The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1943-03-23

Jersey was the hero of our net. He
was slight fellow, the subject of
all our jibes and practical jokes
while on the Juneau. A shark made
off with another victim and Moore
grabbed a knife and dove after
it. He lost the fight and died from
exhaustion.
Our hopes rallied briefly when a
ply plane circled overhead n d
dropped a rubber life raft. Hartney
and 1 had strength enough to
reach it, Thank God for my high
school swimming course! 1t was de-
cided to take the only surviving Of
ficer. Lieutenant Wang, aboard and
make try for land.
Seven days of uncertain, aim
less padding apparently got us no.
where. We were very weak, especi-
ally Lieutenant Wang who was suf.
fering from a badly injured leg
received in the torpedoing We had
40 food of any kind. Once 1
whacked a sea gull with paddle.
1t fell in the raft, only to get up
again and fly away. One night a
flash rain storm gave us little
drinking water. but that's all We
had for a week.
by a stroke of luck on tn e
eighth day we sighted an island.
The lieutenant was unable to stand
alone, so Hartney and tried to
build a stretcher. Our attempt
failed and in the end I carried
Wang across the beach to safety"
(Among the injuries Fitzgerald
received during his ordeal are deep
decorations on both feet, acquired
in Bleaching the raft and carrying
the Philadelphia officer across
jagged coral reefs.)
I'VE found we had reached San
Cristobal, an island in the Solomon
group. Native head-hunters cared
for us and one of them sailed to
Santa Ana Island for aid. A for
mer German sailor, Henry Cooper,
took us TO Santa Ana to recover
at his home. We were later housed
in the beautiful residence of the
native governor We learned our
host was once photographed by
Martin and Osa johnson, noted ex-
plorers.
There was no means of COM
munication to the mainland from
the tiny isle, so we sent up fire.
quent distress signals. A Navy pa
troll plane spotted one. landed and
! transferred us to the New Hebrides
Islands. Next we we're flown to the
U. S. Hospital Ship, Solace an d
taken to Auckland, New Zealand,
for specialized treatment for ex-
posure
Then we were placed aboard a
Dutch vessel for a Today voyage
to San Francisco After being hos
pitalized for some time at Mare
Island, Calf, l was released and
crossed the country by train to
Manchester.
Besides Hartney, Lieutenant
Wang and I, seven sailors were
picked up by plane from life
float in another part Of the Pa
cific. The ten of us, to our
knowledge, are the only survivors
of the Juneau crew. I'm a very
lucky guyl"
You can bet the Fitzgeralds had
| q warm welcome for their fighting
son. They found him in good
health. despite his adventures. His
head and feet scars are augmented
by livid gashes on his back - a
back burned black by sun and oil.
MI. and Mrs. Fitzgerald now have
boy in each branch of the serv-
ice: Victor, who is %. in the Navy,
Lawrence, "a, in the Army and DON
aid, 10, fighting on Guadalcanal
With the Marines.
Seaman Fitzgerald was given 80
days in Connecticut. Then what?
Let him tell you in his own words
ON arrival in America all 10 of
us survivors we're offered honorable
discharges by the Navy Depart
ment. / turned mine down for rea-
sons like Sullivan, Donnelly and
Moore. I'm going back"
YOUR BROKEN LENSES