8OTH ANNIVERSARY OF PEARL HARBOR
To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, we are providing 60+ WWII Veterans with a once in a lifetime experience and bringing them closure by returning them to Hawaii.
The Best Defense Foundation ensures that any WWII veteran who wants a measure of closure or the recognition he so richly deserves has an opportunity to return to his battlefield, all at ZERO EXPENSE to them.
EVENT SPONSORS
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This program would not be possible without the support of these amazing organizations.
For more information Info@BDF.org
EVENT SCHEDULE
December 2, 2021:
American Airlines Kick Off Dinner – Dallas, TX
December 2, 2021:
American Airlines Kick Off Dinner – Dallas, TX
December 3, 2021:
Hawaii Arrival
Liberty Luau Party
December 3, 2021:
Hawaii Arrival
Liberty Luau Party
December 4, 2021:
Tour of Schofield Barracks
Maui Brewing Waikiki Block Party
December 5, 2021:
Tour of USS Missouri
Pearl Harbor Boat Tour
December 5, 2021:
Tour of USS Missouri
Pearl Harbor Boat Tour
December 6, 2021:
Veterans visit local schools
USMC Kaneohe visit with active duty
December 7, 2021:
8Oth Commemoration – Pearl Harbor, HI
Veteran Parade in Honolulu
December 7, 2021:
8Oth Commemoration – Pearl Harbor, HI
Veteran Parade in Honolulu
December 8, 2021:
PunchBowl Cemetery Ceremony
December 8, 2021:
PunchBowl Cemetery Ceremony
VETERANS
TOM RICE
Thomas M. Rice was born August
15, 1921 in Coronado, California. A graduate of Coronado High School
in 1940, Tom joined the U.S. Army at Fort Rosecrans near San Diego on November 17 of the same year. . .
JACK MYERS
One of 13 children, Wilbur Jack Myers was born on June 17, 1923 in Williamsport, Maryland. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army and trained to be a gunner with the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion. . .
ANDRE CHAPPEZ
Andre Chappaz was born on September 14, 1925 in San Francisco, California. As a child of French parents, his family moved to Paris in the early 1930s, but when it became apparent that the French. . .
GIL NADEAU
Gil Nadeau was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on April 4, 1926. He was only thirteen years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, but knew that the country was at war and wanted revenge. . .
KENNETH WELLS
Kenneth Wells was born in 1925 in a farming community in Continental, Ohio. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred and he had no idea what was in store for him. While at the Navy processing center. . .
HAROLD STAGGS
Harold was born on August 26, 1924 in Pasadena, CA. After graduating from high school, he worked as a painter. He volunteered in the U.S. Navy on October 30, 1941. Harold attended basic training in San Diego. .
Every dollar you donate will help us bring more veterans
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MEDIA GALLERY
What is The Best Defense Foundation
Pearl Harbor 78 // Battlefield Return
Remember Pearl Harbor // 78 Years Later
Andre Chappaz was born on September 14, 1945 in San Francisco, California. As a child of French parents, his family moved to Paris in the early 1930s, but when it became apparent that the French military could not hold off the Germans, they decided to return back to the states. On December 7, 1941, Andre was 16 years old having lunch when a radio program was interrupted announcing the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. After high school, he attended art school at the Academy of Fine Arts and joined the Army in 1943.
Andre served with the 1885th Engineer Battalion which was responsible for building airfields on Guam. He also served in Okinawa and built runways for the B-29s landing in the Marianas. Using his art background, he chronicled life in the war through his drawings.
While in Okinawa, preparing for the invasion of Japan, Andre attended a movie night watching “My Pal Wolf” when the familiar “ack, ack” sounds began and they saw tracers over the water. At first, they thought it was an air raid, but it appeared in a “V” and his fellow soldiers screamed, “The War is Over!”
After the war, Andre finished art school through the GI Bill and spent 30 years in the field.
Gil Nadeau was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on April 4, 1926. He was only thirteen years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, but knew that the country was at war and wanted revenge. Once of age, he tried to enlist and was turned away several times before being accepted the first week of January, 1944.
