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a.k.a.  Taragona and Maragona


TARRAGONA, Leyte Is.
 

"Sighted the mts of Leyte, and will be in the harbor, lowering our boats away in 1 hour. Sporadic air alerts were experienced since dawn, but no direct attack on our convoy."  -  2d Bn Journal, 18 November, 1945.

The first LCVP touched beach about 10 miles south of DULAG, at TARRAGONA. The weather is perfect, but this is the wet season and may not last long. The situation is not too bright. The Japs still have about 50,000 troops and are reinforcing from nearby islands. The first camp is established right on the beach, which is lined for miles with a coconut grove 400 yards deep. Behind the grove is swamp, all the way to DULAG. 

From arrival through to 10 December, all personnel do regular camp duties, and stage for the next mission.  In off hours they enjoy the dandy beach by swimming and playing ball on the sands, and some movies are run in the evenings. Many Nippon planes are shot down from the skies overhead, so foxholes are dug beside each man's bed.  "Each night resembles Coney Island on the 4th of July."

Because of the dearth of airfields capable of staging an air-mission, the 503d prepare, as part of a task force aggregating 15,000 men,  for its first beach landing. 

 

 

 

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