October 23, 1944 - Before daylight, still shelling the beach. Morning dive bombers are bombing and straffing at different spots on the beach. They were there all day yesterday too. The town of Taclobin, which we can see across the bay is a pretty nice looking place. At least it has a few permanent buildings in it. A bunch of Philippino boys and men came aboard this morning. They rowed out in their dugout canoes. They are small dark skinned people. They talk pretty good English. They went to regular American schools until the Japs came. Most of them had finished the seventh or eighth grade. We gave them some clothes and something to eat. They way they talked the Japs were really cruel to them. They were really proud to see the Americans. They wanted guns to fight the Japs with. Night, left Leyte. Had air raid, but never saw but one Jap plane - too far off to shoot at it.