Theodore Brezina Sazama

From Nebraska to Tokyo Theodore Brezina Sazama

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.