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Fr. James Stephen Jenner, OP
February 8, 1958
Saturday
This bright Saturday morning
seems an excellent time to bring everyone up to date on the "Travels
and Trials of J.S.J.—A True Story of Romance and Adventure in Far
Away Places."
The tale
begins in the Queen City of California—San Francisco. On
reporting into the 12th Naval District, I was directed to the Travel
Section where arrangements are made to ship baggage, live-stock,
cars, umbrellas and people all over this wide Navy World. The
people at this office informed me to stand-bye (this is Navy talk
for "wait around"). In about a day's time, a telephone call
was received saying the plane was to leave on Tuesday and that I
should be there to go on the plane. I was there; but the plane
didn't go. The next episode occurred when on Thursday the "be
there and go bit" was repeated. This time it took.
A number of
us—people, I mean—were tumbled into a bus and hauled off to Travis
Air Force Base to be consumed by the yawning maw of MATS (Military
Air Transport Service). The consumption of my particular group
was accomplished and we took off at 2400 (12:00 a.m.) on Thursday.
 That night we
flew through the black night over the black waters to bright
Hawaii—"ugh, ugh" (which seems to be Hawaiians for everything's
all-right). The plane came to a landing about 1000 (10:00
a.m.) Hawaiian time, whatever that may have been. There was a
four hour stop-over. In this time Fr. Ed. Ford, USN, came down
to the plane. Father Ed made arrangements for me to get
cleaned up and rested at the BOQ [(Bachelor Officer Quarters for)]. About 1230 Father came back and we went out to lunch.
In the short time of my visit, I saw very little of Honolulu.
Yet from the approach to the Island of Oahu and what was seen of
Honolulu, I did see enough to want a longer stay in the area.
The next stop
was the Island of Kwagelien. This is a small island. It
was a short stop. We landed about 2200 and were off at 2400.
But as the island is small (about 2 miles long) Fr. Von Beck USN
drove over to the airport to collect me for a visit at his quarters.
At the time Bishop Kennelly S.J. was there. The Bishop has a
group of islands under his charge. Since it was night there
was not much to be seen. The highest point on the island is
the air-control tower at the air-port. Our happy little
company got back aboard the plane and we were able to get airborne
before we ran out of island, which is really of some consideration
when there is only two miles of it.
The final stop
was Guam. The plan came to a stop at 0300 Sunday 26 January.
Someplace along the way Saturday was lost. Within an hour's
time, I had made my way to one of the BOQ's—the Nimitz Hill one.
 Fr. Morgan
came down to my room in the morning. So we both went out to
say our Masses. There are three Navy priests on Guam.
Fr. Lavey Boyle, Naval Station; Fr. John Boreczky, Naval Air
Station; and myself, MOB#10. Father Jack Stavich, Air Force is
at Andersen's Air Force Base. Navy-wise there are three
chapels: a Quonset hut chapel both at Nimitz Hill and Naval Station.
Mass is said at the naval hospital in the auditorium. However,
a fine chapel is being built at the hospital. This chapel
should be finished in July.
The activities
on Guam are rather spread out. This [is] particularly true
with the CB activities. I do more driving on Guam than I ever
did in San Diego. It is not exceptional to drive over 100
miles a day among the various activities. I have seen very
little of the island to date. Most of our activities are on
one side of the island. The roads circle Guam with only a few
roads crossing form one side to another. The Guamanians are
quite Americanized in some ways—there are many new cars: but few
homes of state-side caliber. There is an abundance of
greenery. Plants that are prizes in the states grow wild;
bamboo to dizzy heights, ferns, palms, a type of philodendrons,
bread-fruit trees, banana are but some.
After this
first week, I have the office organized and am a little more
familiar with the procedure and set-up. I have moved from the
Nimitz Hill BOQ to the hospital BOQ which is a new building and very
much better than that of Nimitz Hill Quonset BOQ—a large oval
barn-like affair with rooms stuck in it.
I hope to keep
up the installments of the "Travels and Trials etc.—". Regards
to all—
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