War Letter: 9.15.1944

Saturday, September 15, 1944

Letter from Clyde Fife to his parents

Left Fairfield on a LB30 for Honolulu. Weather at Fairfield cold and windy. Arrived at 4 pm. 11 hr flight. Took a shower – went to L.D.S. tabernacle – scheduled dance cancelled. Chaplain Boud & Chaplin Watkins obtained Motion Picture Valley of Decision with Greer Garson – She is the type of wife I am looking for. Sat in comfortable lounge chairs at LDS rest home while viewing the movie. Chaplain Boud drove me back to my quarters at Hickam Field in his Station Wagon. Sunday at 9 AM Chaplain Boud picked me up in his Station Wagon and drove me to church. Met Howard Riri there, also Steve Tanner, Calvin Cottam, Ernie Keller and numerous others. Had amusing flirtation with young 18 year old girl before Sunday School.

After Sunday School, Ernie Keller took me to the Pleasanton Hotel for dinner. Had delicious Island Roast Duck. Dorve up in the hills with Ernie and his friend Dick Andalin in their convertible. Went to Ice Cream shop across the street from L.D.S. Tabernacle. It was overrun with my LDS friends. Walked to evening service at Japanese Mission. The Japanese girls were most beautiful and extremely friendly. Almost all the LDS boys have decided that many of these Japanese girls are more genuinely friendly, more beautiful and better all around sports than the majority of American girls. We then went to Waikiki Ward evening service. It was fair, However, the American girls there are cold, conceited and brass happy. They assume that they are doing you a big favor by accompanying you on a date. Fireside was held at the beautiful home of Brother and Sister Knapp. About 90 were present. Refreshments of root beer floats, avocado sandwiches, etc.. were delicious. Doug Dana and I went with Chaplain Boud and to his party to a beautiful Hawaiian home (Cris Anna) where the wife and daughter had refreshments for us which included hot chocolate, fresh milk, butter jam, hot rolls and whole made ice cream. Von Call played the piano and chaplain Boud did some juggling. He is quite the skilled comedian. He also permits the young girls to kiss him on the top of his bald head. Chap. Boud then drove me to my quarters. at 2 pm Monday Von Call flew Doug Dana and me to Hilo in the island of Hawaii the scenery was breathtaking. We visited at the L.D.S. mission home and conversed with two Chinese Lady missionaries. They were most hospitable and friendly. We then called up Ailiene Chong who is an LDS Chinese girl. She is beautiful, well educated, talented and had an automobile. Richard Kerr used to visit with her often and escort her to his officers dances. She asked all about him and the girl he married. At her house Doug Dana played the piano while she sang and danced for us. I truly wish that I had learned to play the piano. We then had refreshment of fresh milk and cake. The mother and father of Aileen were typical of the old fashioned traditional chinese. With Aileen we c ould be ourselves. However, in the presence of her mother and father, we sometimes wondered how we should act. However, they treated us grand and her mother said if we couldn't find a place to sleep that we could sleep in their dog house. Their home was plain and simple but quite homelike. Aileene drove us out to the airfield. ON the way out there she mentioned that the Hilo moon had strange powers and was different than any other moon. She also expressed a strong desire that we return to Hilo next month for their big LDS dance. It will be difficult for Aileene to find an LDS Chinese boy of her equal. The technique of the chinese boys is lacking something in contrast to the Americans.

Doug and I left at 7:30 am Tuesday morning with Von Call in his C47. The 400 mile trip took 2 hours. For the remainder of the day I decided to rest. Therefore I took in the baseball game across the street from my quarters. Johnny Beesely of World Series fame pitched an interesting baseball game. (2400 miles) at 10 PM I left for Kwajelun in the Marshalls arriving there at noon the next day which was Thursday. Crossing the International date line going west you lose a day.

On arriving at Kwajelun I took a 6 mile boat trip to Ebeye which is the naval stall headquarters of the Gilberts and the Marshalls. There I visited Keith Smith, Norma Fife's brother and Leo Clayburn who was in the mission field. I told them about my intriguing stateside love life. Unfortunately it is probably bad on their morale to hear of my stateside escapades when they are stranded on this coral rock. After supper we went to their refreshment canteen where I consumed 3 cupfulls of free Navy ice cream. Then I played ping pong after which we all took in the moonlight movie which happened to be kiss and tell with Shirley Temple. When a passing cloud dropped a rainstorm on us I had a Navy raincoat called a poncho to protect me. It takes more than a cloud burst to discourage boys in the service from viewing movies.

Upon sleeping in Smiths tent that night a large rat kept scratching about. This was a trifle annoying to say the least. After breakfast that morning I read the book Invitation to Live - which was most fascinating. Then I returned to my quarters at Kwajelun. There I took a sun bath then a swim in the warm waters of the South Pacific coral islands. I visited Kenneth Dietz a LDS boy from Iowa who is engaged to Margaret Berrett of Berkeley, Calif. It is my privilege to commute back and forth for them they would make an ideal couple. Both are faithful to one another beyond words. That evening we saw a USO show entitled Five Pips and a Drip. It was better than the average USO show.

At midnight I left for Guam arriving there early in the morning. I visited with Lamar Bluth an LDS boy who is the senior Douglas Tech Representative for ATC C54s. He was the first civilian in Tokyo. He has also saved $100,000. I hitchhiked to the Island command Headquarters where I visited with Chaplain Jackson from Oakland who was activng as Island Command Chaplain. His assistant drove me to the Fleet Records Office, 15 miles away, where I visited Bob Kline, Woodrow Mousely and Kay Anderson, Martinas brother. We had a most pleasant reuinion together. The different LDS branches there have a basketball league. Before the game that afternoon we made a wholemade freezer of ice cream, I licked the dasher. During the game, bob Kline broke his ankle. I titch Hiked back thru the dusty roads of Guam to Air Depot Field. There I took a cold refreshing shower and went to bed. Two hours later I was alerted for a trip to Okinawa.