Finally got on orders to leave here at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 17th. That's tomorrow on a boat called "Santa Paula." Spent all day packing and marking baggage. Taylor left already on another boat and Boles is also gone. Just Fish and I are left and he leaves at 3:30 in the morning. Today I got 5 letters - 3 from Adele, one from Jerome and one from Mom. This is to be my last night with Fisher. It will sure hurt to say so long to him. We played cards and then we went to the movies and saw "Guadalcanal Diary" (again). Came home and went to sleep around 12. At about one we had an air raid and everyone awoke and donned their steel helmets. Boy, did I look cute in my pajama bottoms, bare feet and clumsy helmet - half asleep. Anyhow, no one dropped bombs but we sure put up a heck of a lot of flak. It was one of the most impressive sights I have ever witnessed - the thousands of piercing red tracer shells streaking through the inky blackness of the sky. Beautiful indeed - as if war could ever be beautiful!! At 3:00 a.m. everyone was awakened for the shipment out at 3:30 a.m. Fisher was on this. There wasn't much fanfare to our adieu - we just shook hands, said "so long" and I said I would write to him and send some pictures. That was all. I shined my flashlight on him as he stumbled through the black night heavily laden with his bags. Presently he rounded a corner, went behind a tent and went out of my life. Just like that. A guy to whom I actually owe my life and freedom. A pal, buddy, father, teacher and inspiration if there ever was one. So ends the story of Ray Fisher and crew #3-0-58.