Shellback

I am a Shellback and have been initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of †he Ancient Order of the Deep. Here is my card to prove it. After a boisterous and tumultuous initiation ceremony I received the above certificate. On August 21, 1944 (I was just 19.) my troopship, Sumter, crossed the equator. I was with the 81st US Army Infantry Division. (the Wildcat Division) We were on our way to the Palau Islands. The Palau Islands were a stepping stone between New Guinea  and the Philippine Islands. Peleliu Island was one of the Palau Islands.

I remember quite well one of the initiation ceremonies. It was to kiss the belly button of the Royal Baby. The sailor on the ship with the biggest belly had grease on his belly and lipstick around his belly button. I  preferred the paddle tunnel and being shot with a water cannon.