“Cactus,” Guadalcanal

Slept and swam most of the day. Good evening meal for a change. The first decent meal we’ve had since we came here. Test-hopped my  plane in the afternoon.

“Charley” and one of his friends were over last night. Searchlights caught one and our AA gave him hell. We dodged in and out of our bombproof tunnel depending on the bombs and shrapnel. Finally got some sleep.

“Charley” seems to run on an “every-other-night” schedule, same as we do (with the Army filling in on the alternating gaps). The trouble is, our night to rest, is Charley’s night to raid; so we don’t come out too well on the sleep deal, as it is very difficult to sleep in the daytime due to the insufferable heat in the tents.

Sometimes “Charley” raids Tulagi and the warships parked over there go mad and send up streams of tracers. It looks like a Fourth of July celebration. We all stand on our ridge and enjoy the show.