WE SOON FOUND OUT WHERE IT WAS. THE SHIP DROPPED ANCHOR IN WHAT WAS TO BE THE HARBOR OF ADAK. THE INFANTRY HAD ALREADY LANDED TO SECURE THE PLACE. FORTUNATELY THERE WASN'T ANY RESISTANCE EXCEPT FOR THE WEATHER. THIS AREA NOTED FOR IT'S FOUL WEATHER. RAIN AND 100 MILE WINDS ALMOST EVERY DAY. THE RAIN WOULD COME STRAIGHT ACROSS INSTEAD OF DOWN. AND IT WAS ON A MORNING SUCH AS THIS THAT WE WERE TO LAND.
TO START THING OFF THE SHIP LOST BOTH ANCHORS DUE TO THE WIND. WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME WAS THAT WITH ONLY TWO ANCHORS LEFT THEY WOULD HAVE TO MOVE OUT INTO THE BERING SEA WHERE IN WAS A LITTLE CALMER AND ANCHOR THERE. I GUESS WE WERE ABOUT TWO MILES OUT BUT TO US IT LOOKED LIKE A LOT MORE.
THIS IS HOW THEY FINALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. A NAVY DESTROYER TOWED A FLAT BARGE OUT TO THE SHIP AND IT WAS LASHED TO THE SIDE. THEN WE WERE TO LOWER ONE GUN AT A TIME AND SECURE IT IN THE CENTER WITH CHAINS. NOW THIS DIDN'T SEEM SO BAD AT THE TIME BUT WHEN WE WERE INFORMED THE ONE GUN CREW AT A TIME WOULD HAVE TO RIDE THE BARGE IN JUST HANGING ONTO THE CHAINS IT REALLY APPEAL TO ANYONE MOSTLY ME. I WAS THINKING OF INFORMING THE COMMANDING OFFICER THAT I WANTED TO GO HOME, BUT AS YOU WELL KNOW THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN STUPID.
WHEN THE GUN WAS LASHED DOWN AND MY GUN CREW WAS ABOARD THE DESTROYER TOWED US SLOWLY INTO WHAT WAS TO BE THE HARBOR. THAT WAS A RIDE I'LL NEVER FORGET. IT SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK FOREVER. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT TOOK, BUT AS WE APPROACHED THE HARBOR AS AS CLOSE AS THE DESTROYER COULD GET THEY CUT THE TOW ROPE AND WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE BARGE DRIFTED CLOSE ENOUGH TO SHORE FOR SOME-ONE WITH A CABLE COULD HOOK ONTO US AND PULL US IN. THEN THE FUN BEGAN. THEY TIED THE BARGE DOWN SOMEWAY ON SHORE THEN WITH BULL DOZERS PUSHED SAND UP TO THE BARGE SO AS TO MAKE SOME SORT OF A RAMP. AFTER THIS WAS COMPLETED WE USED A WINCH TO GET THE GUN OFF.
EVERYTHING WAS BURIED IN MUD AND SAND. AS MOST LANDINGS ARE EVERYTHING WENT WRONG. EVEN THE BULL DOZERS WERE GETTING BURIED IN THE MUD.
WE USED TWO BULL DOZERS TO GET THE GUN UP THE MOUNTAIN WINCHING THEM MOST OF THE TIME. OUR WORST ENEMY WAS THE WEATHER. WHEN YOU WOULD TRY TO PITCH A PUP TENT THE WIND WOULD TAKE UP AND AWAY AND BLOW IT HALF WAY ACROSS THE ISLAND.
THE FIRST YEAR WAS THE WORST. THE MESS TENT WAS BLOWN AWAY MORE THAN ONCE AND FINALLY THEY JUST GAVE SPAM AND BREAD TO EVERYONE AND WE DID THE BEST WE COULD.
THEY SHIPPED UP THOSE HALF ROUND METAL HUTS AND THE WIND WOULD JUST BLOW THE METAL OFF ALMOST AS FAST AS WE PUT THEM UP. FINALLY WE GOT NEISEN HUTS MADE OF MASONITE AND DUG THEM IN TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE WIND.