SERVICE IN THE PHILLIPINES
WW II, 1944 - 1945


WW II, Phillipines
 
Manila
KEY MAN: ART FRASER

This month Walter-Comdr.-Lees pulls the rabbit out of the hat to give us a Manila column. Walt, who was recently made a full commander, has been galavantin' all over the Phillipines and endeavoring to get QB's together when the chance affords. His many QB friends will be glad to get this message, and we hope that such reports may help to bring the lads together at Manila. You take it from here, Walt.
 
I should have written you long before this and told you I have been receiving the Q. B. BEAM regularly, thanks to you.
     As my tour of 18 months sea duty will be over in October when I hope to return to Uncle Sugar, will you please notify the Q. B. BEAM mailing authorities to send the October issue to me at 3275 Dakota St., Oakland (2), Calif.
     Things are pretty quiet here, and a little tense, and until our troops are stationed all over Japan and the military leaders are six feet underground, we can't believe that the Japs won't try to make one more attempt to save face. I am still trying to find a way to get a bunch of QB's together here in Manila, but it is still a problem. Besides, I am 25 miles away from the city, and the roads in between are in terrible shape, and there are no boats from the city late at night.
     Since coming up here I have had a fine chance to see or visit nearly every island in the Philippines, for as head of Logistics, I am supposed to visit each one of our service units once a month; so have landed at 12 different points all the way from Clark Field in Luzon to Tawi-Tawi which is the very tip of the Philippines, Even though such a trip is interesting, yet it is a darn tiresome ordeal at its best; and although we have our own RAD (eight of us) we have to sleep in all kinds of huts and tents; and eat in all kinds of places, all kinds of food. And of course, there is the usual nightly gathering with perhaps a drink or two, so that it takes quite a rugged individual to stand up under the load. I thought I was one of those rugged types, but have sort of changed my mind and decided I am not as young as I used to be.
     Our Logistics have been divorced from the Aircraft 7th Fleet, and attached to the Phillipine Sea Frontier. Don't bother to have this put on my next Q. B. BEAM as the old address will get me all right.
     Am enclosing a Jap invasion bill of 100 pesos for yourself and a few smaller bills you might give to some of my Cleveland friends with my best regards.
     P.S. I finally managed to pull another half stripe out of the bag, though still don't know why,
This comes from the Q. B. BEAM. It is the official organ of the "Quiet Birds."
It is one of the few personal commentaries about his service during the war.

 
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