Elmer CarlsonWar Diary · 1942–1945
September 1942 — June 1945

The diary

389 entries in the order Elmer lived them. The first eleven are dated months apart and cover nearly two years of training and island duty; from the day he came aboard The Sullivans he wrote every day. Chapter headings, eleven in all, mark the way, and a map alongside keeps track of where he was as you read or listen. Search for a person, place, ship, or phrase, or simply begin at the beginning.

Every entry can also be listened to. The readings are computer-generated, about 69 minutes in all. The voice is not Elmer’s.

Elmer Carlson’s senior portrait from his high school yearbook, a young man with fair hair in a dark suit and tie, with the printed caption beside it.
Elmer, senior year, from the family’s copy of his high school yearbookPress the image to see it at full size.
His senior portrait, from the family’s copy of his high school yearbook. The page →

November 1943

Landed on Tarawa in the Gilberts. Damn rugged. Hope I never see anything like this again.

Listen0:08
Gilbert IslandsTarawa, Gilbert Islands
Historical context
EDITORIAL NOTE

The Battle of Tarawa

The Battle of Tarawa was fought on 20–23 November 1943 between the United States and Japan on Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, now part of the Republic of Kiribati but then a Japanese-occupied British colony. The battle was part of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts, and ended in a decisive American victory. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, and Americans died during the battle, mostly on and around the small island of Betio, in the extreme southwest of Tarawa Atoll.

From Wikipedia, “Battle of Tarawa”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article ↗

* Dates read as Elmer wrote them. An asterisk marks a date that is approximate, or that the diary records differently from the day it actually was; hover or focus it for the correction. Underlined terms link to the glossary. Chapter headings, notes marked “From the records”, and the map’s account of where he was are editorial.

After the last entry

What the papers say next

The diary ends on June 18, 1945, with the ship under orders home. The Navy’s paperwork and the family’s papers carry the story from there.

The Sullivans reached San Francisco on July 9, 1945. On July 15 he was advanced to signalman first class, and on July 23 he married Dorothy, the girl he wrote to, in Olympia. He left the ship on October 10, and on October 26, back in Shelton, he registered with the local draft board, “unemployed – just discharged,” and signed the card. The records →

Front of Elmer Eric Carlson’s typed Selective Service registration card, Shelton, Washington, October 26, 1945, with his signature.
Draft registration card, Shelton, Washington, October 26, 1945Press the image to see it at full size.
His draft registration card, October 26, 1945, with his signature. The record →
Certified copy of the marriage certificate of Elmer Eric Carlson and Dorothy M. Davis, Thurston County, Washington, July 23, 1945.
Marriage certificate, Thurston County, Washington, July 23, 1945Press the image to see it at full size.
The family’s copy of the marriage certificate, July 23, 1945. The record →