Leonard's Story: July 16, 1945

                                                      July 16

                                                     Leyte Is PI

Dear Arnold,

     Well here I am back on Leyte, a hole

of the first waters. I am in a General Hosp

with a rather severe case of yellow jaundice.

For a while I was pretty yellow (still am), but

its clearing up a little now. I will probably be

here for a month or six weeks or so, as about

the only cure is a good long rest. I would get

sick just as we were coming out of combat. I

had expected to planned to visit Manila

and Baguio, and look up a lot of old friends.

Now I suppose that I will return just in

time to push off for Japan.

     Naturally there isn't much for me to

write about, inasmuch as I have been in bed

for almost three weeks. All I do is read,

sleep, play cards, or chew the fat with some

of the other patients. A hell of a life!

From your letter I surmise that you had a

good visit in the valley. I sure wish I

could have been there. I tell you what

I would like to have right now a thick

malted milk at that malt shop in Hanford,

or even a plain glass of cold fresh milk.

[page 2]

     If it is possible would you explain in a little

more detail just what kind of work you are

doing now (if any).

     Wel Bud, its pretty hard to think of

something to write about, when absolutely

nothing new happens, and when there isn't

much life (pep) in you. So I am going

to close. Write soon.

                        Love

                        Leonard

P.S. Address

     118th Gen Hosp

     APO 1002 c/PM

     S-- ---

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Leonard's Story: February 5, 1945

Probably the censored location in the first paragraph is MANILA since he says they will start for it soon (and the taking of Manila starts about February 3 and continues into March. In the second paragraph the censored location would have been LEYTE. In this letter he may be describing the invasion of the Lingayen Gulf in the second week of January 1945 (his letter of January 15 says "its all over now" and he is now able to sit back and relax, so it was written nearly a week after the landing on January 9. Also, on the 15th there is a new-found passion for cock fighting, so I suppose that was on Luzon rather than Leyte. CP might mean command post.

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[single page, no salution, no signature at the bottom, so perhaps rest of letter is missing]

                                                                                         5th Feb 45

     I don't know when I will be able to mail this, but since I now

have a little time before we start for [CENSORED] I will take advantage

of it and knock out a few lines.  First I will go back a few days

to the landing.  At H-60 on D day the Navy opened up with a barrage

on the enemy shore.  The Landing Craft Infantry that I was on was

about six thousand yards off shore, and although we were too far

out to get a detail view of the reults, we could see that the

shell were really ripping hell out of the beach.  Some seconds after

a volley was fired, we could see the flashes of the shells as they

tore into landing zone.  After ten minutes of fire, which sounded

like a prolonged thunder storm, smoke from the shells and burning

buildings practically obscured the shore.  The Navy continued to

shift its fire, nuetralizing enemy gun and infantry positions.  At

H-10 (minutes) they cut loose with over 1800 rockets, and the dim was

terrific, it sounded like an ammunition dump of five inch shells

were exploding like firecrackers.  By this time we could even smell

the cordite out where we were and a heavy bank of white smoke hung

over the shore.  At H-hour the infantry started to go in, this was

heralded by machine gun and rifle fire.  During all this time the

wave that we were in had been drifting slowly towards shore, but

because of the heavy bombardment we could see very little through

the haze of the shell and now small arms fire.  However we could

tracer fire of both sides and the enemy artillary feebly trying

to shell the beach with their one remaining artillary piece.  A

destroyer opened up with all its five inchers and knocked out this

small but deadly menace.  It was almost four hours after the initial

bombardment that I waded ashore.  Our casualties weere very light

and most of the enemy had withdrawn under the heavy bombardment.

There were still a couple of machine guns over on a point, but our

troops were effectively knocking out.

     We headed straight for the nearby town, and upon entering it

were greetted by the cheers and shouts of civilian Filipinos.  These

people were better educated and of a generally higher class than

those on [CENSORED], and they were very happy to see us.  In fact they

were almost crying for joy.  They invited us into their homes, and

gave us food and drinks, they almost gave us anything we asked for.

Where ever you would walk or ride the Filipinos would wave and shout

to you.  The girls put on their best dresses and some put on lipstick

that I imagine they had been hoarding for three years.  The men also

were slicked up, and put on some sort of demonstration in the city

square.  Most of them can speak English, and many are quite educated.

