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PACIFIC WAR DIARY

1942-1945

JAMES J. FAHEY

Seaman First Class, U.S.S. Montpelier

To my parents,

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fahey,

and my foster parents,

Mr. and Mrs. John Bray,

and Susje and Ramy

CONTENTS

FOREWORD by Samuel Eliot Morison

PART I: THE SOLOMONS October 1942—May 1944

PART III: U.S.A. August 1944—October 1944

PART IV: THE PHILIPPINES—MINDORO, LUZON, PALAWAN October 1944—June 1945

PART V: BORNEO June 1945—July 1945

PART VI CHINA AND JAPAN July 1945—December 1945

FOREWORD

Personal narratives of wars by statesmen, generals and admirals are fairly numerous; but

accounts by private soldiers and ordinary seamen are exceedingly rare, although of high value to

historians and great interest to general readers. Hence I was delighted to read the following

sailor's diary of World War II in the Pacific, one with a distinct flavor. The author, James Fahey,

Seaman First Class on the U.S.S. Montpelier, was a shipmate of mine in the Marianas operation,

and I can vouch for the authenticity of his diary, which he kept faithfully under conditions that

were anything but conducive to literary effort.

The great merit of Mr. Fahey's diary is that it gives the American bluejacket's point of view

about the naval war in the Pacific, with all its glory and horror, achievement and boredom; it tells

how sailors felt going into battle, their opinions of their officers, their hunger off Okinawa when

the long logistics line grew thin, and their fortitude in meeting the menace of the Kamikaze

Corps.

Samuel Eliot Morison

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I would like to thank the following people for their part in the publication of this book. It was

their confidence, encouragement, and hard work that made this possible and I will remember

them always.

At the head of the list is Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, who recommended my book to

Houghton Mifflin Company, and I am only too happy to express my appreciation to this very

thoughtful and generous man, and to Mr. Joseph Bryan 3rd, author of Admiral Halsey's Story,

who was the first person to read my diary; Admiral Arleigh "31-knot" Burke, Admiral E. M.

PART II: THE MARIANAS May 1944—August 1944

Eller, Professor Vernon D. Tate, and Mr. Ken Jones, who saw typewritten copies of this book

and had them put in the Navy archives, the U.S. Naval Historical Foundation Museum, the

library of the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Library of Congress; to my friends who typed the

book, Mrs. Reidar Bomengen, Miss Helen Garrahan, Mrs. Leo Garneau, Mr. Paul R. Morrill,

Mr. John Smith, and Mrs. John Sweeney, with my special thanks for their help; also to my many

friends at Houghton Mifflin Company. I would like to mention every one of them but that is

impossible.

I do not have to remind anyone that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event for someone like me

because I am not a writer, but a truck driver for the City of Waltham, Mass. I cannot believe it

myself because it seems like a dream. It could only happen in this great, wonderful country of

ours.

James J. Fahey

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

James Fahey kept this diary from October 1942 to December 1945, on loose sheets of paper

closely covered with writing on both sides. Sometimes entries were made several times during

one day, sometimes not for weeks; sometimes several days were written up at one time. After the

war he put it away until 1960, when he copied it in legible form, filling out his sketchy notes

where necessary. Whatever errors it may contain, it reflects what he believed to be true at the

time.

THE SOLOMONS

October 1942-May 1944

October 3, 1942: I enlisted in the U.S. Navy today. It looks like the Navy got the makings of a

very poor sailor when they got me. I still get carsick and cannot ride on a swing for any length of

time.

I took my physical examination at the Post Office Building in Boston, Mass., a distance of about

ten miles from Waltham, Mass. A fellow next to me was rejected because he was color blind.

They told him the Sea Bees would take him. On the way home I relaxed in the old trolley car and

felt like the Fleet Admiral himself.

October 7, 1942: I got up early this morning for my trip to Boston, on my way to Great Lakes

Naval Training Station in Chicago, Illinois.

Before leaving I shook my father's hand and kissed him goodbye.

It was a clear cool morning as my sister Mary, brother John and I headed for the bus at the corner

of Cedar Street. The bus and trolley car were crowded with people going to work. When we

reached the Post Office Building in Boston I shook John's hand and kissed Mary goodbye.

After a long tiresome day of hanging around we were finally on our way to the train station. The

group was very large and they came from the New England states. We were called the Lexington

Volunteers in honor of the carrier Lexington. It was sunk by the Japanese Navy May 7, 1942, in

the battle of the Coral Sea.

With a big band leading the way we marched through downtown Boston before thousands of

people. It took about half an hour to reach the North Station and at 5:30 P.M. we were on our

way.

When the train passed through my city it was beginning to get dark and I could picture the folks

at home having supper. There would be an empty place at the table for some time. It would have

been very easy for me to feel sad and lonely with these thoughts in my mind but we should not

give in to our feelings. If we always gave in to our feelings instead of our judgment we would

fall by the wayside when the going got rough.

