and began towing men to the side of the ship and tying lines to them so they could be brought up on deck. I and several other men were trying to bring up a man but it was near impossible as his water soaked jacket and kapoc life jacket were so heavy and stuck under the rubbing strakes that were on the hull of the Pakana. We saw that this was taking too much time so the ship's two motor whaleboats were put into the water and the survivors were pulled into the boats and when a number of men had been rescued the boat was hoisted up to deck level and the men brought onto the ship.
... Paul Wing, S1c on the ATF 108 PAKANA, August 17, 2000

When the PAKANA found us, and made its first try to get in position to pick us up, she was going a little too fast and went past us. A couple of the men let loose of the net and swam after the PAKANA. They were not seen again. When the PAKANA got in position to pick us up they had a net over the side for us to climb up to get on board. However, very few of us had enough strength to climb unassisted. They soon put men on the net to help us aboard. We were taken below and given hot soup, dry clothes and bunks to rest and sleep in. That was the only time I felt as though I might not get home. I did not know my way out of the ship; they were at battlestations; the ship was going as fast as possible; and firing their guns at what I assumed were planes. About daylight we were at Kerama Retto, and we went aboard the USS HENRICO, a transport that had taken a hit by a plane. She had a large hole in the starboard side, above the water line. After making some repairs it was just a few days until we were headed for the States.
... Ray Mayhugh, CTM, September 26, 1993

I think that the PAKANA had spotted us, either thru radar or visual spotting from the bridge. At any rate, it took a super case of seamanship to maneuver a vessel of that size in position to pick up a group of men, without hurling them into the turning screws. Given the blackness of the night, and the steepness of the seas, I feel the real heroes of the rescue was the PAKANA and her crew. It was only when that big, black hull with no lights appeared above us that .... we were saved. I can still hear the shouting of the crew and throbbing of her engines.
... Ralph Carver, Bkr3c, January 5, 1999

I remember seeing the running lights of the tug Pakana .... I remember their crew hauling us out of the ocean like so many fish. When they got us below deck they gave me coffee with a slug of brandy in it and I smoked a cigarette. It was the first and only cigarette I've ever smoked.
... Joe McManus, GM2c, February 19, 1987

The men on deck tossed knotted lines over the side to grab onto. They shouted down to us not to attempt to crawl up, that they would get us aboard. Some men tried anyway to crawl up the lines. They would get part way up and fall back into the water. Several people drowned....they were so close to rescue. I remember attempting to get up the line. I got so far, and curled the line around my leg and rested. I finally got close enough for someone to get ahold of me. I finally got on deck, but could not stand up. I could not talk, because of the hours of my teeth chattering. Two guys picked me up and shoved me down the ladder, into a bunk. They gave me a cigarette and hot soup. I almost immediately fell into fast sleep. It was just seven days after my 19th birthday.
... Ralph Carver, Bkr3c, October 13, 1986

We lowered a boat and started picking them up .... Boat crew was a voluntary crew. The men were Martin Tschirhart, BM-2C; W. L. Lyons, GM-2C; S. F. Chromy, CM first class; Carson, GM-3rd Class; and G. E. Davis, EM-first class. A lot of them we saw were dead and didn't have time to bother with their bodies. It really hurt to hear them hollering for help in their weak pitiful voices. We picked up 34 men. A lot of them were blind from salt water and flash burns.
... Martin Tschirhart, BM2c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, April 7, 1945 (from diary)

The Skipper asked for a volunteer crew to man the motorwhale boat. Martin Tschirhart, according to my memory agreed to be the Cox'n if I would be the boat Engineer. I was qualified and agreed to do so .... The skipper said he'd leave the mast light on for us, an action which really took guts. There were still enemy planes in the area. So off we went .... Many of the sailors had kapok life jackets with one-cell flashlights. We quickly spotted the lights. Tschirhart gave the order that we would circle the net to ensure there were no stragglers, then throw them a line by which we could tow them to the PAKANA.
... George Davis, EM1c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, April 15, 2000

We had brought a portable B-Cell battery searchlight from the PAKANA. Carson turned on the light and spotted the BUSH sailors. They immediately began shouting at having been found .... I told Davis to throw the bowline towards them so we could tow them back towards the PAKANA. Our toss was a bit short, but one of the BUSH sailors bolted like a fish towards that line and was soon shouting, "I got it! I got it!" And sure enough he did.
... Martin Tschirhart, BM2c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, June 22, 2000

