It was called “The Troop’s Scoop,” and stated that it was a “Daily news and humor sheet for all passengers and mess cooks.”

“Volume 1, November 1 aboard the USS Clermont.”  

Now, note the date:  Sunday, August 5, 1945.  We know what happened the following day, don’t we?  Oh, yes.

On the front page was the following:  “Hi ya’ mates! – This is the first issue of the TROOP’S SCOOP, published sometime after chow each morning until we hit port, to keep you posted on the latest dope from the war zones and let you know what is happening on the home front . . .”

The several issues of this at sea publication are chock full of news and information.  They were brought home by Sally’s father, Floyd Cox Jr., and then put away.  He was in the navy.  Thank goodness they weren’t lost or destroyed.  

One of the front page articles was headed “B 29s Plug All Major Japanese Harbors.”  

The first paragraph read “Guam, Saturday, August 4 – The blockade on Japan is fast reaching a decisive stage as both harbors and rail usefulness dwindles.  American B-29s have already plugged every major Japanese harbor with air sown mines.  This, in itself, has slashed Japan’s food and water supplies to less than half the country’s needs.”  And so on.  

In the next day’s edition there was a “HOT SUPER SCOOP” that read “Hot off the air waves comes the flash that President Truman has announced today the production of an atomic bomb, the most powerful force in the universe.  It is 200,000 times more powerful than the biggest blockbuster ever used and contains more power than 20,000 tons of TNT.  Read the complete story on page 2 of this edition.”  This entire piece was in all caps.  

These few issues we have contain a diversity of news reports, even including major leagues baseball standings.  Very newsy.

We are so grateful that Sally’s mother put these away for safekeeping.  

From 1945 to 2021, that’s 76 years, folks.  I was just six years old, and Sally was not quite a year old.  

Now, that’s quite a while as humans measure time. 

And . . . those who served in that war, and the adults on the home front, are just about all gone now.  

That’s sad, but that’s simply the way of it.

Let us be grateful for what they sacrificed for our country; for us. 

Let us not forget.