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pg. 9

The next day were sent to the Army Airways Communications Service (hereafter referred to as AACS) area a Mokoleia for so-called battle training. We were told that it would be rough. E envisioned P.T., cross-country, and all the rest of the junk that went with it.

Jan. 8th. we arrived at Mokoleia, all tents. It was a pleasent change from Hickam Field, which seemed all "chicken" to me. At Mokoleia you wore anything you wanted. It was at the other end of the island from Hickam Field and in ensuing drive across the island in an open truck. The immense military preparations staggered the imagination! It would be unwise to set down in detail what I saw; that must await the end of the war.

The roads were good and we fairly flew. Except for the soldiers and sailors most of the population looked, to my untrained eye, what I imagined most Japanese to look like. (It still is difficult for me to tell the difference between Orientals). I learned that the greater part of the population was of mixed bloods - that a pure blooded Hawaiian was as rare as a pure blooded American Indian. On the ride between Mokoleia and Hicham Field we passed miles upon miles of sugar cane fields, papaya and pineapple orchards. A narrow guage [sic] railway elicited many comments from the fellows. (When at Hickam we turned in all our winter equipment so when we arrived at Mokoleia we had almost nothing left in the line of clothes.)