Navy service was in the bag

As a U.S. Navy combat sailor in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, I literally lived out of the white canvas bags with draw strings during World War II. They contained my entire belongings for a period of 33 months. There was a white lightweight bellbottom uniform for summer wear. A blue heavyweight wool uniform for cold winter wear, along with a heavy navy blue P-coat. The sea bag was large, while the duffle bag was small.

How I was able to stuff all of my belongings into them, I will never know. They were my partners from May 17, 1943, until Feb. 20, 1946. My 41/2 feet by 6 feet olive colored wool blanket was a vital part of my wardrobe.

Why would I need a warm wool blanket in the sizzling heat of the Pacific? When the war ended on V-J Day of Sept. 2, 1945, our ship, the U.S.S.. LST 582, was assigned to carry our occupation troops to snow covered Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan, in the far north, several hundred miles from Vladivastok, Russia.

I would have frozen without the blanket. From intense heat to intense cold. My bag buddies traveled many thousands of miles on land and on the seas during monumental World War II.

There were 16 million of us in the service from 1942 to 1946 and about one in four were sailors. Today there are less than 1 million WWII Vets still alive. We are over the hill, but not quite under it.

Today people worship movie, TV and sports stars as heroes, but in reality our veterans are the real heroes.

Every day is a bonus as a nonagenerian.

Finally, in 1944, I found a new use for my sea bag, while I was still in the states. I was being reassigned from my first ship the U.S.S. LST 494 to a newly formed crew of the U.S.S. LST 582 at Navy Pier Chicago because I had experience as an LST crew man.

I disembarked from the LST 494 in New Orleans, La., and boarded the train for a 36-hour train ride from New Orleans to Chicago. There were no seats, so I threw my sea bag on the only bare spot I could find and that became my seat next to the bathroom. That was a memorable event.

Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retiree and member of the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.