As the rescue ship approached, some of our people got excited and swam towards the vessel, getting smashed against the hull or caught up in the screws. Again, dumb luck and inability to swim paid off. I had to hang on to the floater net. The rescue vessel sent out a small boat that threw out a line and dragged us aboard.
... Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, Summer 1999

Some of the BUSH sailors had already died from their time in the water. Davis took one sailor and worked and worked on him, and he revived. Those men were so cold from their long time in the water, they wouldn't have lasted until daylight .... Our Cooks and Bakers got busy getting the survivors something hot to eat .... Japanese planes were still in the area, but thank goodness cloud cover helped keep us from being spotted.
... Martin Tschirhart, BM2c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, June 22, 2000

I recall having to literally move one man's arm for him to help him be able to let go of the net .... Once aboard the PAKANA, one of my shipmates named Kopp gave artificial respiration to a BUSH sailor that was laid out on the mess table. He did so until a corpsman told him, "It's too late".
... George Davis, EM1c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, April 15, 2000

We found a bunch of them on a floater net, and some of them were pretty far gone. I got one of them that had nearly drown and had to give him artificial respiration. All the time another fellow and I were working on him, I was wishing I had learned how better in school, because now I was afraid that if I didn't do it right, I might kill him. After a couple hours, he pulled out of it and felt pretty good, but he was still pretty badly shocked.
... Donald Berg, MoMM1/c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, July 1945

Several men were brought up that were unconscious. They were taken into the mess hall and we started artificial respiration on them. I was giving A. R. to a young man, the name on his shirt was Davey. Our Chief Corpsman came by at one point and said he thought he felt a faint pulse, but after about two hours he told me to give up as the man had passed. The name Davey has stuck in my mind all these years.
... Paul Wing, S1c on the ATF 108 PAKANA, August 17, 2000

I think I was one of the last to be taken off the net .... After I'd first made it to the PAKANA, I was sitting on the gunnals, the railing that surrounded the main deck of the PAKANA.
A sailor asked me, "Are you all right?"
I said, "I think so."
Then as I got up I fell flat on the deck. I was numb from the waist down. They stripped me out of my wet clothes and put me in a bunk below deck. They gave us hot coffee. I remember thinking the coffee was lukewarm, but the next morning my mouth was parched.
... Ed Bennett, Cox, April 6, 2000

The time seemed to go pretty fast, probably because we expected it to go slow and were set to spend the night there, though thank God we didn't have to or our losses would have been a lot more.
... Harry Stanley, Lieutenant & Gunnery Officer, July 15, 1945

We were ordered to return to Hagushi anchorage. We understood our orders and were ready to go but there was a feeling that there might, just might, be someone left in that black ocean that was RP 1. So we made one more square search pattern down wind with the searchlights .... There were two men in the water one holding up the other and neither had life jackets. We had a volunteer, Seaman Milton Bush (appropriate name), swim with a line to attach to the men and they were hauled aboard. One was the ship's doctor.
... William Russell, Lieutenant & Commanding Officer LCS(L) 24, August 22, 2000

While picking up these survivors we got a message that Jap planes were headed our way. We were 100 miles from Okinawa and about 250 miles from Japan but not a single escort, so we had to leave .... Two died as we were bringing them aboard and one on the return trip. Jap planes flew over our head about 0330, still at GQ. Our radar picked them up at 3 miles so we cut our engines (so as not to have a wake). If they would have spotted us it would have been curtains!
... Martin Tschirhart, BM2c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, April 7, 1945 (from diary)

My GQ station was on the forward port 20MM gun, near the bridge. One of the men on the starboard forward 20MM, Paul Tucker, saw a tiny light about 2AM on April 7th. That's how we spotted the 17 men we rescued in two life rafts. The survivors told us we had been circling them for a couple of hours. They'd tried to get our attention by yelling and firing a .45 caliber pistol, but that didn't work.
... William Retallick, MoMM2c on the PCER 855, January 30, 2002

I was in the group of 17 men who were the last survivors rescued by the PEC(R)855. We also were the first to leave. Our rescue came after 3:30AM on the 7th April 1945. We were so cold and numb we could not walk. I don't know how much longer we could of held out. We had one man by the name of Clarence C. Bass who had hunted through a lot of life jackets and found a good bulb and battery that made his work. I remember the gun captain scolded him for it but he said, "We might need it." This was just a few days before the BUSH was sunk. When we heard the rescue ship, he waved it as high as he could. In a little bit, their search light had us dead center. If he would not of had the light, we might still be out there. The crew told us it their last sweep for the night.
... Narvis Robinson, S1c, April 25, 1999

