The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1945-12-24
Pay $500 for
Steak in China


handkerchiefs for the same amount
Of money, was described in a letter
by Dwaine Neese to his parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. Bert Neese of Flat
Rock.
Hello Nom and Dad:
Well, here l am finally writing
letter. We've been in China for
six weeks and haven't had any mail
coming in or going out for some
time until a few days ago. When
we were at Luzon, no one left the
ship. A plane brought us our mail
and took the men who were to be
discharged to Manila. That is where
We were for 36 hours. We then
went to French Indo-China and
now we are headed for FormoSa
with 500 Chinese troops.
We went to Tsuitsin, China, first
and dumped our pontoons and Let
there. Next we carried our troops
(Marines) to Tsiug, China, where
We left them and loaded up With
household supplies and took them
tC TSuitSin: from there we went to
Manila This operation is supposed
tc last 60 days.
I had liberty in TsuitSin Bay;
twas it ever filthyD. Everywhere
you went there was dirt Every time
you stopped on the street about so
persons crawled around to see what
was cooking"
In Haefoieg, China, you could get
anything you wanted for a pack of
cigarettes. Maybe we will spend
Christmas in Hong Kong or Shang-
hal. hope. For all we know this
ship may be headed back for the
States. Scuttle- butt is that We will
be in the States by Feb. l.
The engineers have a pretty good
deal now. We have two compart-
mentS 20 ourselves and a bathroom
We cleaned and painted them and
blOfSO la VIC CclOII 1ldNC oil OAC1
locker, close to the engine rooms
and away from the others.
While We were in TSuitSin we
went to a restaurant to get meal.
A steak cost $500: ham and eggs.
5000; a ride in a rikShaw, $500; we
paid $500 for a basket and one fell
lew paid 500 for a can opener l
got handkerchiefs for S7OO and
saw $4,000 paid for a pair of silk
stockings. Out here they have right
and left stockings 1 got two pairs
OF shoes that paid $1,000 for. Now
don't get the wrong idea, mother
We get $1,000 in Chinese money.
for 81 N our money.
This place of Haifong is really
some place, all over the bay are
big rocks projecting out of the
water, about 100 feet high. about 10
miles out and run clear to the
mainland. No wonder we could
never find the Jap fleet; they
could have hidden in there for
million years. The city of Haifong
l. entirely enclosed by these rocks
We had TO make about 20 turns to
get to it.
Every time ship pulls into port
the junkS all gather round to
sell something. They have more
darn watches to sell than a
jewelry store, in the States. One
junk that was begging food wanted
to sell kid about 4 years old for
81
We got our bag of mail in Lu-
zon. They told us We had % more
bass in Manila, but We didn't have
time to get them.
Some of the Chinese troops are
really Sea-sick, 1 guess this is the
first flat bottomed Scow they have
ever been on. They cook their own
| food. They were all de-liced when
they came aboard, but the Navy
won't take any chances. They sleep
en- thin straw mats and 1 mean
thin. They don't even know what
life is. All they do is live to eat
and they eat about 10 times a day.
Something happened today We
never had happen before, when un-
derway, we hit some rough water.
1t was about pm. The cargo
hatch on the main deck was I'M
covered and the covers were laying
eff to cur side in a pile, the ship
was rolling badly and the covers
Slid and fell through the hatch
hitting Chinese soldier on the
head. They worked with him for a
while and it looked as though he
would De alright, but about 7 pm.
he died and at 9 pm. he was buried
at sea.
VIII close now. This will be
mailed III FormoSa.