07-24-2004 Post By Henry Zeman.

Here's my color photo of PGM in the Pacific, (Ediror's note. It looks like PGM 24 is on the side).

In the fall of 1945, I was a pharmacist's mate aboard the PGM 23 and while we in port at Sasebo, Japan we received a number of whole turkeys to be used for Thanksgiving and Christmas that were stored in the ship's cooler.

On Thanksgiving we had a feast of turkey and all the trimings, punpkin pie, etc. Later, we left Japan with a trace of snow on the ground sometimes in mid December. While we were on our way home, it was assumed that we would celebrate Christmas on the high seas. Several days before Christmas the cook approached me telling me that our turkeys were getting a little "ripe" and he didn't want to cook them in this condition. I examined them and it was apparant that they did not look good. I talked to the captain and he told me that if I thought someone could get sick to give them the deep six. So with the cook handing me the turkeys, I tossed them overboard from the fantail giving sharks a royal feast. Myself, I felt like scrooge, spoiling the crews their Christmas dinner. In the end, we did have turkey that day, but it came from a can, of which we had plenty.
Henry F. Zeman Pharmicists Mate 1/c