The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-28

| Privae First Glass Morton Kaplan
of 80 Bronson street, in the South
Pacific somewhere with the 43rd
Division Headquarters Company,
pays tribute to Rev. John Culliton,
former assistant pastor at st.
Thomas church who is chaplain of
his group which also numbers Mas
ter Sergeant Homer Crane of 70
Hillside avenue, Technical Sergeant
Harold Werner and Corporal An
thony Massotta of North Main
street, as headquarters members
Father Culliton is very popular
with every man in the company,
writes Morton in an interesting let
ter to a member of The Democrat
reportorial staff. He adds that
Father Culliton wants to be remem-
bered to all his Waterbury and
Bristol, Conn, friends.
Private Kaplan's letter in full
follows:
The island upon which we are
situated on is one of those rare is
lands you read about now and then,
noted for their South Sea beauty.
In long stately and evenly spaced
rows as far as the eye could see are
coconut trees reaching high into
the heavens. For us they are deli
cious food and drink, and many are
sent to the states by the men.
So many fall after a tropical storm
that it actually takes trucks to haul
them away in order to keep the
area clean.
We live in MODEL tents that are
shielded from the blazing sun by
the widespread branches of these
lovely trees. The ocean breezes
aid in making this a most comfort
able place to live. The tropical
storms provide us with water for
washing our clothes and fill our
showers. Those showers are made
out OF old gasoline drums and tin
cans with holes in them, SO they
are our sprays.
Our dugoutS are naturally near
our tents and places of work. At
the first signal of ranger we hurry
to them. Some of these shelters
are so spacious they actually have
chairs and tables inside. Many of
the letters written in these places
while enemy planes roar overhead
and the thud OF bombs are heard
as they land.
If the action is in the air prac-
tically everyone is out of their roles
and gazing skyward. Up there are
the biggest shows ever witnessed
For each Jap that is doWned a
cheer rings out. SO many Of the
enemy are sent blazing to the earth
that the cheers are continuous
roll OF sound. Washing Machine
Charlie, as we call the Nips, is
pretty scarce these days. He has
a healthy respect for our pilots and
gunners. Their accuracy is I'M
excelled when it comes to knocking
old Tojo's stooges earthward.
| A few remarks from captured
japanese pilots: Americans nc
fight fair. Thley fly two planes
one time. Wa!shingmachine Char
lie no like" The man referred tc
in the P-38's. Their twin fuse
lage and tails have them baffled
Another comment, Japanese fight
flor Hirohito, Nazls flor Hitler, but
Yanks fight for souvenirs" The
metal from these wrecked Zero!
are fashioned by the men into
wrist watch straps, bracelets ane
rings. This gives you fair ides
as to the inferiority of japanese
metal in comparison to ours. Ont
Nip that came over nightly wa.
called pistol pete. Each nigh
he would speak to radio operate
on our wave length. This opera
tor and Jap both graduated from
the same college in the states. HI
would tell us just where he wa
doing to drop his eggs. He was ;
lousy shot. I say this becaus
he came over once too often.
story of Japanese treachery. In
sea air battle this pilot was knocked
from the sky, and he bailed out. H
landed in the water and the captain
from the ship went to his rescue
Nearing the Nip, the enemy yankee
a pistol out of the water and blast
ed away at the rescuer at clos
range. Four times he fired an,
missed. A bullet from a sharp
shooter on the boat caught hin
between the eyes and ended hi
career.
The natives on this island ar
very friendly. For an American