Roland W. Wilson

March 11, 1943

ROLAND W. WILSON, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Wilson who live out on the Haw Creek Road, has donned the Navy blue of a sailor and is now in boot training at Great Lakes, Illinois (Chicago).

February 10, 1944

Received a letter this week from ROLAND WILSON of Bunnell who has been in the Navy a year this month. He is stationed in Texas and assigned to Navy transportation and has "enjoyed seeing a lot of the country through this department of the service."

April 20, 1944

We received a letter, too, from ROLAND WILSON, saying he had been transferred from Texas to Clinton, Okla., where he had formerly spent six months. He is now attending a recognition school and when he completes the course he expects to be assigned to sea duty.

August 31, 1944

Also a letter from S/1C ROLAND W. WILSON, stationed at Clinton, Oklahoma, giving us a slight, change of address. Roland said it had been really hot out there, "with the temperature over a hundred almost every day. Give my regards to everybody."

September 14, 1944

And a nice letter from Seaman First Class ROLAND WILSON. He said: "Received The Tribune yesterday and, as always, enjoyed it very much as well as all the fellows in my department do.

I noticed that my cousin, Arthur Wilson, was home on furlough. This was the first time I had heard anything of him since the year 1942, when I left Bunnell.

The weather here (Clinton, Okla.) has cooled off a lot and the mornings and nights are quite cold, but the climate is so changeable that one can never tell what it will be like.

Things are pretty much the same on this base, although we do have USO camp shows here every two weeks now and that is something. We had a show two weeks ago - "The Future Stars of Hollywood" - which was very good.

Thanks a lot for changing the address on my Tribune. Hope this finds you and family well and everything going best possible. My regards to everybody."

Roland also said in his letter that he hopes to be able to transfer to submarine duty after a bit more schooling.

December 14, 1944

Also a nice card from ROLAND WILSON, at the U. S. Naval air station at Clinton, Okla.

December 21, 1944

From Seaman First Class ROLAND WILSON at Clinton, Okla. He writes:

"Have been receiving The Tribune every week and as always enjoy it very much; there's nothing like it.

I have been transferred again. Really like the new duty as we get three days off for Christmas and two days liberty a week. We are on duty, however, at all times when not on liberty-day and night.

I was very sorry to hear about the death of Howard Bankston.

Was expecting a leave for Christmas but just found out a few days ago that it had been rejected, so I suppose this will be the third year I spend Christmas away from Bunnell and the folks.

Most of the men who came aboard this base with me have shipped out, due to the two-year interchange between fleet and shore stations. I expect to get my new address the first of 45, and am really anxious to get out of this place.

The weather here is cold and everyone is expecting White Christmas.

So Wilfred Hunter is taking Boots in Great Lake. I can understand how he feels the cold up there. I took boot training there in February and more than once I wished I was in Florida.

Best wishes to you and family for Christmas and regards to all the Bunnell folks."

February 22, 1945

Seaman ROLAND W. WILSON, with the Navy at Clinton, Okla., is here on leave, visiting his mother, brothers and friends.

May 3, 1945

Several interesting letters this week: First, from S/lc ROLAND WILSON, who writes:

"Here I am at last. I should have written before but I was jumping around so much I would have an address for only a few weeks and then be transferred. But I now have an address and it looks like it will be for a long time.

I am now aboard ship and consider myself lucky as it is what I wanted. I have not received The Tribune since I left Oklahoma and, needless to say, I've missed it a lot. It should have been transferred to my new address from Clinton but I guess that takes time.

I would like to tell you where I am and what I am doing but security seems to be the ‘order of the day’ around here.

Well I suppose this is about all for now and will close hoping you and family are well. and I will be on the lookout for The Tribune. My new address is below."

September 20, 1945

U. S. Wasp, Sept. 8, 1945. "It's been a long time since I last wrote but the censorship rules were so strict on this ship that there was really nothing to write about.

I did not receive a Tribune for three months and then one day not long ago I received a pile of them dated all the way from April to August. I read Tribunes from "secure" that night until the lights went out and then started all over again in the morning.

Well I've really covered some water since April. I went aboard the Wasp April 27 while in dry dock at Seattle, Wash., where she was undergoing repairs for battle damage which she received as a result of an enemy bomb hit.

I sailed from Seattle to San Francisco, from Frisco to Pearl Harbor, staying there only long enough to take on supplies and re-arm the ship. We sailed from Pearl Harbor to somewhere off the Jap coast where we joined Task Force 28 - Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet. On the way out to join the Fleet we spent one day bombing Wake Island where the Japs had rebuilt a radio station and officers' barracks.

