A hundred miles to the East of Taiwan. The water was so still that morning that the Captain gave everyone an hour or so to swim in the ocean.

Sailors and Marines lining up in the well deck ready to jump in the water. To the left is the hull of the ship and to the right is the LCU on which I am standing. When we launch the LCU, the ship lowers and the well deck fills with 8 feet of water.


Corpsman Wall (my hygienist) and Allen looking at the open ocean from inside the well-deck as the stern gate opens.