We had some trouble trying to get a line to them because of the strong currents. Louis Minerding, MoMM3c, then swam a line out to the Bush survivors ... a dangerous thing to do.
... William Retallick, MoMM2c on the PCER 855, January 30, 2002

I was rescued by the smallest of the rescue vessels, the PCE(R) 855. I was glad to be on such a small vessel as the next day we were under heavy attack again. With the maneuverability of the little ship, it was no trouble for the PCE(R)'s skipper to turn out of the way once a suicide plane was committed to its dive.
... Al Blakely, SoM2c, June 28, 1999

By daylight, we under attack again. A Jap plane was headed right for us and I thought we'd be cashing in our chips. But the Jap pilot changed his mind and made a run on a destroyer that was nearby instead. I've often thought we survived because we were a smaller ship and thus not as inviting a target as the bigger destroyers. The plane crashed short of the destroyer, but I understand it damaged one of the lifeboats on the ship. We were advised later, that some of the fire we directed toward that plane wound up striking one of the destroyer's stacks.
... William Retallick, MoMM2c on the PCER 855, January 30, 2002

Of the 17 men who were together on the rafts that were picked up by the PEC(R)855 .... only one other man has been to a reunion that I know of .... he came up to me and thanked me for saving his life. The sea was very rough, and a big wave brought him close, and he was looking the other way. I grabbed him by the hair and pulled him partly on the raft. He said he was ready to give up.
... Narvis Robinson, S1c, January 10, 1999

I clung to that log by myself for a number of hours. The ships searching for us were turning on their searchlights. One passed me two or three times. I finally hollered "Help! Help!" just as loud as I could. They came alongside and picked me up. The crew of the ship was great, wanting to do anything they could for me. One of the men on the rescue ship commented to me "You see that fella over there? He wanted to jump in to save you and he doesn't even know how to swim." I replied, "We'd have really been in bad shape then. I can't swim either."
... Ben Libassi, S1c, June 2, 2001

It was a very dark night and someone aboard our ship said they saw bodies floating in the water. I went to the starboard side and that was so true. Ensign Robert J. Wisner, some of the crew members and I used grappling hooks to pull the bodies from the water. We would hook into their life jackets and pull them aboard ship. They were carried to the fantail of the ship .... I remember one who had his family picture tucked inside his life jacket. Another had his wallet in his hand showing his wife and young son.
... Gil Molstein, PhM1c on the LCS(L) 37, August 25, 2000

I remember one of the dead men we recovered was named Welch, because I can still recall seeing his name on his shirt. Another one of the dead had positioned a picture of his family on his life jacket where he could see it as he floated in the water. That was a very emotional thing to see.
... Harvey Miller, GM2c on the LCS(L) 37, August 15, 2000

Finally it came, darkness which created a lot of talk about us not being found. I being a radioman knew we would because the message had been sent to Commander Destroyers Pacific Fleet that we were in trouble. I remember seeing about three or four of our F4F planes flying around just before dark. Somewhere around midnight we smelled diesel fumes and soon a ship loomed out of the darkness. We were pretty scared it was a Jap ship, but it turned out to be an LSM. We were taken aboard and given rum to warm us up. We all looked like prunes because we had been in the water some nine hours and the water was 52 degrees. We headed into Okinawa and were alerted twice on the way in. I felt like we might have to survive another ship sinking, both in one day.
... James "Okie" Reeder, RdM3c, January 29, 1989

I made a vow after surviving, that I would name my first child after my buddy Tony Wysocki, who did not survive. And that's just what I did when my daughter was born.
... John Northcutt, S1c, April 8, 1999

Going back we had G.Q., and boy I was hoping and praying nothing would happen with the extra men aboard. They had had enough! Well, we got in all right, and the next morning we put them on a different ship. When they left, they couldn't say "thanks" enough.
... Donald Berg, MoMM1/c on the ATF-108 PAKANA, July 1945

We stayed in the area all night, and when daylight came we found three more sailors, but it was too late, they were all dead.
... Harvey Miller, GM2c on the LCS(L) 37, August 15, 2000

We pulled seven bodies from the sea. I tried to fingerprint some but we did not have enough US Navy forms, so I abandoned the effort. I stayed calm through the entire event. But afterwards, the shakes set in.
... Gil Molstein, PhM1c on the LCS(L) 37, August 25, 2000

The ship that picked me up had recovered a number of bodies from the ocean. An officer asked me if I would be willing to try and identify some of them, but that I didn't have to if I was not up to it.
... Ben Libassi, S1c, June 2, 2001