In the Fleet the Wasp operated all up and down the Jap coast. One day we would bomb a railroad center, then a naval base and then shipping. We tried to get a crack at the city of Tokyo several times but due to the heavy weather we had to settle for shipping in the Tokyo bay area.

However the B-29's more than made up for what we missed. The B-29's could stay up high and still hit the target where the little carrier-based dive bombers have to go in low to get accurate hits.

It was while striking off Tokyo that I saw my first kamikaze attack. We were caught wide open due to clever Jap strategy. Five bombers attacked a destroyer in the task force, and while the attention was centered on the ships engaged in shooting down the bombers a kamikaze of the "chace" type started his dive over the Wasp at 7000 feet. I thought he was going to get us for sure. His left wing was aflame at 2000 to 3000 feet but he kept coming. When he was just above our island structure his right wing fell apart, causing him to veer sharply to the right, hitting hard on the starboard side. According to the ship's instruments he missed our stack by 15 feet.

I am a member of a fire fighting damage control party, therefore I had to stay on the flight deck. I got to stay on the flight deck all the time and therefore saw all that went on. Tonight, however, I am feeling good because we are headed for Pearl Harbor.

Also there was 18 feet of our flight deck torn off during the typhoon which the Third Fleet went through some time ago. Perhaps you heard about it. The first thing I am going to do in Pearl Harbor is buy me the biggest meal I can find.

Well, Mr. Fuller, this has been a long letter, for me, and I'll close for this time. Thanks much for The Tribune. Hope you and family are in good health and everything is going best possible.”

ROLAND WILSON

(Write again Roland. That is a swell letter. Hope that by this time you have had that big meal and a big time ashore in P. H.)

October 25, 1945

And here's from a guy while at sea, but now probably in Boston:

"This Side of Panama."
October 10, 1945.

Hello Mr. Fuller,

I have a little time to myself tonight so thought I would write you a bit. How's everything with you and yours? The very best possible, I hope.

Everything is going along pretty well for me. I left Hawaii on the 30 September for Panama and we are still on the Pacific side of the Canal, but expect to arrive there on the 14th. From Panama we will proceed to Boston for the "Navy Day Affair" on the 27th October.

They are really working me these days, doing just about everything and anything, but mostly shining the ship's "bright work" so she will be all slicked up by Navy Day. I don't know what the story on my discharge is except that I have 29.25 of the points necessary points to get out.

My address has been changed again. The FPO is now New York instead of San Francisco. The weather gets hotter as the ship gets closer to Panama. Suppose I’ll be kicking about the cold when I get to Boston.

Received several copies of The Tribune while in P. H., the latest being dated for the first week in September - which brought me fairly well up to date. I am still looking for a big mail call and I hope some day soon.
Tomorrow will be Memorial Day on the Wasp. It is held in memory of those who are on the "Honor Roll" and those "missing in action."

We have about a thousand passengers on the ship from Pacific bases who are to be discharged and in addition to the extra personnel we have a flight deck load of planes, plus a hangar deck load of cannon and guns which it was necessary to remove so that the ship could pass through the Canal. Everyone is plenty crowded but not complaining.

Well, Mr. Fuller, it's about time to ‘make lights’ so I had better hit my sack while I can still see to do it. Thanks again for The Tribune.

ROLAND WILSON, S/1c”

December 13, 1945

Also a Christmas card from ROLAND WILSON, seaman first class aboard the Wasp

December 27, 1945

We extend our thanks to, the following for their nice Christmas greetings: ROLAND WILSON, USS Wasp at Naples, Italy; Ralph Novak, USS Caratret, in the Pacific; Lee Drazba, with a USA unit in the Philippines; Wilfred Hunter, USS Furse, in the Atlantic.

Also a card from Dell Bradbury in California who did not state whether he is yet in the army or not, but who did say "I am coming to Florida soon."

From Cpl. Vera McCraney in Germany; Pfc. Carroll Leggett, then in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., in Ashburn General Hospital; and Coast Guardsman Russell Thompson at Atlantic City, N. J. Thanks a million for remembering us.

February 14, 1946

And a letter from ROLAND WILSON, attached to the USS Wasp. He said he expects to be discharged February 15.

At the time he wrote the letter he was in the States but said: "The Wasp operated as a troop transport for quite a while, making trips to Italy and England."