What your seeing here is a poem I found in my Dad's
logbook he kept during his Navy Carreer. It is
an eye witness account of the days leading
up to and including the invasion of 
Okinawa. Written by one of his good
friends on board his ship, 
the U.S.S. Kittson


“The U.S.S. Kittson
and the
Invasion of Okinawa Shima“

by
Jack Schreder MM3/c


WE’VE ALL LONG WAITED FOR THE DAY
WHEN WE’D BE GETTING UNDERWAY
THE END OF THE MONTH, MARCH TWENTY SEVEN
NOW IT HAS ALL COME -- AND FOR THAT THANK HEAVEN!

THE WIND IS STRONG, THE SEA IS ROLLING
MORALE IS HIGH, NO BELLS ARE TOLLING
WE STILL HAVE SONGS, WE’RE NOT A BIT SCARED
FOR WE ALL KNOW THAT WE’RE PREPARED

EACH OF US KNOWS THAT NEVER BEFORE
HAVE WE VENTURED SO CLOSE TO THE JAP’S BACK DOOR
FOUR DAYS TO WAIT, AND WE ALL KNOW WELL
THAT OUR SHIPS AND PLANES ARE GIVING THEM HELL.

AND NOW ANOTHER DAY HAS PASSED
THINGS ARE BEGINNING TO HAPPEN FAST
THERE’S AN AIR OF TENSENESS PLAIN TO SEE
FOR THE DAYS THAT REMAIN ARE ONLY THREE.

ON EASTER DAY, A DAY OF MIRTH
WE’VE PICKED TO RID THIS BLESSED EARTH
OF THOSE SQUINT-EYED RATS WHOM WE ALL ABHOR
“WE’RE COMING, TOJO; TO YOUR BACK DOOR!”

TO THESE POOR KIDS MY HEART GOES OUT
WHO HARDLY KNOW WHAT LIFE’S ABOUT
OUT OF SCHOOL AND OFF TO WAR
THEY DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR.

OH LORD, I PRAY THE DAY WILL COME
WHEN ALL THESE KIDS BACK HOME CAN RUN
CAN START ANEW AND HAVE A CHANCE
TO LIVE THEIR LIVES AND FIND ROMANCE.

MEN WITH  FAMILIES, GIVES US HOPE
FOR EVERY MAN NOW HAS THE “DOPE”
ON WHERE WE’LL GO AND WHAT WE’LL DO
EACH HAD A JOB AND A TOUGH ONE TOO.

SOME RUN THE ENGINES, SOME MAN THE BOOMS
SOME FIRE THE GUNS, SOME CARE FOR WOUNDS
THERE ARE  MANY MORE, THAT’S JUST A FEW
FOR FIGHTING A BATTLE TAKES QUITE A CREW.

TOMORROW’S THE DAY THAT WE MAKE OUR KILL
WE’LL GIVE THOSE DIRTY RATS THEIR FILL
OF WAR AND KILLING; WE’LL MAKE THEM PAY
FOR WHAT THEY’VE DONE TO THE U.S.A.

TOMORROW, EASTER, WHEN COMES THE DAWN
IT WON’T LOOK MUCH LIKE THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN
WHERE THE KIDS ROLL EGGS AND HAVE SUCH FUN
OUR EGGS WILL COME FROM THE END OF A GUN.

NOW AS WE ENTER THE CHINA SEA
IN A VERY FEW HOURS WE KNOW THERE’LL BE
JUST ONE BIG PUSH THROUGH SAND AND MUD
AND CORAL BEACHES STREAKED WITH BLOOD.

BACK IN THE STATES WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL
WE WERE SELECTED FROM ONE POOL
AND BEFORE OUR SHIP WAS QUITE COMPLETE
THEY PROMISED US A RING-SIDE SEAT.

WE LISTEN TO WHAT SEEMED A LINE
WITH MOST OF OUR MINDS ON WOMEN AND WINE
BUT AS WE LOOK BACK WE REALLY CANT DOUBT
THAT THOSE MEN KNEW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.

