WESTERN PACIFIC 



me do the talking but to be sure to come up to see us after- 

 wards and ask all the questions they wanted. She would con- 

 clude by saying that the only questions she couldn't answer 

 was when they were to go home— which always produced a 

 laugh. She was requested not to wear a uniform, the idea 

 being that the men preferred to see a girl in civilian dress. 

 While I talked and explained the pictures she would go down 

 and sit with the audience. 



One of the favorite questions, of course, was where was 

 the best fishing in the United States. If by any chance you 

 mentioned a man's home state in answering that one you can 

 imagine the excitement it produced. 



The Army, Navy and Air Force provided wonderfully 

 equipped stages and theatres for the men, the majority being 

 in the open. The personnel of the different bases arrived at 

 the theatre about an hour before the show began and would 

 even sit through a rain, so anxious were they to see any form 

 of entertainment. 



I have experienced many a thrill in catching fish but I 

 never got a kick out of fishing comparable to that I felt when 

 standing in front of these thousands of soldiers and sailors and 

 watching their excited reactions to the pictured thrills of the 

 sport. It took about an hour and a quarter to show the pictures 

 but they would gladly have sat there indefinitely had the show 

 gone on— and on. Imagine, if you can, looking out over 

 those eager faces streaming sweat in the humid night of the 

 islands— men seated on benches, quietly absorbed in the show 

 and— far away— bhnding flashes in the sky as Japanese powder 

 and ammunition dumps were blown up with a muffled roar 

 and burned luridly. 



189 



