As we began to load the preposterous number of vehicles, just to help us out, the wind picked up and it was horizontal to the landing beach. It was a wind-driven rain, cold, harsh, thick.

The beach master’s unit was overwhelmed in trying to keep the LCM8s from breaching and ending up sideways on the beach. The shore was nearly all large rocks, and it played havoc with the Mike 8 propellers. We were fortunate in that Anchorage was the designated ship for carrying the stock of extra LCM8 propellers. When the load was completed, we only had two propellers left in stock. There is no way we can assess how much time was spent just in swapping out propellers.

i was a whirling dervish. i had to be. As the well deck master, i had to control and manage the offloading of the LCM8s as they returned from the beach and then oversee the storage of the gigantic load. We loaded the two semi-trailer fueling rigs all the way forward under the mezzanine decks. We positioned the 24 M48 Patton tanks around the semis. Then, we just started to fill where we could. BM1 Hansburough and i became good friends. We were working the wing walls of the well deck, directing traffic moving all of the equipment as it came aboard.

About twenty hours into the load and right after i changed my working khakis due to being soaked with salt water, an LCM8 entered the well deck and bottomed out. As it lowered its bow gate, a errant wave tossed it slanted across the well deck. A flood light trailer fell on its side into the shallow water. BM1 Hansborough and i simultaneously ran from the well deck and down the forward ladder past the mezzanine deck to the well deck. We walked aft together until the well deck water was up to our ankles. We studied the situation and knew the flood light trailer could greatly delay the load and we simply didn’t have the time.

So, the two of us walked up to water up to our hips when we reached the flood light trailer. With great effort we righted it (much to my surprise). As we started to move it forward clear of the loading operation, the LCM8 coxswain had maneuvered to straighten his craft, not seeing us nor knowing we were just ahead of him. The two guys who could have kept this from happening were not on the sides of the well deck. They had this floodlight trailer problem.

i looked up. Staring down at me was the bow gate of the Mike 8. The coxswain was lowering her bow gate, and it was coming down on us. We gave the trailer a push and the massive gate missed us by several feet. Too close.

Upon reflection, i should have remained at my well deck command post. But assessing it now, fifty years later, i’m not sure anyone but Hansborough on the ship could have pulled it off…and the load operation continued.

Hansborough and i both retreated. He went to first division berthing and changed out his dungarees. i went to my stateroom and changed to a new set of khakis. i changed my socks but put back on the water soaked shoes, knowing i would likely get them wet again. i threw the soaked khakis in a pile. i suspect a good portion of that saltwater wasn’t just sea water.

If anyone had it worse than us, it was the beach master’s unit. The marines did not follow their load directions very well, many of the Mike8s breeched and went sideways. The LARCS ands the cranes worked full time keeping the landing craft perpendicular to the beach. In short, it was hell. It also took 44 hours to complete the load.

As we closed the stern gate and secured from 1 Alfa, i headed to the bridge as the Beach Masters returned on their LARCS and cranes. The Beach Masters loaded their craft in the well deck. Bosun messenger climbed the ladders to the bridge as Sea Detail was set. i was the Sea Detail OOD. When Bosun Messenger arrived on the bridge. Commander Aldana in his captain’s chair on the starboard side of the bridge motioned for the bosun who came to his side.

The bosun and i were both spent with over 44 hours without sleep and constantly working in a high stress situation.

“So, Bosun, how did it go?”

The bosun did not respond directly, noting, “There’s no such thing as a dumb Marine.”

The CO wondered, “What do you mean, Bosun?”

Bosun Messenger replied, “That’s a double negative, sir.”

i was laughing up my sleeve.

We got underway, stood out of Numazu Bay and headed for Okinawa. When we secured from sea detail, i was relieved and went to my stateroom. i had to complete a formatted, extensive “load report” to higher authority. i completed it and my first division officer brought me the draft radio message. i was in my rack when he showed it to me. i needed to edit and take it to the XO to screen before getting the captain to release it.

i woke up about three hours later in a panic, thinking i had not submitted the report on time.

i called my first division officer and he came to my stateroom. He told me to not worry that the load message had gone off on time. He then said i was reading the draf when i fell hard asleep. He had to pry the draft out of my hands. He got the XO to clear and the captain had released the message.

i was relieved. i had just had my first experience of being a first lieutenant in the ampbibious Navy. The next chapter was about to begin.