Pearl Harbor

My day off – one in three (plus one day of squadron work and one day of flying – a very agreeable set up).

Made my first trip into Honolulu. Bought myself TWO very snappy swimming trunks — one of silk, and the other of imported Javanese batik. Wondered around from shoe store to shoe store until I finally found one with a pair of size 13AA white shoes. Having located those, I THEN started on a set of whites.

Went out to see Richard Smart, whom Dell Daves so highly recommended. (Dell failed to mention me in his latest letter — damn.) He was most pleasant. His house is truly fascinating. Built on filled in swamp land, it has a creek running through it (even an island) complete with Japanese type bridges. They get fish and excellent crabs from the pond. The house is one story and of the style one would label Japo-American, (silk-covered screens, separate rooms etc.) Very beautiful and excellently suited to the climate (also California — note). Met his wife and also a Mrs. Ward — very interesting older woman.

They told me much of the islands. Smart’s grandmother was a princess or something in the former Kings Court. His grandfather was an early settler out here who was granted a superb chunk of ranch land on the island of Hawaii by the king (it lies just north of the volcano Mauna Kea which is on their property).

They seem to think that the Japs will make another try at the islands. The Japanese government has pushed settlers into Hilo until they have driven out the whites and practically taken over the town. The Japanese naval training ships used to call at Hilo on every cruise and collect money and food from the islanders, to help continue the war in China.

The first month here after the raid on December 7, was pretty grim with the danger of a serious food shortage. They’re still very short on meat, butter, and eggs. Seems funny that Smart, while owning the largest cattle ranch in the islands, was unable to get any meat while only a few hundred miles away.

His wife and children are waiting now for a trip back to the states. Incidentally, his older little boy is one of the world’s most beautiful children. Hope he doesn’t turn out to be a spoiled brat.