McLEAN COUNTY HISTORY & GENEALOGY NEWS
By Euleen Rickard
The spring meeting of the membership was held at Smith house on Monday.. Virginia Davis and her daughter Beverly presented four books of the Adjutants General Reports of the WBS to the museum. Also Virginia gave a history of Calhoun and a history of Rumsey that she had written and compiled.
The last day for the exhibit “Military of all Wars” will be Monday, Jun 28th. The museum will be open from 1-3PM.
While working on the display we found a paper and some notes on Robert Nall’s journey home from the Pacific after World War II ended. The following is taken from his notes and the paper.
At 5:01 PM on November 1, 1945 the SS William H. Jackson with Captain Anson in charge left the dock at Naples, Italy, passed the Isle of Capri and sailed out onto the blue Mediterranean. The men were excited, they would be home in ten or twelve days.
They had not thought of events that could slow their progress.
First, it was necessary to stop on the Coast of North Africa to pick up ballast. Two stops were made, the first at Oran and then at Beni Saf. They stayed a day and a half at anchor in Oran where the only thing that happened were ladies with extended hands begging cigarettes. Finally on November 6 at 7AM they were allowed to leave for Beni Saf where they were to pick up ballast. Arriving there in the evening they found they could not load until the following morning. This stop brought a run on the PX as children willing to drive into the water for candy bars took most of the candy on board.
The delays were adding time to the homeward trip.
The loading at Beni Saf was accomplished by one o’clock the following afternoon November 7th and once again they were on their way, the 3800-mile trip home to the USA. They passed the Rock of Gibraltar, one week to the day, after leaving Naples.
Though the weather on the whole was not too bad many men became members of what was called the “Rail Huggers Club.” For many the atmospheric disturbances were too much.
As they neared the end Captain Anson spoke to the men: “The trip has been long, especially for you men who have been away from home for many months, but now the end it in sight. We extend best wishes, and hope that your future will be filled with success and happiness. Before you disembark and go to face your respective futures, perhaps it might be a good idea if we gave you a general idea of what to expect in the States.
You will encounter, on your first sally into the civilian world, a bewildering number of things that are unobtainable due either to rationing or to shortages brought on by the war that have not yet been overcome. Food in restaurants, while better than in foreign countries will not be as good as when you left. Some of your favorite foodstuffs will still be rationed, but you will be able to get the ration points to get them when available. Tires for automobiles will still be on the ration list but gasoline will not. Transportation will be exceedingly poor, especially on railroads.
The most important things to remember on being discharged is to be sure that you know all of your rights as a veteran. All rights to hospitalization and other benefits. Be especially sure that you have noted all service connected disabilities and illnesses. While it may mean nothing now, it may be very important some day in the future.”
The men arrived at Newport News, Virginia at 1PM, November 22 and disembarked at 7AM on the morning of November 24,1945, twenty-four days after boarding ship in Naples, ending their long journey home from war.
The military display at the museum has remembrances of all the wars in which men of the county have participated. Our thanks to all that gave or loaned things for the display.