By: Robert "Bob" C Moates Naples, Florida

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! The year was 1946. A Buck Sergeant, at eighteen years old, stationed on the island of Guam, in the Marianas Chain. A homesick kid at 18yrs, didn't think Guam was beautiful. Now I long to see Guam and her people.

I was assigned to the 1537th Army Air Force Base Unit, Air Transport Command. As a Sergeant, my monthly check $80 plus $20 overseas pay. There just wasn't any place to spend it on Guam. No bars, no hotels, no stores, no barber shops, no fast food... or even any kind of restaurant for that matter. We had a little NCO Club across from the ATC Terminal. Now and then we could get hot beer, hot cokes, that sort of thing. But there wasn't any ice on the island that I knew about.

The Air Transport Command was the "bus service" for the air corps. We moved people around the Pacific. We had an operating location in Bangkok (then "Siam"), and Manila. Our headquarters was located on top of a hill overlooking Tumon Bay. We had about 300 people in our unit. We lived in quonset huts with flaps for windows. The floors were oiled for some odd reason - to prevent from cracking. Our latrine was an eight hole with only screens for privacy. We washed our own clothes on a table, using GI soap and GI Brush. No ironing! We had no hot water. Even to this day, when I splash my face with cold water in the mornings, I always think of those showers, in a screened room, with stainless steel panels for mirrors. It was bad for shaving. Distorted reflections but it was the best we had.

The night I arrived on Guam, the Japanese stragglers raided our Mess Hall and swiped our rations. We had only screen doors on our huts. No locks! The Japanese were well hidden, but there were daily patrols out rounding them up. There were still many Japanese holed up on the island. Prisoners, under guard, cleaned our latrines.

Our outfit had a "CrashBoat." Occasionally, we took the boat to Umatac village, on the south end of the island. Several areas were "off limits" to servicemen. The Navy furnished the crash boat with two crew members. It was on standby duty in case of a ditching or ocean crash of an Air Transport Commandâs plane.

Umatac village was the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Umatac was small, unique, and picturesque. The people were friendly. I would like to go back there some day. It was untouched by modern civilization. We would pull into their little bay and swim ashore. Incidentally, there was a Japanese two-man sub in the edge of the Umatac bay, rusting away in the surf.

There were still many caves and pill boxes on all shorelines.

There were two Guamanians assigned to work with me. One was Felix Perez, who I think later joined the Navy. Another was a fellow named Joaquin. Don't know his last name. Felix was a scout/guide for the Marines during the capture of the Island. I ran across a friend whom I had grown up with in Abilene Texas, a Navy man. He invited me to eat with him in the Navy Mess Hall. I was surprised to see that they had, what I thought was a whole wheat bread. When I mentioned whole wheat to him, he chuckled and said, "That ain't whole wheat, that's weevils." There were so many weevils in it that it looked like whole wheat. I told him I'd pass. He asked if he could have it. Needless to say, I made that deal.

We sometimes had eggs. I wondered why, when cracked and placed on a grill, the egg would spread out like water. When I looked at the egg crate, I found out why. The crates were dated in the 1943, and this was in 1946. 

My commanding officer was Capt. William F. Braddock. He'd get a ration of whisky at times, and gave me a bottle of bourbon at Christmas

Time, 1946. Three of my buddies, Red Jones, Don Norman, and Norbert Blum and I sat there and drank it all without water, ice or anything. Bad night, but it was a celebration.

At the end of my year, I was fortunate enough to get an R and R leave to Japan. I flew into Osaka, train to Nagoya, and a bus to Gamagori. This trip gave me a chance to see Iwo Jima.

I am making this sound rough. I realize that it was nothing compared to what our Marines had to contend with when they retook the Island. They deserve all the credit. Those of us who followed had it easy, thanks to their determination. So, compared to their job, mine was like a vacation.

There were five boys in my family. I was the last one to go into the service. One brother was a B-17 Pilot, another was a Battery Commander of Long Toms in Italy, another an Engineer in the Navy. One was killed in service.

After my service, I used the GI bill to get a degree in Journalism and Economics at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. Later came to Naples, Forida in the Cable TV industry, (as an Executive with Palmer Broadcasting) and later got into the Auction business, real estate sales, and investment properties.

I am still married to my first wife, and have been for 47 years. We have one daughter, Lee-Ann, and three granddaughters. We live in Naples, Florida, our home for the past 32 years.

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