July 9th, 1954




Ninety minutes of fabulous Lindy Hop and Jitterbug dancing along with absolutely great jazz music. We have had too much beer and a lot of smokes, but I can still feel my heart beating through my shirt as she dances over to the bar. Her long blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and slender figure, almost drop me dead. Her name is Robin Stewart and I have been in love with her for the past four years. Today, with the assistance from a little beer, I might just get up enough courage to ask her to dance. As she sways away, I feel a yearning deep within my chest to be next to her, to protect her, to have her love. Her eyes shyly meet mine, and that is the only…I need. I walk, well wobble, over to her and for the first time, finally talk to her. I can only manage five words before the feelings of nervousness and fear take over and I wait for the rejection. But I feel her hand gently clasped in mine and she leads me to the dance floor. The best fifteen minutes of my life end when Robin announces she has to go home. I walk her off the dance floor, but her hand in mine, continue to send shock waves up my arm and throughout my body. As she turns around to say good night, the moon shines down on her hair, seeming as if she is glowing, like the angel I know her to be. I can no longer resist, and lean in to kiss her…
Cold steel contacts with my face and a sudden pain shoots throughout my body. Smells of sweat and vomit circulate the room and are intensified where I lay on the floor of a Merchant Ship, 1 out of the 200 marine ships here. Two weeks ago I was back with Robin, dreaming about our future together, but the day everything changed, was the day the television broadcast aired on June 25th. The Cold War had suddenly turned hot, bloody and expensive. Within a few days, North Korea's invasion of South Korea brought about a United Nations' "police action" against the aggressors. That immediately produced heavy military and naval involvement by the United States. While there were no illusions that the task would be easy, nobody expected that this violent conflict would continue for more than three years. I got my letter requesting, demanding, my participation in the Korean War. My mother cried for two days as I packed my allotted belongings and grudgingly got in the car with my parents and Robin to drive to the ship I would have to live on for god knows how long with complete strangers who will ultimately either get you killed or save you. It’s know been two weeks and we are finally getting close. were diverted to support United Nations forces in Korea, to bombard the North Korean coastal supply routes, various military installations, convoys of lorries, tanks and guns along with anything else needing attention. Having been locked below decks during the first action, we presented ourselves smartly to the Gunnery Officer as soon as action stations were ended and begged to be on deck next time to help in any way possible. We did not want to be enclosed in a steel tomb, or so it seemed to soldiers. We were all appointed to pass ammunition to the 4-inch guns (ship's secondary armament), Bofors and multiple pom-pom guns. Thankfully this war will be over by Christmas and I won’t have to go through this @#!*% again.