The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-03-20
BY ERNIE PYLE

IN THE WESTERN .1AI1r IL
(delayed) - It's easy to get ac-
uuainted aboard Naval vessel.
The sailors are just as friendly
as the soldiers I'd known on the
other side. Furthermore, they're
so delighted to see stranger and
have somebody new to talk to, that
they aren't a bit standofflsh.
They're all sick to death OF the
isolation and monotony OF the vast
Pacific. I believe they talk more
about wanting to go home than
even the soldiers in Europe.
Their lives really are empty
lives. They have their work, and
their movies and their mail, and
that's just about all they do have.
And nothing to look forward to.
They never see anybody but
themselves. and that gets mighty
old. They sail and sail, and never
arrive anywhere. They've not even
seen a native village for a year.
Three times they've been to re-
mote, lifeless sandbars in the Ia
cific. anG have been allowed to go
ashore for few hours and sit I'M
der palm trees and drink three
cans of beer. That's all.
Yet they do live well. Their Eod
is the best I've run onto in this
war. They have steaks and ice
cream-they probably eat better
than they would at home.
They take baths daily. and the
laundry washes their clothes. Their
quarters are crowded, but each
man has bunk with mattress and
sheets. ard private locker to
keep his stuff in. They work hard,
but their hours are regular.
The boys ask you a thousand
times how this compares with the
other side. l can only answer that
this is much better. They seem to
expect you to say that, but they
are a little disappointed too.
They say "But it's tough to be
away. from home for more than a
year, and never see anything put
water and an occasional atoll. =
And / say yes I know it is, but
there are boys who have been IN
Europe more than three years,
and have slept on the ground
good part of that time. And they
say yes, they guess in contrast
their lives are pretty good.
Seaman Paul Begley looks at his
wartime life philosophically. He is
farm boy from Rogersville, Tenn:
He talks a lot in a soft voice that
is southern clear through. Hes one
of the plane pushers on the flight
deck. -,
II can stand this monotony all
right" he says. 1.-THE point with
us is that we've got a pretty gooo
chance of living through this. Think
of the Marines who have to take
the beaches, and the Infantry IN
Germany. I can stand lot OF
monotory if I know my chances
are pretty good for coming out
of it alive
But others yell their heads off
| dDOQL tl1CIA AOS, anu 1SSA SAA~S
being prosecuted by being kept out
of America year. I've heard
some boys say I'D trade this for
foxhole any day." You just have
to KEEP your mouth shut to a re-
mark like that.
At least so per cent Of the sail
ors' conversation, when talking to-
newcomer like myself, is about
three things
The terrible typhoon they went
through off the Philippines; the
times they were hit by Jap bombs
and their desire to get back to
America.
The typhoon was awful. Many
thought they would 20 the same
way as the three destroyers that
capslzed. This Ship is inclined to
roll badly anyhow. Today she still
has immense dents in her smoke
stacks where they smacked the
water when she rolled that far