Gil spent only 29 days in boot camp in New York before attending visual signaling school and amphibious training. He was assigned to a new type of amphibious gun ship called Landing Craft Support (LCS). His command saw combat in the Philippines, the invasion of Borneo and the invasion of Okinawa.
His most memorable time during his service ironically had nothing to do with the war. While in port in Okinawa, they were sent away to ride out the worst typhoon of the century. With 30-40 foot waves battering their small ship, Gil and his crew feared for their lives, but made it through. In August 1945, a large group of LCS’s were in the Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines practicing for the invasion of Japan on V-J Day, when the Japanese surrendered. Practicing maneuvers, a radioman from another ship broke radio silence turning on his outside speakers and screaming “The war is over! The war is over!” Upon hearing this, all the ships began to cheer. After two years in the Pacific all Gil wanted was to return home.
That trip would not come for another five months.
Gil served in the Navy until 1954 and was honorably discharged after ten and a half years of service.
Kenneth Wells was born in 1925 in a farming community in Continental, Ohio. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred and he had no idea what was in store for him. While at the Navy processing center, a large Marine Sergeant stood up and said, “I need two volunteers. You and you,” pointing at Ken and his friend.
He attended boot camp at Parris Island and advanced combat training at Camp Lejeune. He was supposed to serve as a replacement for the 28th Marine Regiment, however, in a twist of fate, was left behind for more training. The 28th Marines were destined for Iwo Jima where Ken’s friend who enlisted with, was killed in action.
Ken was eventually attached to the 29th Marine Regiment, 6th Division training on Guadalcanal and participating in the invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945. On June 12, he was struck with mortar fire causing a concussion and shrapnel wounds throughout his body. He was transferred to a hospital on Guam and eventually to Philadelphia Naval Hospital for rehabilitation.
Ken was medically discharged in October, 1945 and went on to practice chiropractics for 50 years.
One of 13 children, Wilbur Jack Myers was born on June 17, 1923 in Williamsport, Maryland. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army and trained to be a gunner with the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion. Arriving in Cherbourg, France, on September 23, 1944, they rapidly advanced to the southern part of the Netherlands to support the 104th Division and British forces in the Battle of Antwerp, Belgium. Soon after, the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion advanced to Aachen, Germany and the Siegfried Line. His battalion occupied the defensive positions along the Roer River during the Battle of the Bulge and supported the 104th Division from the Roer to the Rhine River and helped capture Cologne. After clearing more Siegfried Line fortifications, they crossed the Rhine on March 31, 1945 and drove across Germany to advance to Munich by April 30th. Jack and the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion were attached to the 42nd, 63rd and 104th Infantry Divisions during WW2, and was also involved in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp when attached to the 42nd Infantry Division. For many years, Jack was too emotional to speak about his experiences during WW2 because of losing so many friends in combat. But when he eventually started talking about his experiences, he discovered it became easier to deal with the past. Jack is now married with his second wife, Mary Jo, and is still active with singing and dancing. He sky-dived for his 96th birthday and is planning to sky dive for his future birthdays.
Thomas M. Rice was born August 15, 1921 in Coronado, California. A graduate of Coronado High School in 1940, Tom joined the U.S. Army at Fort Rosecrans near San Diego on November 17 of the same year. In 1943, he attended Camp Toccoa, Georgia before being sent to the Air Force Troop School at Fort Benning. After 18 months of training, he joined the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) of the 101st Airborne Division. Deployed in 1944 in England with the entire Company C, 501st PIR, he prepared for Operation Overlord, the assault of Normandy. On June 5, 1944, at Merryfield Airfield, he embarked aboard a Douglas C-47 belonging to the fourteenth drop serial. On June, 6th, D-Day, he oversaw the men on his aircraft and was scheduled as the first man out. He landed safely despite a bullet piercing his parachute. After Normandy, Thomas’ division returned to England where it was re-equipped and prepared for the Holland invasion of September, 1944. After 72 days in combat, Thomas went to Mourmelon, France for a rest period when the Battle of the Bulge started and his unit was rushed to Bastogne to stop the German breakthrough. In total, Rice was wounded four times in combat. He returned home in time for Christmas, 1945. As a regular participant in commemorations of the landing and the invasion of Normandy, he continues to skydive. On June 5, 2019, he jumped tandem near Carentan for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Torpedoman First Class, USN
USS Tambor, USS Parche, USS Sea Raven
Harold was born on August 26, 1924 in Pasadena, CA. After graduating from high school, he worked as a painter. He volunteered in the U.S. Navy on October 30, 1941. Harold attended basic training in San Diego, CA and from there he went on to advanced training at Pearl Harbor, HI. He was assigned to the USS Tambor (SS198) where he served for six war patrols. His main job was to perform maintenance and overhaul the torpedoes and tubes. He served aboard the USS Tambor until 1943.
