World War II Service and Diary of John R. McKnight - Ex Rd M 3c USN
By March 28th Jack was back aboard the Essex, and on April 16th the carrier left San Francisco for Hawaii. He began keeping a diary of action involving the ship and the task force. New crew- members came aboard joining the V-3-R division. Ray Atwell, Richard Nichols, Bob Douglas, Marty Lawlor, Red Schmidchen, Joe Smith, Frank O'Conner were just a few. Jack and his mates had a number of liberties in Pearl Harbor as the Essex went through training exercises with its new air group, V-15.

On May 3rd the Essex left Pearl on a voyage that would last until September of 1945. CV 9 and her crew were about to become part of a massive Allied offensive against the Japanese. Hawaii would be reduced to a memory over the next 18 months as the task force moved across the Central Pacific.
       
U.S. Navy Recreation Camp, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Jack "Weary" McKnight - April 1944
Dates
Diary EntriesNotes
Diary Footnotes
April 16 Left Frisco1 1. Returned from a two week leave in
    Pittsburgh.
April 20 Arrived P.H. (Pearl Harbor) * Ford Island - Pier F-10
April 24 Left Pearl for purpose of training new air group (15)1 and gunnery practice. Will be out till April 28. 1. Air Group 15
April 24 Two DDs1 ran together - one didn't get T.B.S.2 1. DD - Destroyers
2. T.B.S.- "talk between ships"
April 28 Returned to Pearl * Left for Majuro Atoll, Marshall Isalnds.
  (20-10 N 158-09 W)

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