The softening up of Guam for troops to land had begun. To make it easier for the American troops to land on the island preparations had to be made. First, Underwater demolition teams would dive to disable or destroy any mines or fortifications the enemy had set up. Like the other invasions, air and sea strikes were going on around the clock. We were performing lifeguard duty to pick up any downed pilots. One of our Navy fighter pilots called Hellcats went down in a bay area on the north side of the island. There were some docks with one Enemy ship tied up near the middle of the bay. We went in close and shot it up with twenty and forty caliber guns. As soon as it sank we picked up the downed pilot from a raft in the middle of the bay.

     This operation had seemed to easy. We had encountered very little enemy resistance. Every one was bragging about how those Japanese were afraid to even shoot at us when all hell broke loose. Shore batteries on both sides of the bay started firing with everything they had. We were running at full speed in a zig-zag pattern. The shells were coming closer all the time. They had our range for sure. The captain started timing the salvos1. Each time the shells would fall they would only be a few feet behind the ship. We decided that the old man was not so dumb after all.

     Our combat skills had improved until we had started to get a little too cocky. This could have been very dangerous. We conducted more strikes on Palau and Yap for the next week or so. Due to some trouble in the engine room and radar equipment it was necessary for us to return to Eniwetok.

     For most of the month of August we were in a floating dry dock being repaired. The dry dock time was usually at night. We would hang over the side of the ship scraping and painting the hull. There would be recreation parties on the beach with plenty of beer, air raid alerts, some rest and sometimes even a movie on the fan tail.

     We had a change of commanding officers on August 28th, 1944. Captain George K. Carmichael relieved Captain Miller. Miller assumed duty as our division commander. The fleet was getting ready for another big operation.

     We rejoined the carriers late in August. This time we were getting ready to take Palau. As always we were the first to shoot up the beach area. The Japanese had look out towers on the island which they had seized from the natives. Our ships got close enough to shoot the towers with twenty millimeter guns. The Japanese came flying out of these towers like squirrels jumping from trees. This may sound sick to any one that has never been in combat. A military man is trained to kill, they same as a football player is trained to play.