~ Midway Island ~

Following is the email I received from Jim Vause that accompanied the photo:


I am sending you or forwarding you a picture that I just received here at almost midnight, Thursday night.....just received from Don Heyer, Radioman Second Class, USS Blue-DD744 About October, 1951 to about December 52. ..........my best friend from the Blue crew........................ He took the picture so I guess you do not have it.............It probably is going to be one of the best pictures of your dad in the Navy that you will see.............he really looks great and exactly as I remember him.................See, I told you we all knew we were bullet proof and handsome......Alright, the background to this picture is that we were given what we call a shore party...............the Captain let a certain percentage of the men off watch and off duty go ashore at Midway Island......this was on our 2nd nine months tour to Korea............we had travelled about 2600 miles from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor; then we stayed there for 3 days getting supplies taken aboard and refueled. We got to go on liberty those 3 days. Then we took off for Japan, but had to stop 1500 miles away from Pearl and refuel again at Midway Island.................So a certain number of men off duty go to go ashore at Midway and have what in plain language was a Beer Party............they also got to go to the Geedunk......which is a sort of fast food and ice cream parlor............but it is usually outside in an open air setting......also the men might have played some softball games or some other activities...............but the main activity was to see how much beer you could drink, because it was going to be a long voyage to Japan........about 4,000 miles.....................so , I can see that the guy in the middle, a Radioman and friend of mine is pretty well or near gone............he was always a hog for beer......but your father seems to be quite alert and probably didn't drink much or doesn' show it..................................but this is a great picture and I hope you enjoy it.......I am going to print it and put it in my war album.......thanks, Jim Vause.....Sweetwater, Texas.