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the Miraflores locks, in two steps, to the Pacific sea level. Finally, we passed through the Pacific sea level dredged section for about 8.5 miles to Balboa Harbor in the Bay of Panama. It took about eight hours to travel the approximately forty seven mile canal. The Panama Canal was well protected by heavy concentrations of what appeared to be anti-aircraft guns. Soldiers patrolled along the locks while aircraft patrolled the skys. The entire canal trip was fascinating, in that, none of us had previously gone through the Panama Canal.
As the trip through the canal progressed, I tried to suppress my rational thinking and let my imagination take over. I tried to visualize this being a pleasure cruise rather than a military endeavor. The tropical environment along our route was very picturesque. The strange languages overheard, the beautiful cocoanut and banana trees, and other tropical foliage appearing along the canal and lakes made this a rare and rewarding experience. It seemed that as we approached each new segment of the canal, more strange and pleasant adventures awaited us. For instance, the many small islands within the Gatun Lake were like scenes from a travel guide. Now back to the real world and the long voyage ahead of us.
Eating arrangements on ooard were very complicated. Lines would form early each morning for a very meager breakfast. After breakfast, we would rush back to our cramped areas, take care of essentials, then get back in line for lunch. Lunches consisted, during most of the trip, of a drink, cookies, and maybe a fresh or dried fruit. However, we did get some leisure time to relax before lining up for supper each day. This routine continued during the entire trip.
A couple days out from the Panama Canal, we received word that we were headed for New Guinea. New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, is located about 100 miles from Australia. It is covered by dense jungle and most inhabitants were very primitive. Some of the island tribes practiced cannibal ism.
During a briefing on New Guinea, each of us received an orientation pamphlet of the island, customs of its people, and the language (Pidgin English) spoken there. "Pidgin English" was the second language enabling them to communicate, in a limited way, with English-speaking people.
Life on board ship soon became routine. There were limited resources available to keep us occupied. Few books were obtainable and various games such as boxing, card playing, contests, etc., made life less boring. Another frequent
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