ALAMEDA, CA, 1943
| FLYING BOAT ALAMEDA, CA, 1943 |
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Through Capt. "Dutch" Scheldhauer, who was with Naval Air Transport, NATS, in Washington, D.C., I was transferred from NAS to Treasure Island near San Francisco, California. I was assigned as liason officer between Pan American Airways and the Navy as Pan Am had been taken over by the navy. I was under a Capt. Smith at first, then later under another Capt. ???. I had known the latter when he was with TWA airlines as a test pilot engineer. On his visits to my office, he said I was doing all right. Later in the fall, I suddenly received a copy of his letter to Washington saying that I was to be "relieved of my duty and that I was available for duty outside of his commands. I was transferred to Alameda NAS in the engineering department. Later, I was assigned to a squadron which flew PB2Y's from Alameda to the South Pacific. Through a Captain who I had known in Grosse Isle NAS, I was transferred to the South Pacific to take command of CASU 9. (Carrier Aircraft Service Unit) A day or so later, I was put on a court martial board to try an Ensign who had flown low over the field at Livermore. I tried to get out of this, but couldn't. The trial lasted about a month. I finally took off for the Pacific on one of Pan Ams China Clippers. I transferred to a Pan Am Navy PB2Y at Honolulu and flew to Espiritu Santos. There I met an old friend, "Hoss" Bullock (Marine Major) pilot, who was flying north in a DC 3 or C 47 next day and asked me to ride with him. We landed at Guadalcanal and I reported in. I found that CASU 9's skipper had recovered from a sickness, so I was assigned to CASU 19 at Sangley Point. Bullock flew me there and went on to Munda. 
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