Harold was also a crew member of the USS Parche. He helped commission the submarine and made the first war patrol under the command of Lawson P. ‘’RED’’ Ramage. Commander Lawson received the Congressional Medal of Honor– the highest and most-prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. Navy service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.
Aboard the submarine USS Sea Raven, Harold made his thirteenth and last patrol. When the war ended, he returned to Mare Island and decommissioned the USS Sea Raven. On the day of the surrendering of the Japanese, Harold was home on leave in Pasadena, CA.
Harold was discharged on November 7, 1945 as a Torpedoman First Class (SS). He reenlisted in 1946 as a Navy Reservist in the Korean War and was on active duty from 1950-1951. After the Korean War, he married Harriet and they had one son, Gordon Alan. Harold worked as a fireman and retired as a Captain after 22 years and 11 months of service.
Jack Holder was born on December 13, 1921. In 1940, at the age of 18, Texas native Jack enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Machinist Mate. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Jack was on Ford Island when suddenly he heard a screaming aircraft and then an explosion. The attack on Pearl Harbor just as his section leader started roll call. Jack ran outside and the hangar beside him received the first bomb that fell in Pearl Harbor. The explosion resulted in many of our aircraft catching fire. Jack looked at the sky and when he saw the aircraft circling with the ‘Rising Sun’ insignia, knew exactly what was happening.
When the attack was over, martial law was immediately declared and a complete blackout was mandated all over the Hawaiian Islands. For three days and nights, Jack and his shipmates occupied a machine gun pit constructed from sandbags. Days later he was finally able to send a message home to his parents.
Jack survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and was present at the Battle of Midway as a PBY-5A Catalina flight engineer. He would later fly 48 missions over Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands. In 1942, after receiving training in the B-24 Liberator, Jack flew 56 missions of anti-submarine patrol over the English Channel. He was honorably discharged March 5, 1948.
PFC, US Army, 42nd Infantry Division, 128th Signal Corps
George was born on May 24. 1927 in Austin, TX. He was forced to withdraw from school in the 10th grade in order to support his family. He worked as a doffer at the Houston Textile Mill and supported his mother, father and two younger sisters. “I was a teenage homefront worker as we were making blankets for the Army and the Navy.”
The Bryant family did not own a radio, so George did not learn about the bombing of Pearl Harbor until the following day. George was drafted into the U.S. Army on Jun 25, 1945. He was assigned to the 42nd Infantry Division and sent to Nuremberg, Germany, Rosenheim in South Germany and further onto Salzburg, Austria. Originally trained as a typist, he had the opportunity to serve as a courier delivering military messages from one organization to another. He was later sent to Linz, Austria and was assigned to the 128th Signal Corps.
George served in the Army until he was honorably discharged on June 20, 1946. He served in the Army Reserve and then joined the U.S. Air Force in 1950 and retired after 20 years of service in 1970.
Albert “Al” Machaud was born on November 8, 1928 to Portuguese parents in the tenements of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He grew up very poor and had to work hard to earn a living, but he took every opportunity to play sports that he could.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on June 27, 1946. Combat had ceased, but occupation and rebuilding was in full force. This was a critical time for the world.
