Bruce Muench muenchbooks@juno.com Kwaj veteran,
Navy Aviation Radioman. I trained in TBF Grumman
Avenger torpedo bomber. I was on the CVE Shipley Bay for a short time
before being based on Kwajalein beginning in Sept., 1945. This
year of 2003, I'm presently 76 years old. The pictures below were taken of me in 1945, when I was based on Kwaj
for nine months. The one is of me sitting on a destroyed Japanese coastal battery
and the other is me sitting on a jeep in front of a PBY, which at that time was being used
for search and rescue. In recent years I've written some memoirs of my Navy years,
including Kwaj. I'd like to hear from anyone who knows about the island and those
nearby from the years 1940 to 1950. I got to know some of the native islanders, but
can only remember one by name and he was Caleb. He taught me a few native words, but
the only ones I can remember are "Moj ledike".
I recently published my story about Kwajalein and my navy years in the
book, "SPAM Cans, Rice Balls and Pearls". It was published by TurnKey
Press, Austin, TX, Dec. 2002 and can be ordered through any of the
internet bookstores. There are a number of photos in it, so I think
W.W.II vets might enjoy it., especially anyone who served in the
Marshall/Gilbert area. Bruce Muench,
muenchbooks@juno.com, Roscoe, IL - Bruce Muench Books -
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Sonnet to
a Little Gold Star
or
We Have Gold Stars of our Own |
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I have had in a tin memento box in a drawer for 55 years
A small rectangular piece of red cloth with a
gold metal star The
ranking insignia of an enemy marine, it appears
Found it in 1945, on a coral atoll island
recently taken, once Japanese
It was among the bones and broken military
equipment Which we
watched buried by bulldozers with ease
Three thousand imperial marines stacked in
one mound under broken coral rock
But what of the souls of all these men
Men who would have preferred cremation, as is
the Buddhist custom
So their spirit could escape in the rising smoke to Heaven
And then some day to return home to loved
ones To the shrine
made for them near the doorway to welcome from home
Small matter now in history important matter
to a man's soul along
Bruce Muench 9/17/99
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