Wayne F. Hoffman journal

The Wayne F. Hoffman journal consists of one, 80-page volume stamped with "W.F. Hoffman, 3321" on the front and back cover. A photograph depicting a busy street scene with people and carriages is taped to the first page with the handwritten caption, "Streets of Tokyo." This is the only photograph included in the journal.

The first page of text is titled, "Diary--South West Pacific." Day-by-day journal entries follows Hoffman's "First Day in Boots" in May 1944, continuing with cross-country travel to Camp Elliott in San Diego, Californina, and then Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Hoffman's notes during this time are brief, simply making notes of loading supplies, gunnery practice, and movements on board ship. On August 19, 1944, he notes that he was put on L.S.T. (Landing Ship, Tank) no. 617.

Hoffman's journal entries become much more detailed after leaving Pearl Harbor, particularly once the fleet approaches the Philippines. He headlines one page, "Invasion on 'Leyle', D-Day for the Philippines, October 20th, 1944- Friday." From October 20th-29th, he provides daily descriptions of the invasion, noting the heavy fire exchanged, as well as Japanese aircrafts overhead. From December 12th-16th, Hoffman describes the invasion of Mindoro. The fighting did not last long, and on the 15th he notes, "So ends my second 'invasion'-we took Mindoro."

In January 1945, Hoffman writes about the American and Fillipino invasion of Luzon, an island "with big mountains on it." Engagement was heavy on both sides, lighting up the island "like a Xmas tree." From March through April 1945, Hoffman writes in his journal about three more invasions on Kuroshima, Okinawa, and Ie Shima.

Aside from descriptions of naval engagements in the Pacific, Hoffman also mentions wider news of the war as it is disseminated. Although Hitler died on April 30th, Hoffman writes on May 27th that "News came out today that Adolf Hitler is dead." On August 9th he notes, "Monster Bomb was dropped today on Tokyo- Atomic bomb. Anybody that goes near the spot within the next seventy years will drop over dead." Then on August 15th he writes that the "War is officially over" following Japan's surrender.

With active fighting at an end, Hoffman's journal entries between August and December 1945 consist of his daily movements as the navy disengaged from the Pacific and headed home. He also notes the several occassions where he stole food, got drunk, and got into fights. On October 12, he writes that he was put in the brig for threatening to hit an officer. He pleaded guilty five days later and was sentenced to two days confinement on the ship, 20 hours of extra duty, and 36 dollars docked from his pay.

On February 11, 1946, Wayne Hoffman writes- "After twenty months at war and at sea, we are now once again, as we was in August of '44, back in California." He writes every few days of his numerous instances of binge drinking and sexual encounters in California until March 19th, when he gets on a bus for home. He notes the various stops across the country, as well as his discharge from the Navy in Baltimore on March 27th.

The remainder of Hoffman's journal entries detail his day-to-day life in Cumberland after his discharge, March-August 1946. There is a mention nearly every day of drinking or going to the bar, and several instances of fights. The last two days of his journal detail his arrest after a fight, with his mother paying his bail bond.