Ron J
Active member
Well the scuttlebutte was true.... Bud state's April 28-45 "Today we (all 10 boats) went out on a victory parade. We met the French Fleet off San Remo. We put on a pretty good show. (I wonder they were during the war, if they still existed?, Bud doesn't mention anything else pertaining to this) April 30-45 Four days in Nice for the first half of the crew- 2nd later[attachment 85606 ScannedImage-55.jpg][attachment 85599 ScannedImage-52.jpg]..[attachment 85601 ScannedImage-54.jpg]..[attachment 85600 ScannedImage-53.jpg]MAY 7 1945 V.E. DAY! half the fight is over. (meaning maybe in Europe, with Japan still at it) May 9th 45 Left for Maddalena this morning. Arrived at 1300...... May 11-45 Left for Bizerte. Arrived at 14.30... May 12-45 Left for Algers and Oran. Staying in Mers El Kahir.....May 24- 45 OUR boat was loaded atop an L.C.I. (landing craft infantry, length 158 ft) [attachment 85604 ScannedImage-56.jpg],[attachment 85602 ScannedImage-51.jpg] which in turn was loaded atop an L.S.T. ( Landing SHIP tank, length 328 ft.) Bud states "Hope we make across the pond. We seem top heavy. The holds are empty. " ....About three weeks later.. June 16-45 "after sea trials we are finally on our way home......July 2 -45 After 17 days of good and bad weather, we finally see N.Y......July 3- 45 We are unloaded and went to City Island Shipyard. Our boats will be done over. We'll be fitted with rockets and new motors and after 90 days on our way to Japan. (Imagine what was going through Bud and crew members minds, waiting for this?) ..............Little did Bud or his crew members could have ever imagined what was to take place within the next 4 weeks.... On August 6, 1945 Hiroshima was bombed, and on August 9th, Nagasaki was bombed. Wasn't till Aug.15-45 that Bud wrote again "The war is over and i will soon be discharged. I hope ...Nov.15- 45 P.T. 304 is decommissioned. The colors are mine. (meaning the "Ensign" was his to take home) Finally on Dec. 23- 45 "My military services are now a memory......... Thats it.. Thats Buds war career in a few, but memorial pages, but he had a thousand memories in his mind that he would keep till his death. That crew were brothers to the end. Ya know they were all excited to be discharged, but their friendship, and hardships were never ever forgotten,,, It had to be extremely tough to say "goodbyes" to his buddies, and P.T. 304 ! Its no wonder that generation never spoke about the experiences... , it brought back memories of old friendships , good times, sad times. They were a Proud Generation ! ( maybe too proud to shed a tear while talking about it,they came from a crowd of Real Men, that could not show a moment of weakness.. the carnage, the sinking of ships,or airplanes, the mangled bodies floating in the sea, the bombed out buildings, towns, cities, being destroyed, because of some maniac, who by the way, committed suicide on April 30, 1945.) At the same time, remember this, they had protected the United States, and other nations, from being invaded on the sovereign ground of America. They had wife's,kids, family's to return to. They continued to make America grow, to become the strongest most powerful nation in the World. 
Bud, by the way, had children, and a successful career in Real Estate, and Insurance. I can only hope i represented Bud in a positive way, that his family may pass the album on with a little story to go with it. Buds album and short diary are priceless. No doubt about it! Thank You Chris G. (nephew) and his Grandmother Mrs A.(BUD) G. for the privilege of scanning the photo's and reading the Diary. Rj
Bud, by the way, had children, and a successful career in Real Estate, and Insurance. I can only hope i represented Bud in a positive way, that his family may pass the album on with a little story to go with it. Buds album and short diary are priceless. No doubt about it! Thank You Chris G. (nephew) and his Grandmother Mrs A.(BUD) G. for the privilege of scanning the photo's and reading the Diary. Rj
My Dad was a WW Vet and he doesn't like to talk about it either. About all I can get out of him is he was in the Philippines and here and there, Army infantry.