September 30, 1945

30- _____ Today is sunday _ we had mass in after messing space this morning. After mass we had chow & this after noon we went on a sight seeing tore of the city of Sacabo. The people here seem very friendly _ all but the girls are but not the men.
________

Sacabo = Sasebo

Photo shows a Sasebo family.

September 29, 1945

29th _____ Today we were still in Sasabo Harbor. This morning we had a sight seeing party. I was on it. We road around the harbor on a L.C.V.P. to land at the sights. we got over by the carriers. they are still in Jap hands but have no guns on them. One is completed but the other two are still building.
_____ This after noon they decided to give us liberty so half of the 1st & 4th sections went off. I had the watch & well probable get it tomorrow. We had to wear whites.
211 days out of state
____________
L.C.V.P. = Vehicle & Personnel Landing Craft—the kind that looks like a big shoebox with one end that can be lowered to make a ramp.

Photo shows sightseeing tour of Sasebo harbor. Impossible to tell for sure if Joe was in the photo, but he might be the one with the dark cap, center, bottom.

September 28, 1945

28- _____ We pass Nagasaki this morning _ reach S_____ at 11.00 & went into harbor _ we drope anchor at 1200. USS Wich & USS Sa Fey is also here. I really dont know how long well be here. There also three Jap carriers & a few Jap DD & some DE. also subs and other small craft of the Jap fleet. These are the only carriers they have left. We were tied up to buoys.
___________

S = Sasebo

Sa Fey = Santa Fe

Wich = USS Wichita. The photo shows the 5 Horton brothers who served on the Wichita together in 1941. The Navy supposedly had a policy of separating siblings, but it was ignored at least twice, with the Hortons and, most notably, with the 5 Sullivan brothers, all of whom went down with the USS Juneau in 1942. Since the Sullivans, the Navy has been more strict about following the policy so whole families won't be wiped out.

September 27, 1945

27 _____ Ship got underway at 600 for S_____ _ expect to get there tomorrow at around 1200. We took on US Mail also mail for Sa Fey. Cond. III section II had first watch 4 to 6 this morning.
________

an = announcement

S = Sasebo, Japan

Sa Fey = USS Santa Fe, the Moe's third "sister ship." She was also the flagship of Rear Admiral Morton L. Deyo who was in Sasebo to accept the surrender of the naval base there. The photo shows the the surrender papers being signed aboard the Santa Fe on September 21.

September 26, 1945

26 _____ Made a special an that the ship would get underway at 1800 but later changed it to tomorrow at 600. Movies in Mess hall.
________

an = announcement

Photo of Mobile from above.

September 25, 1945

25- _____ Were still in Buckner Bay _ dont know when were going out.
_______

Photo shows one of the few political cartoons of the day that showed the Hiroshima bombing in a negative way.

September 24, 1945

24- _____ Nothing of importan happen _ only the ships of the so called 3rd fleet left here for the states. that is the
USS Alabama
USS Indiana
USS Wis
USS Miss
_________

Wis = Wisconsin
Miss = Mississippi

Photo shows the USS Indiana followed by another battleship and 2 cruisers.

Probably the largest ships were sent back to the states because they could hold the most soldiers going home. The smaller ships like the Mobile were left to ferry soldiers and ex-POWs back and forth to Okinawa. This whole operation off getting the soldiers home was dubbed Operation Magic Carpet.