All normally scheduled work for most of the squadron departments was cancelled. The majority of the VMD-354 personnel found themselves with very little to do to occupy their time. Some personnel were transferred to other squadrons for new assignments. Most of the squadrons personnel had nothing to do but to wait for orders for their return to the United States. The military had established a system of POINTS that would be used to release (Discharged) personnel from the various branches of the service. Points were awarded for time in the service, time spent overseas, time served in a combat, etc. The greater the number of points an individual accumulated, the earlier was his discharge date. The squadron returned to the United States in mid November 1945 on board the USS Clermont. The ship anchored at San Diego, CA and had to await its turn to dock. The Thanksgiving Holiday fell on the 22nd of the month and the ship's crew and passengers received the traditonal Thanksgiving Day Dinner with all of the "fixings" on board the ship. On the following day, 23 November 1945, the troops disembarked at San Diego, CA. Squadron personnel were granted a 30 day, delay-in-route orders to report to MCAS, Cherry Point, NC. This allowed squadron personnel the opportunity to spend the Christmas Holidays of 1945 at home with their families. Upon their return to MCAS, Cherry Point, NC some VMD-354 personnel were reassigned to other squadrons and many others were processed through the discharge system and released back into civilian life. Surrender-Pictorials