In fact they were trying so hard to make us feel at home that they

acted as "american" as possible, and in some cases I sort of felt

that their mannerisms were acquired not through contact mainly with

Americans, but with american films.  We all appreciated their going

out of their way even in this manner for such a warm welcome.

     For the first time since I have been down here, I was in a

building of brick with a hardwood floor, in fact I was not only in

it but we used it as our CP for a while.  This terrain is a real

pleasure to travel and flight in for a change.  In fact it is so

impressive that later on [ARROW] I will devote an entire paragraph to describ-

ing it.  For the first time in many months I also had the

pleasure, and after being hot so long it was a pleasure, of being

cold, yes nice and chilly, just like California up occassion.

[ARROW] "later on"

       has'nt come yet

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Leonard's Story: Restricted December 23, 1944

This attack was on the Allied air bases on Leyte, in central Philippines.  The Allies had not yet taken Manila, which was still under Japanese control. 

I have to wonder how Uncle Len smuggled out a restricted document such as this.

______________________________________________________________________

RESTRICTED

                THE PARATROOP ATTACH OF DECEMBER SIXTH

     The plan was bold and dating, and in every way worthy of Nippon's glorious

tradition.  Covered by a great force of fighters and bombers, a battalion of para-

troops would descend from a fleet of transport planes simultaneously on all the

Allied air bases on LEYTE.  The attack would be ade at dusk, when Americans are

notoriously sluggish after their heavy materialistic evening meal; but there

would still be enough light to land safely and perform much work of destruction

before complete darkness.  The main effect would be made on the strips in the

BURAUEN Area, where the paratroops could expect help from their brave  comrades

of the 16th and 26th Divisions, who had slashed their way from the mountains through

the Allied lines.  Small specially picked groups would land at TACLOBAN Strip, and

destroy all the planes they could before being killed -- there was probably no

avenue of escape for these heroes.  Confusion and chaos were to be spread every-

where.  If all went well, not a single American plane would be able to fly on

the following day, and thus an important convoy containing a whole brigade of

sorely needed reinforcements would be able to anchor and unload at ORMOC without

interference.

     Moreover, the timing of the attack was such that the great and decisive re-

sults could be announced on December 8th, the anniversary of PEARL HARBOR, and

this give a badly needed fillip to home morale, sagging under the steady reverses

in the PACIFIC and the B-29 raids on TOKYO.

     These, in brief, seem to have been the objectives of the Jap paratroop attack

of 6 December; but as was so often the case with other bold and daring attacks,

the performance did not measure up to the promise.

     Actually, only about 200 to 300 paratroops reached the ground alive.  Of one

flight of 51 planes, comprising transports, bombers and flighters, AA gunners

claim to have shot down 18 planes.  Some of the transports also evidently lost

their way, for reports were received of paratroop landings at remote localities.

The bulk, however, comprising probably 20 planeloads, descended in the vicinity

of SAN PABLO and BURI strips; by actual count, 124 parachutes, compactly grouped,

were located along a north-south line just west of SAN PABLO field, while about

80 paratroops descended on BURI.  At SAN PABLO, the dropping was preceded by bom-

bing and the laying of a smoke screen.

     The attacks on DULAG and TACLOBAN strips completely miscarried.  One enemy

plane flew low over DULAG airfield, dropping 2-5 parachutists; it later crashed

in flames in the sea.  One Jap of this group was killed as he attempted to set

up a machine gun along the BURAUEN-DULAG ROAD.  Another plane crashed 4500 yds

northeast of DULAG field.  That was the extent of the attack on this strip.

     At TACLOBAN, two converted "Betty" bombers approached the strip in the nor-

mal landing pattern, with flaps and wheels lowered.  One was shot down in the

sea, the other crashed near the strip.

