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Chapter 12 MAGIC CARPET Now He’s Waiting for Me As Tate’s convoy steamed south on the morning of November 23, 1945, the crew hoped it was the last time they would transit the unfriendly waters of the Yellow Sea. As a reminder of what they were leaving behind, the ship went to general quarters after sighting floating mines. In a now routine manner, the gun crews ran to their battle stations. Shoes scurried across steel plate as bodies twisted and turned through hatches and around the boats and equipment that cluttered the decks. With an ease born of necessity, the ship’s forward 40-mm mounts went into action, sinking a mine with some “good straight shooting.” A short time later, the crew destroyed another mine that the ships forward of Tate had passed unseen. Later that afternoon, another floating object sent the ship to general quarters, but it turned out to be only a barnacle-encrusted box. During eight transits through the Yellow Sea, Tate and its accompanying ships destroyed approximately twenty mines. That evening, finally clear of the mine area, the belated Thanksgiving program began. Coming a day late, the celebration was worth the wait. A double quartet sang “Prayer of Thanksgiving,” “This Is My Country ,” and “When Day Is Done.” A community sing followed the performance, and there was much to be thankful for with the war over and everyone heading home, hopefully for Christmas.1 On November 25 the ship entered Okinawa’s Buckner Bay and began embarking navy and marine personnel for transportation to Seattle. To these warweary and homesick servicemen, Tate was the ship they often dreamed about. Of all the passengers the ship carried, this was its happiest load. The transportation of servicemen home to the United States was called Operation Magic Carpet, evoking the fabled storybook ride to a life lived happily ever after.2 Tate sailed independently on November 26 for what promised to be a cold trip across the North Pacific. With the AKA now officially one year old, a special edition of the Hot Tater celebrated the ship’s first anniversary. In one year 158 COMBAT LOADED the ship steamed more than sixty thousand miles, while transporting more than sixteen thousand tons of cargo. For all those on board since the commissioning in Charleston, it had been a very long year indeed.3 Out of sight of land for more than two weeks, the ship headed steadily homeward at fifteen knots. No longer on board were two of the ship’s three pets: a parrot and Josephine the monkey. Both animals had been a source of much amusement, as well as aggravation. The squawking parrot often turned up in officer’s country at night, where its vocalizations kept the officers awake. Moving the offending bird to the enlisted spaces only invited its return to the officers’ spaces. The saga of the tropical bird ended in the chief ’s mess. After it perched in front of a ventilation fan, the chiefs joked that the parrot would soon misjudge the fan and meet its end. The remarks were prophetic, as soon afterward a grotesque noise and a cloud of brightly colored feathers interrupted their breakfast.4 Josephine’s fate was less accidental. The female monkey seemed inclined to antagonize everyone, including the ship’s dog, Penny. The two animals often slept together under the gun deck of the forward 40-mm. The monkey would pet and groom the dog for hours before pulling her tail or biting her ear. Then it was off to the races, as the barking dog chased the monkey across the deck. When the marines were on board, they had a monkey of their own, Pablo, a male. The results were predictable, and the anticipated blessed event between the two animals was the source of great humor.5 Josephine’s bad habits included frequent biting and climbing the masts to defecate in her hand, then throwing it at anyone who happened to be below her. Since the officers were often the brunt of these attacks, the crew put up with her indiscretions. Josephine’s habit of stealing items such as cigarettes and keys and throwing them over the side went too far when she tossed one of the cook’s shoes overboard. Knowing the monkey’s habits, the cook rubbed grease on a rail on the main deck, where she liked to perch. The next time Josephine jumped to...

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