Peter Culos sent this to me. It's one of the diaries entries from his Uncle Steve.
Diary of Steve Pawlikowski (Paulson)
Saturday August 11, 1945
While downstairs in the hold putting my roll and stuff away I heard the voice over the loudspeaker say “Attention, Attention – The Japanese Government has just accepted our unconditional surrender.†A few minutes after that, the gun crews lest out with a roaring victory salute and the din was terrific. We are now waiting for official confirmation by Pres. Truman.
A grand and glorious day – even the weather is grand! After raining every day since we left Panama, the last two days have been beautiful.
The water is calm, with just a few white caps to contrast the deep blue of the pacific- fleecy white clouds make a beautiful scene background. The blue sky above and as I sit here on the little poop deck I feel that life is worth living.
After receiving the news that the war is over (all but the signing) I am impatient. We all wish the ship would turn around and head for home, which is only 8 or 9 days away, but we also know that that is almost impossible.
I am still hungry (I will be until I get home) but the wonderful thought of being home soon drives even hunger from my mind. We have pathetic breakfast that is often untouched by yours truly except for the bread and jam – usually consists of a lumpy and gruely cereal, two hard boiled eggs (often rotten), cooked prunes, sometimes dehydrated eggs (awful) and crummy coffee. Not a very pleasant breakfast by no means!
The dinner usually consists of two cheese sandwiches with one of three pieces of fruit – apple, orange, banana. Incidentally, yesterday was the first day I’ve tasted a banana in 2 or 3 years! Sometimes we have noodles with cheese or baked beans with crackers for dinner. Lately we’ve had lemonade and cooler drinks. All the way across the Atlantic we’ve had scorching hot days with scorching drinks. Supper is the best meal of the day and consists of either beef, chicken or pork with most of the trimmings. The dining room is crowded and consists of chest-high tables. You stand up while you eat – the room is hot and sweating, everybody is yelling, the tray washing boys are making a lot of noise and everything is confusion. Not a restful way to eat!
As I sit here on my little “poop†deck I see the hatch below me – it has been roped off into a boxing ring and right now, in fact all day, fellows are having those informal little bouts that help to pass the time away and we sure need something like that especially now.
Sometimes I take my accordion out and play a few songs beneath our company gathering place (the raft lights by no. 5 hatch) but I don’t feel like playing very often. Today the gun crews fired a few bursts from all guns in celebration and it brought me back to days in France and Germany – I’m afraid my nerves aren’t very good. I hope I get over it.
Since we left Marseille and except for two nites I spent in the hold I’ve been sleeping on that steel deck – my body got used to it fast because of the times we spent in foxholes way back when. I’ve been acquainted with quite a few swell guys – Shields from Pittsburg (jot an ugly gash on the head in Panama) Dezzi from Philly. Davidson from Texas who plays quite the western way. Another guy from Easy Company who plays the jazz way.
I’ve been sick a few times and didn’t do much of anything for days, but now I feel swell and can take care of myself – I’ve straightened out my personal stuff, washed my clothes, took a shower every day and shved every day. I got a baldy haircut because it is very convenient to keep clean and requires no care. I expected to go to the Philippines – right now our destination is New Guinea – hope we don’t get there! I’m thinking of the fellows who are home and envying them very much. Engineer units catch hell all around and sometimes I wish I could have been in something else. We’ve caught as much Hell as infantry, ect. outfits, but don’t get the credit.
God, I wish we go Home!
At various times during the day we receive news broadcasts via the public address system and at 8:00 in the evening there’s a program called “Relax, Jack†– music by all bands and featuring “oldiesâ€. I lay on my back look thru the ships rigging at the stars above and wish to God that we’ll be going home soon. Many songs bring back wonderful memories of peacetime days.
Sometimes Rog and I would sit along the rail in the nite time, watch the sun go down, “the flying fish†flash for the last time that day and as nite falls we look in the water and see phosphorous fish or illuminated marine life. The stars alone really shine bright and the moon promises a lot!
We’ve been pulling guard so far, but K.P. starts tomorrow and I’m a “giver outer†which speaks a lot for my cleanliness – only clean fellows are chosen to handle food and I’m glad I keep myself that way. I take a shower and shave almost every day and even tho the water is salty and gives you a clammy feeling it still keeps us clean. The weather almost every day is hot, damn hot and it is almost impossible to lie down on them – whenever they are hosed down with water they steam. We have been following the Equator all the way across which accounts for the heat.
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Steve's page can be found here:
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"