Private Martin E Conlon
US 51213731
Prov. Co. 470 MPO
613 c/o P.M. San Francisco
TO:
Mr. & Mrs. William Conlon
9 Elizabeth Drive
Bethpage, Long Island
New York
May 22nd, 1953
U.S.S. Mann1
Dear Dot & Bill:
Well, tomorrow we pull into Yokohama, Japan after 15 days on the ocean. We were supposed to arrive today, but they had to turn around and look for a man that fell off a minesweeper that was in our territory. We are supposed to arrive between 9 & 10 A.M. From there we will go to Camp Drake, Japan2. After that I don’t know what will happen. I guess that we will get assigned to a permanent company then. The trip was long, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The food was very good. In fact, it was the best I’ve had since I’ve been in the service. The very first two days just about everyone was seasick, including myself. We were told to eat plenty of solid foods, crackers, etc. I guess that it’s the thing to do because I was alright after the second day. The weather was very good almost all the way over. Everyone has a nice tan and all appear to be in good health. We had a stopover for a few hours in Hawaii and I got off the ship just more or less to put my feet on solid ground. I didn’t go anywhere because we didn’t have too much time.
We sleep in racks 4 high just like the sailors do. They are pieces of pipe with canvas stretched between them. The temperature is usually one extreme or the other in any compartment because it is the third deck down. We spend most of the time above deck though to get the fresh air and sunshine.
Our compartment was picked to do the guard duty on the ship. It is just like a Navy watch, 4 hours on and 16 off. We did this every day during the trip. It wasn’t as bad as K.P. or some of the other details they had though.
Just about every day since we left, they set the clocks back at least one half hour or an hour. Then one day we passed over the International Date Line and we lost a full day. They gave us a certificate to remember the occasion.
The prices in the ship’s store are unbelievable. For instance, you can buy a carton of cigarettes for $.65, a string of pearls for $10.00, a Longines Wittenauer3 watch that costs $135.00, can be bought for $65.00, other jewelry is 40 and 50% off, etc., all down the line. They have just about anything you would want. I understand that they sell more watches, etc. on the way back to the States. I guess the fellows probably have more money then.
There is probably a lot more that I could write about, but I can’t think of anything else right now, so I guess I will close.
Love
Ed
This is my address right now.
Private Martin E Conlon
US 51213731
Prov. Co. 470 MPO
613 c/o P.M. San Francisco
- The USS Mann was a troop transport that served with the U.S. Navy in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam wars.
- Camp Drake is a former military base in Asaka City, Saitama, Japan
- Wittnauer is an American watch brand that was marketed by Longines.
