In mid October, 1944 , we
once again loaded up some LSTs and headed for the P.I. About 3 days later
we landed on Leyte beach and there we sat for 6 weeks spinning our
wheels. There were no air strips available for out Aircraft. During
that time we sat out a typhoon with 90 mph winds that flattened every tent in
the area - except ours and 3 others, which had been framed. We sweated
out a jap paratroop landing on an airstrip a mile inland from our camp.
Nobody got any sleep that night, but the Infantry made short work of them come
daylight. I spent about a week in the hospital with my second bout of
Dengue Fever, and shed another 15 lbs. For Christmas dinner we had canned
turkey. Oh yes, during those 6 weeks we got our first issue of
BEER. I guess after 3 years they figured we had earned a free
beer.
Jack Heyn
