From Nebraska to Tokyo: World War II Diaries (1942-1945)

Aviation Machinist's Mate Theodore "Ted" Sazama was a Nebraska farmboy who left his home and the girl of his dreams to serve in the U.S. Navy in World War II. From 1942 to 1945, he kept this day-to-day diary or journal, detailing his experiences and his love for his country, his home, his family, and his beloved wife-to-be. Diary entries describe his experiences in Navy boot camp and aviation machinist training; serving on the light naval aircraft carrier the USS San Jacinto (CVL-30 from 1944-1945); servicing American warplanes while at sea; courting and marrying his Nebraska sweetheart during wartime; surviving seaboard attacks, kamikaze strafings, and typhoons; and taking part in "The Marianas Turkey Shoot" and other naval and aerial attacks against Japan and nearby islands.