| Subject: S1/C Stuart Hayes, LST 130 |
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SeaBat
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Date Posted: 01/ 5/08 03:01:19
The following is the recollection of S1/c Stuart Hayes and his time in the Navy during WWII. Sadly, S1/c Hayes has gone to his final port of call. His wife has submitted the article as a tribute to him and his shipmates of LST 130. We very much appreciate her sharing with us all.
"I entered the service immediately after graduating from school at the age of 17. I enlisted in the Navy in June of 1943, took my boot training at Sampson Naval Base. After boot camp I was assigned to Amphibious Training at Solomons Naval Training Base at Solomons, Md.
The base commander was the former Commander of the Squalis, the submarine that sank and the crew was rescued with the diving bell.
He hated shore duty and he had the bell from the Squalis outside his office. Every time he came out of his office he would run his finger over the bell and if there was any dust on it he would have an Ensign come out and polish it. He would also stand at the gate when liberty was up and if you were two minutes late he would put you in the brig, saying you were AWOL. Then he would lecture everyone that if your ship were pulling out at a specific time you could not get aboard and you would be AWOL.
From Solomons, Md. I was assigned to an LST 130 that was being built in Evansville, Indiana. We were the first sailors in Evansville. They had an Army base there that was turned into a POW Camp for Italian prisoners. They had a 10 P.M. curfew in the city and all women had to be off the street. So if you wanted to go to the movies you would go across the state line into Kentucky. There was no curfew there and no age limits on alcoholic beverages. If you took a girl to the movies in Kentucky and came back after 10, the Sheriff's Department would stop you and warn the girls that they were supposed to be off the street by 10.
After our ship was completed, we started down the Mississippi. We had River Pilots to guide us down but I think we hit every sand bar there was and had to be towed off daily, finally arriving in New Orleans.
Our ship was put into dry dock for more equipment to be installed. Liberty was really great there, we would go dancing nightly on the paddle boat the Delta Queen. I was amazed when I went uptown and saw all the churches on each side of the street. They were all like cathedrals.
From New Orleans we headed out for our shake down cruise, out through the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic. I think that was the roughest water I have ever experienced. The first day we were served greasy pork chops.
We were sent up into the North Atlantic Ocean and it was very cold. I had the bow lookout and the waves splashed many feet over our bow and after two hours they had to send up men to carry me back to the crews quarters as the ice had frozen over my foul weather gear and I could not walk.
After our shake down cruise we were on our way heading toward the European theater but half way across the Atlantic they changed our orders and sent us down to the Panama Canal and out to the Pacific. Being painted blue and grey for the Atlantic, we had to be repainted camoflague green as the Pacific Ocean is green. We went to San Diego Naval Yard and then they sent us to Long Beach, Calif. for Dry Dock.
While there, I got to go to the Stage Door Canteen in Hollywood. There Ann Baxter sat at our table and
showed off the large green engagement ring that John Hodiak had given her the night before. We met many stars there - Bill Bendix, Kay Kaiser, Ishkabible and Ann Montgomery.
From California, we were off to Hawaii where we picked up our cargo and troops. We were tied up with about six LST's in a group when the first LST caught fire, so we chopped our lines and pulled out into the bay. Troops were jumping into the oily water trying to avoid the fire. The only mention of this catastrophy in the papers was that a minor fire was discovered in one of the ships in the bay.
From Hawaii we went to Enewitok, an island in the Pacific that had just been retaken by the Americans. There was not a tree or anything in the line of foliage left by our troops. From there we were off to rendezvous for the invasion of Saipan. I was a coxswain of a LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel).
Then our captain read our orders and at exactly 0700 the fog would lift and the invasion would start. At exactly 0700 the fog lifted like someone pulled up the shade and there was the whole US Navy way out there. The battleships started shelling the island. The 4th Marine Division went in first. We kept circling in the water until they gave us the sign to bring in our troops. After the beach was secured, they called for our LST to beach and unload our tanks and cargo, so in we went - full speed ahead. Everything was fine except no one realized that the area where we were beaching was full of coral. It ripped out our screws (propellers) so we could not back out after we unloaded. Our commanding officer always volunteered to carry 100 octane gasoline and ammunition. His theory was if you get hit you wouldn't know it and if you made it you would be the first to unload and get out of there.
