My uncle was on the LST 333 too.  His name was Harry (no middle name) Boatman.  He was a machinist, and spent most of his time in the engine room, unfortunately.  I have many of his letters.  He wrote to his parents, brothers and a lot of friends. 

 

I would love to know if Harvey remembers Harry.  I have no one left to ask about Harry, as my father passed away in 1999.  My father spoke to me of Harry only a couple of times.  Each time he would become very emotional and confessed to me he felt responsible for Harry's death.  My dad enlisted in the Merchant Marines by falsifying his age.  Harry, being the middle son, wanted to follow in my father's foot steps, and he enlisted in the Navy by falsifying his age, too.

 

My father had heard a rumor on his ship about the LST 333 being sunk.  He was in a port and went to the Navy office there and he confronted them.  He wanted to know if his brother was indeed killed.  The Navy threatened to put him in the brig as what he was saying was classified information and he didn't have clearance to have it.  My father stood firm and refused to tell them where he had acquired his distressing information or the name of the person who divulged this strictly confidential information.  He must have really been desperate looking because finally, someone relented, and gave him the awful news.

 

When my father told me the story, I was 15 years old.  It was the first and last time I ever say my father cry.  He keep everything inside and never mentioned a date of any anniversary of any related events as they rotated into current day, year after year. 

 

I realize now how sad and alone he must of felt when he would slip away into the garage from time-to-time to re-read Harry's letters, over and over.  He would never tell us that was what he had been doing and we never really noticed.  He always enjoyed working on things in the garage so it all seemed normal. But now as I look back, I remember him reading pages and pages of what I guess, were Harry's letters.