I happened to be on radio watch when two important messages came over the airwaves.
The first message, on April 15, 1945, announced the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The crew was in shock as we had not known anything about his deteriorating physical condition.
The second message, on May 8, 1945, announced the end of the war in Europe. The news brought lots of cheers from the crew, with dancing and jumping around the decks. We would soon be homeward bound, we thought. No way!! Our ship was assigned a weather-watch station halfway between Iceland and Greenland, and there we stayed until mid-November.
Back in Washington, D. C., the armed forces were putting together a POINT ELIGIBILITY SYSTEM for honorably discharged personnel. Your points included months of service, months on overseas duty, points for children you had under the age of 18, and points for commendations. I was eligible for discharge while on board ship, but getting to Norfolk was too long a swim!
I mid-November, the ship headed for Norfolk at FLANK SPEED. It was time to go home!
On December 20th, I entrained for home. I would be home for my first Christmas since 1941.
On December 26th, I reported to the Coast Guard District Office in Philadelphia to receive my discharge papers. I was "invited" to consider re-enlistment, but I said, "no thanks" and headed home as a civilian. Wow!
More, later.
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