Being permanently beached, they made our ship the mail ship and set up a post office for all the troops participating in the invasion. This was great because we would get mail from home in two days. While we were
stuck on the island I got to go up to the airfield to pick up the mail. Then after the second day I stopped to talk with members of Company G of Amsterdam, New York, my hometown, who had taken a very bad beating from suicide Japanese troops the day before. I did get a chance to talk with Ed Buhrmaster of Amsterdam and several other Amsterdam people.
There used to be a sugar mill on the island and all that was left from shelling was chimney. Everyday as jeeps would go up the road a sniper would pick off someone but no one could figure out where the shots were coming from. Finally, someone spotted a place where two bricks were missing from the chimney. Word was sent out to the battleship and the chimney was quickly leveled. After the island was secured a repair ship brought new screws which were installed and we were made seaworthy again.
We then sailed to Ulithi which is next to the equator and man, was it hot! It never got under 100 degrees day or night. Swimming in the ocean was warmer than the water in your bath tub.
We then rendevouzed for our next invasion, Leyte in the Phillipines. On the beach there were appproximately 100 LST's side by side, beached. We were to unload our troops, ammo and gasoline. The Japanese decided to stage aerial attacks behind our lines and their planes flew directly over our ship. I was gunner of a 20 mm gun. I watched every tracer from my gun go directly into the plane but the plane just kept going and Japanese suicide troops parachuted behind our lines. The biggest problem we had was that the ships on the farthest side of the beach were shooting also and the shrapnel was coming down on on our deck. Several sailors received minor wounds.
After Leyte we were sent back to Hawaii to a rest camp for two weeks. Then we were loaded again with troops, ammo and 100 octane gas. Ten LST's in a convoy with 2 Destroyer Escorts were sent to Okinawa. We sat in a bay 10 days before the rest of the Navy got there. We were at general quarters all around the clock. The Japanese were constantly staging Kamakazi raids. One night the orders were given to black out the entire area and all the ships obeyed except the hospital ship MERCY who turned on all their lights and started a run from the bay - they got hit. The next day is when the invasion started and that is when Ernie Pyle got killed. It was rumored that he went into a cave filled with Japanese swords and jewels, and that it was booby trapped.
After two weeks, the island was secured. My Captain called me in to tell me that I was being transfered back to the States. I went and started packing my gear to transfer to a liberty ship that was going back to Hawaii. In the meantime my LST was ordered back to Hawaii, so the Captain said I could stay on as a guest back to Hawaii, so I did.
Arriving in Hawaii our ship was ordered to return to Bremerton, Washington Naval Yard for repairs. We had a large crack across our deck and partially down the side. The captain said to stay on board and enjoy the trip. Our LST had to tow another LST that had its crew quarters blown away by a torpedo.
Arriving in the USA, I transferred to Treasure Island, San Francisco. There I was given a 30 day leave to come home. I called my parents and cried with joy just hearing their voices. It took four days to come across country on the train; you would sleep with your feet up in the windows at night. I was home when VJ was declared.
After my 30 day leave I went to Pier 92 in New York, from there I was assigned to the Brooklyn Naval Hospital who promptly reassigned me to the U.S. Naval Reserve Officer's Training Center in Bayonne, New Jersey. There we trained Ensigns to be Supply Officers. I was placed in charge of Ship Stores. We sold everything from silk stockings to sewing machines. We were not allowed to keep any of the profits from the store so we would rent out a hotel ballroom in New York City and have a wonderful party every month.
I was transferred to Lido Beach and honorably discharged on March 17, 1946."
