ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

 

1.                  There are still some Japs on the Island.  They have been seen and fired on not far

from your Mess Hall.  In the Marianas group of islands, the Infantry and Marines still take an

average of 150 Japs per month, some good ones, some still alive.  See the map your Plane Commander

has and be sure that you stay out of restricted areas.

 

2.                  Be careful of any souvenirs you may find.  To date personnel of this Group have

found such articles as live hand grenades, mortar shells and fuses and parachute fragmentation

bombs.  If you find any ordnance material of any kind, report it to the Ordnance Section immediately.

Otherwise you may not be around to collect that mustering out pay.

 

3.                  You will not need to sleep under mosquito nets.  There are a few mosquitoes here,

but they are just the nuisance type.  There is little disease of any kind here.  Snakes are rare but

a few have been seen.

 

4.                  The mail situation at present is uncertain to say the least.  Until advised differently,

you will continue to use your India APO.  The censorship regulations are stringent at this time.  Your

S-2 Officer will tell you what can and can not be written or mailed home.  Mail delivery here from

the U.S. averages seven days.

 

5.                  You can take pictures here.  The restrictions apply to pictures of the B-29’s here as

applied in India.  Pictures of Saipan taken from the shore of this Island are definitely forbidden. 

In that same class are pictures of American cemeteries.  Other pictures are permissible provided they

are not of defense installations or of such nature as to reveal your exact location in this Theater.

 

6.                  Travel of personnel between Islands of this group.  You must have official orders

to travel to any other island of this group.  Going to Guam or Saipan to see friends or acquaintances

is out, however, if you have a relative in the Marianas, you can secure orders to travel by applying

through the usual military channels.

 

7.                  One of our main problems will be the water supply.  At present all water for showers

and drinking is hauled into the group area by truck.  Be careful of it, conserve it as much as possible.

Water will be turned on three times a day for use in the showers.  The hours are 0500 – 0700, 1100 –

1300, 1700 – 1900.  Water for drinking is available at all times in Lister Bags and trailer tanks.

 

8.                  There is a swimming beach several miles from the Group apron.  The P.X. has

swimming trunks and you are encouraged to use the facilities available during your off duty hours.

A word of caution; at times the current is rough, particularly swimming inshore from the raft.  Do not

swim alone and do not swim at any place other than the beach now in use.

 

9.                  The Laundry service has been called everything but that.  Most of the men are

doing their own.  Some men have made a machine run by a windmill, others have machines turned

by a crank.  Regardless of the method adopted, there will be one fellow doing your laundry – you.

 

10.              Transportation is a subject better not discussed with quite a few people here.  We

hope to have in the near future a bus service between Groups and Flying headquarters.  Also a

bus going to the beach several times daily.  At present we have a minimum of the necessary

vehicles and they are to be used for official trips only.