elsie item issue 67 - USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association

Letters to the EditorJohn,I enjoyed the article in the February Elsie Itemby Dennis Blocker about LCI 341 in NewGuinea’s Lae Landings on September 4, 1943.My father’s ship, LCI 226 was also there and theaction is mentioned in the March 27, 1944 LifeMagazine article that chronicles LCI 226 fromcommissioning to the landings at CapeGloucester, New Britain.For the record, there was one little error inthe article. It said that LCI 341 picked up theAustralian troops and left “the soft sands ofHollandia and began her perilous journey …destination,Lae, New Guinea.” Actually, Hollandia(current day Jayapura) is 700 miles further upthe north coast of New Guinea from Lae and wasstill in Japanese hands until April 22, 1944.The flotilla that LCI 226 was in left Cairns,Australia and arrived in Milne Bay at the southeasttip of New Guinea on August 25, 1943 andmade their home base there. In early Septemberthey came 200 miles up the coast of NewGuinea to pick up troops from the Australian 9thArmy at Buna to deliver 200 miles further up thecoast at Lae. The Australian 9th Army was partof the famed “Rats of Tobruk” who withstood the1941 siege in Libya, Africa by Germany’s AfrikaKorps led by Rommel. I believe the Australianshad marched 100 miles northeast across thatpart of New Guinea from Port Moresby on thesouth coast which was taken a year earlier inSeptember 1942.Ardie HuntLCI(L) 226Carson City, NVDear Mr. Cummer,I read with tremendous interest your article “USSLCI 502 at D-Day.” My father gave the issue of“The Elsie Item” to me when he finished it. In1944 my Dad was the captain of LCI 500 which,like you, took part in the invasion at Gold Beach.My Dad is almost 91 now and lives in a communityin Massachusetts. He is in excellenthealth, both mental and physical, despite theloss of my mother last year, his companion of 74years. I regularly question him about his experiencesin the Normandy Invasion because thesubject interests me.I am wondering if you have any memories ofmy Dad (Lt. Albert Ullman) or the 500 ? Perhapsone thing could jog your mind. My father appointeda black man as the bow gunner and in the segregatedNavy back then this assignment wasnotable. I have spoken to this man, PhillipBuchanan, at length on the phone and he is trulygrateful to Dad to this day. They met for the firsttime since the war at the dedication of the WW2Memorial in DC several years ago.Regards to you,Richard UllmanKate/Richard UllmanJohn,Thanks for sharing your story about the 502. Iwish I had the talent to put down on paper asyou did-about our LCI (g) escapades during thesix island hopping invasions in the Pacific.John, I was captivated by the photo of the LCIsin columns I looked in vain thru out the issue toget info about the photo. Can you provide anyinfo- what, where etc. Thank you for all thegreat work you are doing to keep the associationalive and kicking,Harold Radcliffe MOMM2/classLCI (G) 475Editor’s Note: Sorry! Dennis Blocker says hewas unable to get an identification on thatphoto. It was so good, though, we thought ithad to be used.7