THE FOOTNOTES

July 28, 1944__Our minesweeper was in Pearl Harbor enroute to the 

South Pacific. This was the day to be in Pearl.  President Roosevelt  was arriving on the USS Baltimore to meet with the  Supreme Commander of our forces in the Pacific region, General Douglas MacArthur.

  I didn’t want to miss opportunity.   I was in a hurry to get a good vantage point dockside, and neglected to put on my socks. I guess Technically, I was out of uniform although it was not likely that anyone would detect that.  I got a spot in the front row where I. Would have a good look at our leaders.  I was afraid  my lack of socks would get me hauled off to federal prison, but Shore Patrol, navy police,  were more concerned about Roosevelt and MacArthur than Bob Noonan and his missing. Socks.

   The Baltimore docked right in front of me, and we waited.  MacArthur arrived and in his usual dramatic presence he went on board.  He saluted the colors of the ship, flipping a  snappy salute.  

   Apparently, he went to greet the President, I guess,  and was out of sight for a while.  We waited, and finally he and Roosevelt appeared at the gangway.  Roosevelt was in a wheel chair, and his looks suggested  he was very old and not healthy.  The pair came down the gangway and departed by automobile to wherever their conference would be held.  

  History later revealed that they made plans to invade the Phillipines, thus fulfilling MacArthur’s promise when he fled that place,”I shall return.”

   A most,memorable experience for me as you might suspect, to have been there that day.

  Later, we departed for the Southwestern Pacific area and to finally take part in the invasion which did return MacArthur to the Phillipines.