An Old Sailor's Memories

Earl Johnson - 1945
"Once Upon A Time - Long Long Ago"
USS LSM 134

This photo was taken July 11,1944 while we were en route to the Philippines for the invasion of Leyte Island on October 20th, 1944. LSM-134 was the first LSM to suffer casualties from shore based fire in WWII. On October 21, 1944, while beached on Leyte the ship came under fire from a Japanese fortification on Catmon Hill. A 75 mm shell exploded into the conn resulting in 7 casualties including the Captain.


I have all rosters, ships log, casualty lists and other pertinent information covering 1944-1945 action in the Pacific theatre. Included in the record is all action at Okinawa. I would be glad to share this information with the web site or any other interested person. I have the names of all on board at the time this picture was taken. I was the Quartermaster on Lsm-134 from commissioning until the ship returned to the states in December, 1945.

Thank you, Earl Johnson - USS LSM 134


ITINERARY FOR USS LSM 134

BUILT BY CHARLESTON NAVY YARD
KEEL LAID 14 MAR 44
LAUNCHED 23 APR 44
COMMISSIONED LITTLE CREEK, VA 31 MAY 44

NORFOLK                                                                                     11 JUL 44
KEY WEST                                                                                     14 JUL 44
CANAL ZONE                                                                                25 JUL 44
SAN DIEGO                                                                                    6 AUG 44
PEARL HARBOR                                                                            6 SEP 44
ENIWETOK                                                                                    25 SEP 44
ADMIRALTY ISLANDS                                                                4 OCT 44
PHILIPPINES                                                                                19 OCT 44
NEW GUINEA                                                                                 4 NOV 44
NEW BRITAIN                                                                             27 NOV 44
NEW GUINEA                                                                                  7 FEB 45
PHILIPPINES                                                                                  17 FEB 45
KERAMA RETTO                                                                        31 MAR 45
OKINAWA                                                                                       15 APR 45
IE SHIMA                                                                                        18 APR 45
PHILIPPINES                                                                                  22 JUN 45
IE SHIMA                                                                                         5 AUG 45
OKINAWA                                                                                        8 AUG 45
PHILIPPINES                                                                                 18 AUG 45
YOKOHAMA                                                                                   12 SEP 45
PHILIPPINES                                                                                  22 SEP 45
PEARL HARBOR                                                                         25 NOV 45
SAN DIEGO                                                                                     7 DEC 45
MANZANILLO                                                                                2 JAN 46
ACAPULCO                                                                                    20 JAN 46
CANAL ZONE                                                                                  4 FEB 46
GALVESTON                                                                                 26 FEB 46
BEAUMONT                                                                                 18 APR 46

DECOMMISSIONED                                                                  19 APR 46



LSM-134 flanked by LSM-220 and LSM-24 off her starboard side and LSM-15 off her port side, on the invasion beaches at Okinawa - 1945.

US Navy photo

Scottish Soldier - Midi

Strangers in the Box

Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, serene.

I wish I knew the people,
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories
Are lost among my socks.

I wonder what their lives were like.
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.

If only someone had taken time
To tell who, what, where, when,
These faces of my heritage
Would come to life again.

Could this become the fate
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories
Someday to be tossed away?

Make time to save your pictures,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours could be
The strangers in the box.

~ Pamela A. Harazim

Somewhere In Time & Strangers In The Box
Roger Williams
Theme From The Movie - "Somewhere In Time"