After basic training, Al took special training as a Control Tower Operator. The job of Control Tower Operator is oftentimes forgotten in the annals of history, as it does not carry the glitz and glamor of other specialties in the military, but the thrill, excitement, and danger was still present every time a plane came into land. Al recalls the times when he directed planes to land under heavy weather without sight and just the sound of the engines to go by. Oftentimes, even on a clear day the pilot might miscalculate and crash right onto the strip.
Al was so successful at his job, he spent the next two 2 years traveling all over the Pacific directing aircraft on the new airstrips that had hastily been built during the war.
He was discharged June 26, 1949 as a part of the 128th Army Airways Communication System Squadron and received the World War II Victory Medal, the Japanese Occupation Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
USN
Coxswain on LST 812
Ronald “Rondo” Scharfe was born September 14, 1927 and grew up in Chicago. He lied to join the Navy at sixteen years old, using fake identification forged from a stolen baptismal certificate. Within months, Scharfe was in Hawaii, Guam and a host of other places before he was sent to invade Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, as a coxswain along with 36 Marines.
Offshore, in 12 feet of water, Scharfe’s boat rammed something underwater and everyone evacuated the boat. Loaded with heavy weapons and equipment, many drowned. After being picked up by a larger LCM ship, Scharfe made it to the beach where he somehow managed to survive the onslaught. Only 15 of the 37 men in his boat survived the battle.
After the war, Scharfe was a Chicago Fireman and later, at the age of 61, became a smoke jumper to fight forest fires. The average smoke jumper was one third of his age.
Rondo never thought much about the war until after he retired as a Chicago Fireman and started to have nightmares that still haunt him today.
Lieutenant— 467th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Corp
Adolph “Ade” Chwastyk grew up on a farm in Irvington, New Jersey. He was still in high school when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. On February 23, 1943 he volunteered for the draft and joined the U.S. Army as an infantryman. Soon after completing aviation training he joined the Army Air Corps.
Serving as Bombardier in a B24, Ade and his crew bombed rail lines to prevent German troops from moving supplies. He had many close calls during his missions. On February 22, 1945, as a navigator on the B-24, they were sent to bomb marshaling yards. The weather conditions were unusual in that contrails formed over a large area. The plane was in a line of bombers over 100 miles long formed over England and heading to Germany. Forward and back there were planes as far as the eye could see. All Ade could think about was how could any country survive this? The next day, the papers reported there were 6,000 air attacks that day with over a thousand heavy bombers. The plane flying next to them was shot down with no survivors.
On VE Day, Ade and his crew were waiting to serve in the Pacific at an airbase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
After being honorably discharged on September 25, 1945, he returned stateside and received his degree in electrical engineering. He worked on the Doppler Radar to improve weather tracking systems.
GM2c– USS Enterprise, U.S. Navy
Al was born on August 6, 1923 in Madison Township, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and was assigned to the carrier, USS Enterprise. On December 7, 1941, he was aboard ship, taking Marines to Wake Island. They hit a storm upon their return which delayed them by one day. They pulled into Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941. Seeing the wreckage is something he will never forget.
The USS Enterprise became the most decorated ship in the Pacific. They experienced 3 major battles and 7 raids—Marshall and Gilbert Islands, the Doolittle Raid, two battles at Guadalcanal and the Battle of Santa Cruz and Wake Island. During the Battle of Santa Cruz, ten torpedo planes targeted the ship and they dodged them all, it lasted 55 minutes. Planes were sortied and Al was at his General Quarters station which was the 5” 38 gun. He saw a torpedo heading straight for him. The blast blew him down and he thought he would not live through the attack.
When the Japanese surrendered, Al and his shipmates were sitting on an island in the South Pacific and it was announced over the loudspeaker. Everyone was elated.
Al’s service concluded in 1945 and he returned home. He married his wife of 70 years and had two children and nine grandchildren.
YN3c– U.S. Navy
Alan was born on January 17, 1926 in Williamsville, New York. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, he was just fifteen years old, but understood the gravity of what it meant for the United States. He dropped out of high school shortly after.
Alan was drafted into the U.S. Navy in 1944 and sent to Canandaigua Lake, NY for basic training. He was then sent onto radio training school in Tennessee, but did not pass. As a Petty Officer 3rd Class, he was sent to Guam to serve guard duty and was there when Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.
