RECOLLECTIONS

James Henry Bishop 1989

“Discretion is the better part of valor.”

During our early days in the southwest Pacific, I recall at night lying to in the water as enemy planes passed by. This was done to prevent creating a wake for the enemy to spot. We were on fire station and on call to protect our troops ashore who were fighting desperate battles and we did not need to be taking on extra curricular activities.

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“It’s unloaded “

After the Admiralty Islands invasion, I believe we were in Buna, New Guinea at anchor. James Murphy GM2c had the gangway watch and his relief came to relieve him, he pulled his .45 cal. pistol from the holster, removing the ammo clip while pulling the slide back and pulling the trigger. He shot himself in the leg!

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“Close but no brass ring.”

I believe it was during our Biak days, one afternoon we were just getting ready to change the watch, a lookout was just turning to hand his binoculars to his relief when he saw a Jap Betty coming in fast and low over the water heading directly for the Swanson. We started firing at him and it was enough to make him turn away. We failed to shoot him down, but a P-38 shot him down just out of our range.