The crew of the LST 130 participated in 6 invasions from Saipan to Okinawa. They were the first Sailors ever in Evansville, Indiana. The following are the names of the crew on LST 130: Stuart Dale Hayes, Amsterdam, N. Y.; Paul George Panknin, Harlingen, Texas; Joseph Paul Young, Pittsburg, Pa.; Kenneth Wendell Reagan, Day Prang, La.; Henry Lavallee, Lewiston, Maine; Raymond E. Larson, Jamestown, N. Y.; Jack L, Mahaney, Tulsa Okla; Cletus McCoy Link, Livingston, N. C.; Donald Mathis, Lancaster, Calif.; Delbert Hoover, Chippewa Falls, Wisc.; Domingo Hernandez, San Antonio, Texas; Thomas P. McGrath, Logansport, Ind.; Herman Boca, Bosque, New Mexico; Jordan Storm, Newark, N. J.; John W. Bowen, Salt Lake City, Utah; Daniel E. Berrigan Glen Falls, N.Y.; Clifford E. Barnam Lewsiton, Pa.; Angus Houston, Avondale Estates, Ga.; Joseph J. Ederly, Savanah, Ga.; William E. Keihl, Hagerstown, Maryland; Henry F. Baggett, Claxton, Ga.; Taylor Baldrich, Wichita, Kansas; Ascentian Ibarra, San Antonio, Texas; John D. Waite, Iron River, Michigan; Winfred Denault, St. Albans, Vt.; William Roberts, Louisville, Ky.; Samuel Atis, Montgomery La.; Edward Lavigna, Utica, N. Y.; Ernest T, Williams, Providence, R. I.; John Lang, Buffalo, N.Y.; Charles O'donnell, S.Boston, Mass., Willis M. Woods, Greenwood, Miss.; Gasper Casioppo, Tickfalo, La.; Dean McCarty, Sullivan, Ill.; Eldene Harding, Provo, Utah; Lawrence Oblinger,Missoula, Montana; Raymond Neslong, Yorktown, Texas; J.B. Canizo, San Francisco, Calif.; Richard Burdieh, San Jose, Calif.; Florian Ring, Buffalo, N.Y.; Jimmy G. Calibank, San Antonio, Texas; Chris Hart, Calixico, California; William Christmas, Rockhill, S. C.; Ray Cogburn, Perry, Florida; Charles Smithers, Black Oak, Ark.; Fred McClung, Belburn, W. Va.; Neil McClung, Rupert, W. Va.; Allen Park, Yuka City, Calif.; Jerry Levelle, Higland, N. Y.; Ike McClelland, Mine, Nev.; Iris Don Barnett, Fort Worth, Texas; E.S. Rogan, W, Durham, N. C.; Charles Jones, Little Rock, Ark.; F. B. Henry, Oarange, Texas; Hal Parker Lockwood, Muldrow, Okla.; Ronald Rayt, Pasadena, Calif.; Altus Campbell, Texas; Jessse Hernandez, Pamona, Calif.; Loyd Reines, San Bernadino, Calif.; Paul Henry, Pasadena, Calif.; Roger Lampkin, Brocton, N. Y.; Charles Arnold, Chouteau, Okla.; Jesse Ammons Littlefield, Texas; D.R. Boutell, Great Bend, Kansas; Willard Cooper, Jamestown, Tenn.; Oscar Cox, Houston, Texas; Pat Cruge, Los Angeles, Calif.; Charles Dolese, Jr., New Orleans, La.; William Dick, Enid, Okla.; Samuel Evans, Moreherad, Ky.; Clayton Floyd, Anniston, Ala.; Milton Frank, Sinclairville, N. Y.; W. W. Franklin, Augusta, Ga.; Thomas Havek, Meffelville, Pa.; Roland Hill, Philadelphia, Pa.; Ken Hill, Oakland, Calif.; Howard Henry,, Columbia, S. C.; Hank Hildebrand, Sioux City, Iowa; Alvin Hunt, Red Oats, Okla.; Ed Irwin, Laguna Beach, Calif.; Gerald Knapp, Fort Johnson, N. Y.; Charles Lapusynski, Syracuse, N.Y.; Thomas J. Lawler, Auburn,, N. Y.; James Maeligan, Schenectady, N. Y.; Eugene McGrath, Washington, D.C.; Thomas McGrath, Logensport, Ind.; Horace Mullins, Birmingham, Ala.; Bruce Meinken, Rockville Center, Long Island NY; George Miller, Fitzgerald, Ga.; Freddie Meyers, New Orleans, La.; Wilbur Norwood, Knoxville, Tenn.; David Owens, Williamston, S. C.; William Pitts, Greenville, S. C.; Joe Reid, Sequin, TExas; Ray Richie, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Leonard Stidle, Pittsburgh, Penn.; John Summerfelt, Chicago, Ill.; Cyril Troy, Lebanon, Penna.; Chester A. Wilson, Gilllmon, Kentucky; John Wizontka, Amhurst, Mass.; Thomas Jojac; Utica, N.Y.; Raymond G. Gull, Newark, N.J.
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