     A Jap first lieutenant , leader of the TACLOBAN attack, was fished out of

SAN PEDRO BAY.  He stated he had 30 men under his command; they had taken off in

three converted bombers.  He had been given orders to attack either TACLOBAN or

DULAG airfield, depending upon the "ferocity" of the AA defense. He chose TAC-

LOBAN and his plane was to land there followed by the other two planes.  If con-

ditions were such that they could not take off on completion of the mission, the

pilots were to burn their planes.  The men were to disperse in groups of two or

three if planes were few on the strip, or singly if planes were numerous.  They

were to disregard defense against enemy fire and concentrate on igniting as many

Allied planes as possible before they were killed.  They had no expectation of

survival.

     Unfortunately for the Jap plan, and whether by accident or design, the bulk

of the paratroops dropped as the unserviceable and non-operational SAN PABLO and

BURI Strips, where the only planes present were a few L-5s.  According to a small

group of the 11th A/B Division, who were on SAN PABLO Strip when the descent was

made there, the Jap paratroops came down the runway acting as if they were drunk

RESTRICTED

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[page 2]

RESTRICTED

or had been drugged.  They were singing, yelling, and three of them were playing

musical instruments--a jewsharp, harmonica and small norn.  They shouted 'Hello!

Hello!  Where are your machine guns" and other irreleant comments.  Their work

of destruction had neither rhyme nor reason.  Two or three L-5s were burned, and

other planes of the same type standing nearby were left unmolested.  Large am-

munition dumps, CP area, and other important installations were not disturbed,

while the Japs shot holes in washstands, burned up a jeep, and overturned a truck.

Flares were discharged promiscuously.

     On the following day, the paratroops were driven off the SAN PABLO Strip;

they retreated northward to a pocket near the BURI Strip, where they held out

against all attacks for several days.  There they were joined by remnants of the

16th Division who had early in the morning of the 6th infiltrated from the west

into BURAUEN--BURI Area.

     According to prisoners, about 500 of the remaining troops of the 16th Div

were assembled west of BURAUEN on 2 December, and were told by their officers that

after a few days' rest, they would attack towards the airfields in conjunction with

an airborne invasion.  Artillary fire and tank action dispersed all but about 200

of them; the remainder launched an attack on the morning of the 6th; the apparent

mis-timing was due, according to the prisoners, to the failure of the paratroops

to land as originally schedule.  In corroboration of this statement, some of the

captured documents do indicate the airborne phase was supposed to have occurred

on the night of the 5th.

     A battalion of the 13th Ind Inf Regt of the 26th Division was likewise to

cooperate in the attack, by moving on the BURI and BAYUG Airfields from the south.

In this case there was a complete lack of coordination--this battalion did not

attack until the night of 10 December, after the paratroops had already been

liquidated.

     By 12 December, the combined air-ground attack was eliminated; the thee air-

fields in the BURAUEN Area were cleared of enemy; a total of 215 dead Japs had

been counted in the BURI Area, of which one-third were paratroops, and 125 dead

were counted at SAN PEDRO all of whom were paratroops.

     The paratroops were picked fanatics, all of whom had volunteered from various

branches of the Japanese Army for a suicide missionn the nature of which was not

specified when they joined.  Details of their recruitment and organization will

be found in the Order of Battle Section of this report.  They had been in FORMOSA,

and flew down to MANILA on the 5th, the day before the attack. Actual contact

proved, however, that they were no better in combat than the average Jap infantry-

man.

     They were superbly equipped.  For example, one typical paratroop had on his

person the following:  an 8-mm tommy gun of new type; an 8-mm pistol; 8 M-97 gren-

ades; 2 smoke candles, a bayonet; a case with tommy gun clips; a case containing

two Molotov cocktails; one magnetic mine and case with spare parts; a parachute;

a set of waterproof clothing; pieces of rope; sack of rations; and canteen.

Others carried radios, demolition equipment of new and unusual types, folding-type

rifles, and other special equipment described elsewhere in this report.  Elaborate

plans for deception were not overlooked.  Seven dead Japs removed from the TACLO-

BAN plane were found to have either American or civilian clothes under their

regular uniforms.

     Captured orders indicate that the plans for destruction of airfield instal-

lations wer thorough and detailed.  Paratroop leaders were furnished with aerial

photographs of the airfields, with annotations showing the location of main in-

stallations.  All were  thoroughly briefed beforehand on the general plan, and

some carried out arehearsal at their home base.  The work of destruction was ot

proceed in phases, with airplanes naturally being the prime target; after them AA

positions, gas dumps, radio installations and bridges were to receive attention.

