So on the 15th of July we set sail from Boston, and the log book takes up the tale from here.
Falmouth, Massachusetts
May 1988
THE LOG
Tuesday - 15 July 1947 - At Sea - 1st Day out of Boston
Well, we got off! Not without a struggle, but we got away from the dock. None of the BT wire from the Bureau of Ships had arrived. We have on hand a 1200 foot roll of stainless steel wire on the winch, one 1200 foot roll of stainless steel wire from the Boston Navy Yard, another of the same from Woods Hole, and one 1800 foot roll of galvanized wire. We also have 7 BTs. Just before we sailed, I got word that the Whitewood (one of the ships in our Task Force) got 8 reels of wire from BuShips plus 4 BT's so we should be able to pick up some of those.
But enough of this. For the first time in years and years I was really terribly homesick. Betty came to the Navy Yard with Mickey to see me off. Poor little Mickey. He didn't understand much of what was going on, but he knew I was leaving after being home for only a few weeks, and he was so unhappy about it. I felt exactly as I did about 20 years ago when my parents drove me up to Camp Sloan in western Connecticut and left me. How I hated to see them go!!
Mickey is so cute, and I'll miss him so much. I hope he will still recognize me when I get home. It was wonderful of you to come to see me off, Betty dearest. I love you so much. I have to wonder why I keep running off on these trips. I suppose you wonder about that, too.
I felt worse about it this time than I ever have before. Does that mean that the day will come when I'll no longer want to go off to sea? Or will I simply get used to it?