The wounded men were put aboard the USS COMFORT. The thirty-six uninjured went to PA 58 and the suicide pilot was put aboard PA 59.
... William Russell, Lieutenant & Commanding Officer LCS(L) 24, August 22, 2000

I wound up putting 20 years in the Navy and the lessons learned in rescue at sea work were put to good use on several occasions.
... Paul Wing, S1c on the ATF 108 PAKANA, August 17,2000

The next morning, we were transferred to a transport that had discharged its troops where we were cared for. I was able to establish the ship to which the Captain and other survivors had been transferred. We loaded our group in a landing craft and joined the others. When I walked in to report to the Captain, he thought he was seeing a ghost. It had been reported that I was killed.
... Tom Owen, Lt. Commander, Executive Officer & Navigator, 1989

I remember being picked up, being put in a bunk and given a shot. The next thing I knew I woke up on a hospital ship. All the burns (cases) were in one hold down in the bottom. From the waist up I was wrapped like a mummy, holes for eyes, nose and mouth. The corpsmen would pour soup in the mouth hole. The smell down there was unbelievable. I kept thinking "Oh, for a breath of fresh air". The second or third night I crawled out, evaded the sentry and made my way topside to the stern, took a deep breath, the same rotten smell. It was me. The last day I was there they unwrapped me, picked out a cup full of paint and small particles. Skin had sloughed. I was pink a new baby. I was moved over to the HENRICO just as she was getting underway.
…Jack Day, CM2c, May 2, 2006

We were transferred to the USS HENRICO, a transport that had itself been hit by a bomb, to await departure for Pearl Harbor. We were anchored in Buckner Bay and the Japanese were still conducting their kamikaze attacks. Without anything to do but wait them out, it was scary. Finally we left in a slow moving convoy and headed east.
... Tom Owen, Lt. Commander, Executive Officer & Navigator, 1989

The supply/disbursing office was a disaster and they, too, had lost their pay records. HENRICO storekeepers and I agreed that they would work on their pay records during the day and I would reconstruct BUSH's records at night, sharing the only typewriter.. There was a regulatory requirement that each survivor execute a sworn statement describing the status of his record to the best of his knowledge.
... Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, Summer 1999

That transport ride home was about the best duty anyone could ask for.
... Harry Stanley, Lieutenant & Gunnery Officer, July 15, 1945

We got to Pearl Harbor and I had some paper liberty-cards made up for the crew. We had only the clothes given us at Okinawa and were a sorry looking bunch.
... Tom Owen, Lt. Commander, Executive Officer & Navigator, 1989

On arrival at Pearl Harbor, Capt. Westholm informed me that he and I were going to the Destroyer Base the next morning and that I should bring the reconstructed pay records which I had prepared from the sworn statements .... A CPO took my box of records and told me where to be in case there were questions .... At the end of the day the chief appeared again and told me THE Admiral in charge wanted to see me .... Capt. Westholm was already in the admiral's office. The admiral shook my hand and thanked me for an outstanding job! His people had had no problems with my paperwork. Capt. Westholm was as silent as the admiral was profuse. The very next morning disbursing office personnel appeared at the HENRICO and everyone got some money.
... Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, Summer 1999

After my rescue, I was transferred to the hospital ship .... I was aboard about six hours. We were given new kaki uniforms, a new toothbrush, and shaving gear. I was then transferred to the USS HENRICO for a trip back to the States. We went under the Golden Gate Bridge 30 days later. I did not win the pot as to the exact arrival time.
... Dan Tontz, Lt.(jg), Asst. Communications Officer, April 20, 1999

I still will say the prettiest sight I saw was the Golden Gate Bridge showing through the fog when we came back to Frisco on the APA USS HENRICO.
... Narvis Robinson, S1c, January 10, 1999

I had a reunion with Timon Primm and later was ordered back to the States along with Captain Westholm to report to Washington, D.C. as senior survivors.....We reported to the Navy Department and had the unhappy job of writing to the families of those killed or missing. We also filled out a complete action report for Navy files.
... Tom Owen, Lt. Commander, Executive Officer & Navigator, 1989

I am reminded from a neighbor of my parents, how long it took before they knew if I was dead or alive.
... Gordon Burke, MM1c, February 18, 1999

For all the islands we helped take, Okinawa of course, stayed with me the most. We lost so many good men plus a fine ship.
... Mac McKinney, Bkr2c, January 21, 1999