Assembly areas for use before and after the assault were carefully pinpointed.

RESTRICTED

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[page 3]

RESTRICTED

     A document recovered from one of the planes contained a list of phrase in

Japanese and English which the commander had evidently thought would prove use-

ful.  The English prhases are reproduced here exactly as written:

          "1.  Kill a Yankee!

           2.  Got to Hell, Beast!

           3.  Have done, all the resistance (struggle)!

           4.  Lay down arms (surrender) quickly!

           5.  If don't, shall die (shall be shoot dead)!

           6.  Hold up!

           7.  Where is the (General) Headquarters?

           8.  How many airplanes are there?

                Consolidated B-24 (Liberator)

                P-38

                (Warlike) Material Warehouse

                the powder magazine

                gasoline tank

                the mine zone

                (mortar) car

           9.  Come along!  Draw map!

          10.  Go ahead!

     "All the Japanese Army has done great attack for enemy from tonight.  And

the other airdrome of DORAG, BRAOUEN, SAN PABRO has been taken already.

     "It is resistless, so that get away frin here in this night, do what I say,

must help your life.  If don't , shall die all these captives."

     Although the attack had caused damage and some dislocation, it had com-

pletely failed in its main objective - the crippling of Allied LEYTE-based air

power.  Nevertheless, as long as the enemy still had more transport planes and

an apparently inexhaustible supply of zealots, he could be depended upon to at-

tempt similar exploits in the future.

___________

Reproduced by Hg, 11th A/B Div, 23 Dec 44.                           HJM:RMA

RESTRICTED

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Leonard's Story: November 1, 1944

The Curtiss C-46 Commando was a twin-engine transport aircraft employed in World War II, introduced in 1942 but mass produced in 1944-1945.  Now sure what M.I. is -- perhaps military intelligence?

____________________________________________________________________

                                                                             Wed, Nov 1st

Dear Arnold,

     Well your big brother is now a regular qualified paratrooper.

I finished or rather made my last qualifying jump this morning.

However, I expect to get several more jumps in, in the next three

or four days, just for the hell of it.  I am still doing M. I.

work, and the jumping is just a means of getting around.  It makes

my work much more interesting and exciting.  This looks like a

hot division, they're a wild assed bunch of boys.  The officers

in headquarters  seem like a swell bunch of fellows.  I get all

the cooperation I want, and I think this is going to be a swell

assignment, I only hope that I stay with them for a long time.

     As I know your are unfamiliar with the jumping procedure,

I am going to give you a blow by blow description of a jump.

Each man is assigned a position, and a group of men go out the

door at one time and are called a "stick".  A plane may carry

one or more sticks depending upon the number of men in a stick.

It is SOP for an officer to go first, so in all except my first

jump I went first in the stick I was in.  I was suppose to go

first in the first jump, but they increased it by two men at the

last minute, and I went out last.  After you are assigned your

number, you go over to the packing sheds and pick up your chutes.

A main chute of twenty-eight feet in diameter, which is of the

back pack type, and an emergency chute of twenty-two feet in

diameter, which is of the chest pack type, are the types we use.

You then put them on, and it is really fitted tightly and securely.

You march over to the ship, and then get a check for adjustment

and fit.  You climb into the ship and it takes off.  This is

the point where you start to "sweat it out".  The old timers

say they sweat it out.   By that term I mean you become a

little nervous.  You have that funny tingling in your stomach.

Although it may be a greater or less degree, depending upon

a number of circumstances, it is always there.

     In the first load or plane a man jumps first alone, and

is known as the wind dummy.  He neither slips or twists around,

but goes down to see which way the wind is drifting.  The plane

circles around again for the first stick to jump.  We jumped

two sticks in a place of six men each.  The door has been removed,

and since I was first man in the second stick, I was sitting quite

near and opposite the door, and had a wonderful view of the

ground 1200 feet below.  Some of the men make a small joke to try

to relieve the tension, other smoke or chew gum.  Some have tense

faces, while others look like they are merely riding home on the

street car. You look at one another and wink or smile, but you

know that no matter how the men look or what they do, they are

all sweating it out.

