"The Trip Home"

Deck logs show that on April 7, 1945 the APPLING received the remains of all 10 deceased BUSH sailors recovered by rescue personnel. The next day's log entry notes these bodies were "taken ashore for burial in compliance with OP order A-1202-45 to beachmaster at orange 2 beach and placed in custody of Red Cross representative for further transfer to Graves Registration Services for interment."

Most surviving BUSH sailors were also temporarily placed aboard the APPLING on April 7th and 8th. On April 10th, the APPLING moved from its anchorage off Okinawa Island to Kerama Retto. All surviving BUSH personnel aboard the APPLING were then transferred to the HENRICO.

USS HENRICO - 1945 Photo thanks to: Dave Gallaher, USS BUSH Reunion Group

Previously, the HENRICO had been struck by a kamikaze plane on April 2nd killing 49 men, including the HENRICO's skipper, division commander and two troop commanders. Badly damaged, the HENRICO would need to return to the States for repairs. The HENRICO remained at Kerama Retto until departing for San Francisco on April 14th (with stops at Guam and Pearl Harbor). She provided a ride home for BUSH sailors and many others.

Two hospital ships provided care and transportation back to Guam for the more seriously wounded BUSH sailors. The USS RELIEF (AH-1) received two of BUSH's wounded while the USS COMFORT (AH-6) received six. The April 1945 deck logs for these floating hospitals indicate both could handle 500 or more patients at one time.

USS RELIEF - 1945

One of the wounded BUSH sailors received by the RELIEF, Robert Futrell-MM1c, died as a result of his injuries on April 7th and was buried at sea the next day.

USS COMFORT - Circa 1945

After transporting wounded to Guam, the USS COMFORT returned to Okinawa and was herself struck by a suicide plane, killing 28 people and wounding 48 others.