X. REPORTING BACK IN
Having been home in Virginia with my parents for a few days and having seen almost everyone, I took another train ride to Tampa, Florida to see my "True Love", Rose, and friends at the plant where I had worked. I returned home to spend the remainder of my leave with my family and finally reported to the Navy Yard at Washington D. C. on 8-9-45.
Within a few days I became ill with pneumonia and was sent to the sick bay (hospital). While still there I heard the news that the Japanese had surrendered (8-15-45). After getting back on my feet I was shipped by train to Camp Endicott at Davisville, R.I., and arrived there the next morning, 8-27-45.
This camp was one huge place, and at that time it was being used mostly as a make-up area for units assigned to a second round of duty. I was moved around - from one place to another but finally placed with a group of men forming a company of about 125, and on 9-4-45 scheduled to leave by train for the west coast for overseas duty again.
On the very same day we were to leave someone discovered that ten of us, including me, had not had our required physical examinations. I was placed in charge of this group to take them "top side" on the double, to have this performed and return to the train station with our gear.
I was unable to convince any of several doctors to rush us through; I had no other recourse but to go to the base commander's office (Captain someone) with my problem. Things really began to happen fast; in less than two hours we had our physicals and were at the train station ready to go.
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