It will be a long tiresome trip and our bed will be the seat we sit in, two to a seat.

October 8, 1942: The long troop train stopped in the middle of nowhere today. It looked like a

scene from a western movie in the last century. All you could see was wide open spaces with

plenty of fields and a small railroad station. It felt good to get some fresh air and stretch our legs

for a change after the crowded conditions on the train. Some of the fellows like myself mailed

letters and cards home. The postmark on the mail was STRATHROY, Ontario, Canada. It was a

warm sunny day so we sat on the side of the tracks while waiting for the train to get started

again.

At Great Lakes: On the evening of Oct. 9 we pulled into the stockyards at Chicago and stayed

there for some time. It gave us another chance to get some fresh air and walk around on solid

ground for a change. All the people in the big tenement buildings were at their windows looking

at us.

At last the train was on its final leg of the journey. We were a tired dirty lot when the train

finally pulled into Great Lakes Naval Training Station in the early morning darkness. The

weather was on the chilly side.

They got us up bright and early after a few hours sleep on the floor of a large drill hall. We were

far from being in condition for a physical examination but that was the way we started the day

and it took a long time. We went from one doctor to another upstairs and downstairs and from

one room to another. They checked us from head to toe and even asked us our religion. At last it

was over and our first shower in some time. It sure felt good.

We spent four weeks of training and lived in barracks. Our company number was 1291. A Chief

Petty Officer was in charge of each company and our chief was liked by all.

Some of the Chiefs are hated because they go out of their way to make it as miserable as

possible. They enjoy getting the fellows up at two in the morning and have them stand at

attention in the cold for a long time with very little clothing.

The instructor who taught us judo enjoyed taking it out on the new recruits. He sent one of the

boys from my company to the hospital in a stretcher. Our chief was boiling mad and if he could

have gotten his hands on this punk he would have done a job on him.

You learned that your days of privacy were over while you were in the Navy and they would not

return until you were back in civilian life again. When you ate, slept, took a shower, etc., you

were always part of the crowd, you were never alone.

No one enjoyed sleeping in the hammocks because they were too tight. It was like sleeping on a

tight clothesline. You felt like you were going to fall out if you turned over. You felt safe on

your back but you can't sleep on your back all night.

We will never forget our first haircut. When the barber got through there was no hair to cut. It

was shorter than short. It was funny to see a nice looking fellow with a beautiful crop of hair get

into the barber's chair and leave with no hair at all.

Great Lakes is the largest naval training station in the world and they also have one of the best

football teams in the country. I had the pleasure of talking to Bruce Smith the all-American back

from Minnesota. He was the number one football player in the country in 1941. You could not

help but like him. He slept in our barracks.

We always marched to the mess hall for our meals and kept in step by singing loud and strong.

I had to go to sick call one day because of a bad blow to the ribs I received in a boxing bout but

they did not do anything for me even though the pain was killing me. They think everyone is a

faker when he goes to sick call, that he just wants time off from work.

We were kept on the go at all times and at last our training was over. It was home sweet home

for us. We were very proud of our uniform as we boarded the train for home. After a nine day

leave we returned to Great Lakes and stayed here for two days before leaving for Norfolk,

Virginia, our next stop.

November 23, 1942: Late Friday evening Nov. 21, a large group of us boarded a truck for the

pier. It was a great feeling as I staggered up the gangway to the ship with my sea bag in one hand

and the mattress cover loaded with blankets, mattress, etc., over my shoulder. The name of the

ship is the U.S.S. Montpelier. It is a light cruiser. At last I have a home and a warship at that.

We slept in our hammocks in the mess hall at first but then we were assigned to divisions. I went

to the 5th division. It is a deck division.

It will take some time before we know our way around this large ship. It is over 600 feet long

and has many decks and compartments.

Today at eight in the morning we left Norfolk for the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

December 13, 1942: We left Philadelphia today, on our way at last. The weather is very cold and

it is snowing. I hope wherever we go the weather is nice and warm. The Montpelier is a new

cruiser commissioned in September. Most of the fellows are rebels from the South.

January 18, 1943: After 35 days and over 10,000 miles traveled, we finally reached our

destination. It is the French-controlled island of New Caledonia. It is only about 700 miles from

Australia, the continent they call the land down under because it is so close to the bottom of the

world. Australia is the oldest continent on earth, and larger than the U.S.A. Now I will cover

some of the things that happened during our many days since we left Philadelphia on Dec. 13,

1942.

When we left Norfolk, Virginia, we joined a big convoy of warships and transports, carrying

thousands of troops plus supply ships. The weather was very cold and the seas were on the

rampage. We thought the ship would turn over. Most of the crew was green and many of them

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