The Diary of Earle Field USMC WWII Radar Operator

Sept. 17, 1943- Ordered to Report for Induction at Ft. Pierce City Hall
Sept. 21, 1943- Enlisted in the Marine Corps in Orlando, FL.
Oct. 4, 1943- Arrived at Parris Island, S.C. For "Boot Camp". Muster Rolled: Ninth Recruit Battalion, Recruit Depot, Marine Barracks, Parris Island SC
Dec. 7, 1943- Started first furlough
Dec. 17, 1943- Arrived at New River, N.C. to go to school (Radar School for Radar Operator qualification [514-J: Radar Crewman, Operator])
January 1944- Muster Rolled: Company C, Signal Battalion, Training Center, Camp Lejeune, New River NC - 521 Stud Electronics Course. (Promoted to P.F.C.)
March 11, 1944- Finished school and transferred to Treasure Island, San Francisco, Calif.
March 18, 1944- Arrived in "Frisco" after crossing the states by train
March 26, 1944- Boarded U.S.S. Hercules for Pearl Harbor
March 31, 1944- Arrived in Pearl Harbor and went to Transient Center, I.A.C.
April 7, 1944- Detached to U.S. Army at Fort Kamehameka to instruct a class for two weeks. (Muster Roll: Provisional Signal Company, Service Battalion, Transient Center, V Amphibious Corps Remarks: [514])
May 30, 1944- Joined 16th AAA Bn. at Kawai, T.H. (Muster Roll: Heavy Antiaircraft Group, Sixteenth Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion Corps Artillery, V Amphibious Corps - Remarks: [CP]).
October 1944- Muster Rolled: Heavy Antiaircraft Group, 16th Antiaircraft Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific - Remarks: (CP)
December 21, 1944- Boarded U.S.S. Afoundria for unknown destination
December 22, 1944- Spent 2 1/2 days in Pearl Harbor waiting
Jan. 7, 1945- Stopped at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands for 3 days (Muster Rolled-Heavy Antiaircraft Group, 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific - Remarks: [CP] )
Jan. 11, 1945- Arrived at Tinian, Mariana Islands. Spent 2 months in preparation for the next operation. Had a few false conditions, an alert for a "Banzai" attack by Japs in hills on Tojo's birthday and an alert for paratrooper attack
March 13, 1945- Boarded LST 803 and laid over in Saipan Harbor until March 26
March 26, 1945- Left Saipan and were told we were to take part in the largest amphib. operation of the war at Okinawa Shima. Ran thru a heavy typhoon just at entrance to China Sea
April 1, 1945- Stopped over night at "Kerama Rhetto" and went thru the first air raid. 5 Jap planes went down in flames. Next morning went to Okinawa and waited until April 6 to go in. An air raid almost every night with 2 strings of bombs in our battery are, closest bomb 50ft
May 24, 1945- Largest air raid so far, 15 planes with 5 of these illuminated over head at the same time. Six went down and one suicided on the airstrip (Muster Rolled: April 1945 - Heavy Antiaircraft Group, 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific - Remarks: see footnote "A"
[Footnote A: April 1, at sea aboard LST #803; April 2 arrived at Kerama Retto; April 3, sailed therefrom and arrived at Okinawa; April 7, disembarked into island.])
June 29, 1945- In the wee hours of morning another string of bombs landed in the area, large ones. No casualties yet but all the tents look like pieces
July 4, 1945- Observed by 48 round salute (Muster Rolled: Heavy Antiaircraft Group, 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific - no remarks)
Aug. 5, 1945- First raid since June 29. So many planes on airstrip to let them come in
Oct. 22, 1945- Left Okinawa aboard APA 203 U.S.S. Meriwether for states (Muster Rolled: October 1945 - Heavy Antiaircraft Group, 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific - remarks: [CP])
Nov. 8, 1945- Arrived in San Diego, California
January 1946- Muster Rolled: Marine Detachment, Naval Air Station, Melbourne FL - Remarks: 514-4, jd in person.
Feb. 1, 1946- Honorably Discharged a Corporal at the Marine Detachment based at the Naval Air Station in Melbourne, FL