Date and place unknown.

Date and place unknown.

Pearl Harbor, 1945.

Pearl Harbor, 1945. TBMs on deck.

USNS Sitkoh Bay (T-CVE 86) underway with an assortment of aircraft destined for Korea: TBM Avengers, SNB, R4D Skytrain (aka Skytrooper, Dakota and "Gooney Bird",) JD (the US Navy target-tug version of the USAAF's A-26C Invader) and F4U Corsairs (USN photo.)

"In December 1953 I was one of approximately 250 USAF personnel being transported to Japan. We were all on board the USS Sitkoh Bay, landing at Yokosuka Navy Base, Japan."

"The church service pic [NS0308606f] reminded me of an incident that sticks in my mind. The elevator was down to the hangar deck and many troops were sitting there watching a movie. I was further toward the bow (not on elevator) when a large wave came crashing over—and into the open elevator. Lots of laughs, but was not so funny to guys that got soaked! They closed the elevator right after that."

"Also, they did some target practice on way over. Put out a target of barrels with a flag and then circled around somewhere (distance not known) and fired the 5" gun [NS0308606d] a few times. I (and probably none of the other AF troops) had never been around such a thing. Wow! What a noise! Can't even imagine what a 16"er must sound like. They then continued the circle and picked up what was left of the 'target'."

(NS0308606b, NS0308606c)  Cocooned F-86D's on flight deck.

(NS0308606e, NS0308606i, NS0308606j)  Pat enjoying the ride on the flight deck.

Black and white photos were taken while in San Francisco and the early part of the voyage. Color slides were taken later.