THIS MORNING WE STRUCK WITH ALL OUR POWER
AND SOON OUR FLAG O’ER THIS ISLE WILL TOWER
THE SEA WAS SMOOTH, THE TIME JUST RIGHT
THE SQUINT-EYE’S DIDN’T PUT UP MUCH FIGHT

A WALL  WAS BUILT ALONG THE EAST COAST
THEY THREATENED TO BE A STUBBORN HOST
THEY MUST HAVE BEEN A BIT DEJECTED
WHEN WE STRUCK FROM THE WEST WERE THEY LEAST EXPECTED.

LAST EVENING THERE CAME SOME BOMBERS HIGH
BUT EASY TO SEE, SO CLEAR THE SKY
THEY DROPPED SOME BOMBS, SOME TWO OR THREE
AND MADE ONE HIT ON AN L.S.T.

DON'T THINK THAT THEY HAD A NICE SMOOTH TRACK
‘CAUSE THEY WERE GREETED BY PLENTY OF FLAK
AS SOON AS THEY CAME WE MADE THEM EM KNOW
THAT THEY’D NEVER GET BACK TO TOKYO!

LAST NIGHT WE ROAMED THE CHINA SEA
OF ATTACKING PLANES, LESS CHANCE THERE’D BE
THE STARS WERE OUT AND SO BRIGHT THE MOON
BUT THE SEA GREW ROUGH AS WE HIT A TYPHOON

ENEMY FLIGHT LAST NITE WERE IMPEDED
BY A VERY STRONG WIND WHICH BY NOW HAS RECEDED
AND NOW AS THE ISLAND COMES INTO OUR SITE
THE JAPS HAVE  DECIDED TO PUT UP A FIGHT.

AS A FRIEND AND I STOOD BY THE RAIL
A THRILL WE GOT THAT MADE US TURN PALE
A SUICIDE PLANE CAME OUT OF THE SKY
HE MISSED US BUT WE SHALL NEVER KNOW WHY.

WE HAVE SOME STUFF IN NUMBER TWO HOLD
OF IT WHEN I THINK MY BLOOD TURNS COLD
IF THAT PLANE HAD HIT, JUST WHERE WOULD WE BE?
IT IS SIXTY TONS OF T.N.T.

FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS MY VERSE I’VE NEGLECTED
BUT EVERYTHING GONE ABOUT AS EXPECTED
FOUR ON AND FOUR OFF DAY AFTER DAY
THE WAY IT TURNED OUT ‘TWAS ALL WORK AND NO PLAY.

FOR AFTER OUR WATCH WE’D JUMP INTO BED
THEN SOMEONE WOULD YELL “CONDITION RED”
WITH A CURSE AND A GROWL FROM OUR SACKS WE WOULD LEAP
WHEN THERE ARE PLANES OVERHEAD THERE’S NOT TIME TO SLEEP.

THAT ISLAND WAS PRETTY WITH RICH SANDY LOAM
WITH TALL TREES AND FLOWER THAT REMINDED OF HOME
THE BEAUTY HAS VANISHED IN THE SHORT TIME ELAPSED
WHAT ONCE WAS A GARDEN IS A GRAVEYARD FOR  JAPS

OUR TROOPS ARE UNLOADED WITH FOOD AND SUPPLIES
IN THESE SOLDIERS HANDS THE JAP’S FATE NOW  LIES
TO LAND THESE MEN SAFELY ON US THE TASK FELL
AND WE’RE HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE’VE DONE OUR JOB WELL.

BEFORE THE INVASION, THAT “RED LETTER” DAY
ALTHOUGH VERY BUSY, WE FOUND TIME TO PRAY
OUR JOB IS NOW FINISHED -- WE’VE LANDED THE YANKS
OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED AND TO GOD WE GIVE THANKS


THE END



NOTE-
WRITTEN BY JACK SCHREDER MM3/C, A FRIEND OF
DUDLEY HUTCHINS RM3/C  (MY FATHER) WHO SENT 
POEM TO HIS FOLKS. THEIR SHIP, THE U.S.S. KITTSON, 
LANDED THE 7TH INFANTRY DIVISION ON OKINAWA EASTER 
SUNDAY MORNING.