16. Returning from the Pacific via Japan
Many of the processing centers for Army troops were established in Japan and the Philippines, while the US Navy processed most of its personnel from Pearl Harbor before they were sent to the United States for discharge. Once the returning soldiers were assembled into units slated for deactivation they were assigned a priority number and embarked on the next available ship with sufficient space to house them. The ships with the most space were the aircraft carriers which had been modified for the purpose, followed by the troop ships, and then the battleships and cruisers. Army personnel embarked as units, as had their counterparts in Europe.
Most of the ships returning the troops from Japan sailed across the Northern Pacific, where they encountered often stormy weather on the long voyage. Those steaming to the East Coast of the United States made for the Canal Zone. On all Navy ships gambling was (and is) illegal, and some captains were more adamant in enforcing the prohibition than others. Alcohol was also illegal, though many managed to smuggle it aboard and the often inexperienced seamen manning the ships were unable to enforce the rules on veterans of Pacific combat. There were simply too many hiding places aboard ships to stop those determined to imbibe while aboard, and many of the Army officers, who were reserves on their way to their own discharges, feigned ignorance of the practice among their men.
