[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning/afternoon, E...((HUGS))...is Bo able to go running and playing back at the lake, yet?

Enjoy your Thursday.

[E.G.C.]

Getting ready to head out to the lake right now. :-{}

[Kathy in Alaska]

About one week out of Bombay, India, we were given a smallpox vaccination. We arrived in Bombay 20 March 1944 at 3:30PM. In checking my records before we got off the ship they found no record of my smallpox vaccination so I was given another one. We were put on a train for a four day, three night trip across India (through the Bengal Jungle to Calcutta). The train was made up of third class coaches with wooden benches along the sides and the middle. Believe it or not I slept in one of the luggage racks over the benches.

From the train we went by truck to a Replacement Depot at a town called Baidyabati, located on the West bank of the Hooghly River. There was a military hospital to the south of the camp and a British jute mill on the north. The British had a compound where we could go and get Citrus drinks and small sandwiches. They (the British) bowled on the green and had some fierce tournaments. Our barracks were made from Bamboo with mud walls and thatched roofs. The beds were hand made with rope woven back and forth to make the springs. We did not have mattresses, but only GI blankets. Every morning I woke up looking like a waffle.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Kunming had been the main base for the original Flying Tigers (American Volunteer Group) under General Claire Chennault but was now the 14th Air Force HQ. The 993rd Signal Company was one of many Signal Companies handling communications as well as supplying Radio Operators and Cryptographers to the Chinese Armies in Y Force units. After a few weeks field training with a Radio Operator, it was found that I had taken drafting in school and a draftsman was needed in the Engineering Office in HQ so I was transferred from the 993rd to Y Force Engineering HQ under a Colonel Shaeffer. Kunming was the Headquarters of the Y Forces in China. There were some 300 enlisted men with 72 “Bird Colonels", but only one 2nd lieutenant. One of my jobs was keeping situation maps up to date so we always knew the positions of both the Chinese and Japanese units. I also kept track of our airstrips. We had L-5 (Stinson Observation plane) strips, and 25 (Medium, twin engine bomber) strips. If a B-25 could land on it it could also be used for C-46 and C-47 aircraft. Another of my jobs was to do Photo Interpretation from Aerial Photos furnished by a 14th Air Force Photo Recon Group. The Japanese had moved along the railroad and road towards Kunming. As the Chinese had to retreat they blew all the bridges. It was my chore to figure out what size bridges we needed for replacements. I became pretty good with a stereoscope which puts things into 3-D so you can make measurements.

I also became adept at reading photos without the use of the stereo. A few thought I was a little weird to do this, but it is just one of those things that you learn.

I don't know if he brought home the very one he used, but we have one somewhere...I've looked in it.