September 17, 1944

Kelley watches Hellcat and Avenger launches, while he anticipates his turn to go to the Wasp.

17 September 1944
USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE 86) Off Palau

Woke up this morning with quite a big head from last night’s party. When we left Pearl the five of us took our liquor ration with us. We loaded it all into one of Brant’s bags and divided his clothes up with our stuff. Early last evening we got to thinking that we’d leave today so we decided to have a farewell party, just in case something happened to Brant’s bag on the way to the Wasp. Had a nice small party although I had a rough night. Couldn’t sleep because I was dizzy and couldn’t stay awake because I was so tired. Of course the ship’s roll didn’t help much. We all felt pretty bad at GQ this AM but really got a kick out of Brant. Last night after we had turned in he went to the head and fell asleep on the pot. We woke him up this AM and when he got up he fell flat on his face. His legs were asleep and he had quite a time getting circulation started again.

Spent the morning on the forecastle watching the task force on the horizon waiting for a call for planes or pilots. The day was beautiful, sunny, warm and very little wind making the sea like a large calm lake. In the afternoon we launched 6 F6F’s and 3 TBM’s.

The first three F6’s got away OK but the fourth went in the drink when the catapult failed. The pilot, a Lexington boy, got out OK but the ship rode completely over him. He was finally picked up by a trailing DE. Next the 3 TBM’s and an F6 got off but the last F6 also went into the drink; the pilot a replacement boy was picked up OK. They secured operations for the day then and began to check the catapult gear.

We got a report later that one TBM crashed the barrier aboard the Lexington when its tail hook pulled out, and the F6 launched at the same time piled into the barrier aboard the Langley. Quite an operation “launch 9 planes and the fleet gets five in one piece”. I saw the Wasp on the horizon but that’s the closest we ever got. Don’t know when we’ll ever get there. The skipper wouldn’t even put us aboard a can so we could eventually get there. Feeling quite bitter at the moment since these 2 task forces are leaving and tomorrow we’ll try to furnish the other two with planes. At present they’re testing the catapult over our heads.