[page 2]

     As we approach the field, the jumpmaster shouts "Stand up

and hook up".  Each man jumps to his feet, and hooks his "static

line" to the steel cable that is suspended down the center of the

ship.  Next he gives the command, " Check equipment".  You look

at the harness on the back of the man in front of you, and check

the front of your harness.  "Sound off for equipment check", the

last man shouts six OK, etc down to one OK.  Then "Close up",

you all shuffle with your left foot forward and your right foot

to the rear something like a boxer might move forward.  The

shuffling sounds like a subdued tone version of the marching feet

in the old Gangbusters program.  The jumpmaster then shouts,

" stand in the door and prepare to jump".  Number one man steps

forward with his right foot, pivots on it, and places his left

foot on the edge of the door.  At the same time he throws his

static line towards the rear of the ship and grasps the outer

edges of the door wtih his hands.  He is crouched slightly with

his body perpendicular to the floor, and his eyes on the horizon.

He stands tensed for the jump.  The jumpmaster slaps him on the

ass and he jumps out into space, throwing his right leg forward

so the slip stream of the props will catch it and give his body

a quarter turn, so that he faces the rear.  As you sail  through

the air you bend your head forward, keep your feet together, cross

your arms over your chest so that you can quuickly grab the ring

of your emergency chute if necessary, and count one thousand,

two thousand, and usually before you can say three, there is a

loud wham and a jerking snap that seems to almost stop you in

midair.  Incidentally, I usually forget to count.  If you go past

three thousand you should pull your emergency chute.  Once you

leave the door the tingling in your stomach stops.  There is no

sensation of falling through the air, but for just an instant you

seem to be suspended in space.

     You grab the risers and look up and check your canopy.  It

is a beautiful sight to see that white or sometimes camouflaged

canopy billowed out above you.  Your are usually swing back and

forth gently, and if you are ocillating too much, you and stop

it by roughly jerking down on the risers.  There are four of these

risers which are strong web belts which are fastened onto your

suspenion lines by a ring.  You can slip in any direction by

merely pulling down on the pair of risers in the direction that

you want to slip.

     You float down silently and gently, and you look over and

see your commrads coming down nearby.  You may call over and

talk to them if you wish.  The objects on the ground begin to

grow rapidly larger and larger.  You look down and pick the

spot you think you are going to land at and then reach up and

grab the risers above your heads.  You look up at the horizon,

and allow your legs to hang down in a relazed and natural postion.

A second later you hit the ground with a thump, and roll over

on your side, shoulder, or back depending upon the direction

you landed.  You jump to your feet and dump the air out of your

chute if necessary.  And there you stand, amazed that you are

all in one piece, unhurt, and that it was so easy.

[page 3]

     The men behind number one man follow the same procedure

that he [arrow #1] does, but do not wait to be slapped in the fanny.

When I was the last man, there seemed to be a confused wild

rush and the next thing I knew I was out.  In an operation they

usually jump one eighteen man stick per plane, but we now have

some new C-46s and you'd be amazed at the number of men they can

jump, I don't think I'd better say it because of military security.

Your not the only boy who is now drawing extra pay.  This extra

$100 I get a month is a soft racket.  I am not going to tell the

folks because I think that they would worry too much, so don't

you say anything to them.  I only have one set of wings, so would

you mind buying about two more wings and send them to me, because

they are hard to get out here, and be sure to get silver ones and

send me the bill, thanks.

     Enough of this dribble about myself.  How are you and the

Air Corps coming?  How soon will you be through at Harvard, and

are you going to MIT, I hope?  This move has mixed up my mail,

and I have'nt had a letter for over a week, or is it two weeks!

Write more about your luxuries, I like to hear about them it is

nice to go to sleep and dream about them.  And brother stay with

them as long as possible, you will be over here soon enough, and

I think you will become just as tired of canned rations, no place

to go, less to drink, and corny shows as I am.  Oh how I wish

I could have been at this Larconia Lodge with you, it must have

been swell.  Were there plenty of cute babes around?  I am now

dreaming about the luxuries of Manila, I only hope the Japs leave

a few joints standing.

     Well Bud, time for chow and I am out of breath.  Write

soon.

                                        love,

                              [signed] Leonard

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