In total, Alan served 2 years, 1 month and 11 days in service during WWII. After the war, he completed his GED and went onto the School of Electronics using his GI Bill. He worked as a Chief Engineer for a satellite communications company and in the 1970s built the first satellite station in Hawaii which allowed for the first live football game on TV in the islands.
Lt.—U.S. Navy
Arthur “Art” Leach was born on May 1, 1920 in Morris, Illinois. On that fateful December 7th morning in 1941, he had just finished dinner at his fraternity house and knew immediately upon hearing the news that we were at war. He enlisted to become a naval aviator in early 1942, but his “call to duty” was delayed until after he graduated from college just six months later.
Art attended flight training in Pensacola where he earned his officers commission and went onto attend advanced fighter training. He served aboard a carrier in the Pacific in 1944 and 1945 and performed combat flight operations over Hong Kong, Formosa (Taiwan), Okinawa, Chi Chi Jima and mainland Japan.
On VJ day, Art was in Virginia with his fighter squadron training to return to combat. After the war, he continued on in the Navy as a pilot and was honorably discharged on June 30, 1961 after 19 years of active service.
Y2c– USS Laurens, U.S. Navy
Arthur Grabiner was born on December 11, 1925 on the Lower East side of Manhattan in New York City. Four days after his 16th birthday, he was sitting in his bedroom listening to the WOR Radio broadcast of the New York Giants versus the Brooklyn Dodgers football game. Suddenly the broadcast was interrupted with news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He had no knowledge of where Pearl Harbor was, but upon hearing Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech the following day, he felt proud to be an American and was anxious to join the fight.
Upon graduating from high school in January, 1944, Arthur immediately entered military service in the U.S. Navy. He attended boot camp at Naval Training Center in Sampson, New York followed by Yeoman school in Newport, Rhode Island. After brief stays in Norfolk, Virginia and Camp Pendleton, he was assigned to the USS Laurens (APA-153). They sailed throughout the Pacific from as far south as New Caledonia, north to the Philippines, onward to Okinawa, then Japan.
The USS Laurens carried troops and their cargo plus 24 landing crafts. In the early morning of April 1, 1945, the ship entered an area on the western edge of Okinawa. The surrounding battleships began the bombardment of the islands as Japanese aircraft flew above them. Arthur stood watch as he watched a kamikaze strike his sister ship.
On VJ Day, Arthur and his shipmates were preparing for the invasion of Japan. They received a radio-transmitted message about a great bomb dropped on Japan. Another message came through shortly after ordering the ship to terminate exercises and set sail for Pearl Harbor.
Arthur was honorably discharged on May 28, 1946.
Dean Ladd
LtCol.– C Company, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division
Dean was born in Spokane, Washington on December 8, 1920 and graduated from Bemis Elementary and Rogers High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in April, 1939 and completed one year at Washington State College before being called to active duty in November, 1940. He received a field commission and saw extensive WWII combat in the Pacific with the 2nd Marine Division at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian as recalled in his book, “Faithful Warriors”. He was wounded three times, the most seriously during the landing at Tarawa. After five years he returned stateside and received his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked as an engineer for Kaiser Aluminum, North American Aviation and finally for Lockheed on aerospace programs for 30 years. He remained active in the Marine Reserve for a total of thirty years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
David Russell
USS Oklahoma, U.S. Navy
David “Russ” Russell was born in Nebraska in 1920, growing up on an impoverished farm during the Great Depression. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1939. He attended basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station and was then assigned to the USS Oklahoma.
On December 7, 1941 Russ was aboard the USS Oklahoma in Pearl Harbor along Battleship Row. The ship was hit by nine torpedoes and began to capsize. He barely escaped, with mere seconds to spare from the gun compartment. All of his friends in that compartment succumbed to the flooding. Russ was able to climb the listing deck and slide down ahold of a rope above the burning, oil-slicked water, barely getting aboard the USS Maryland, moored alongside. In 1942, he was reassigned to the USS Mahan and saw action in the Gilbert Islands, Guadalcanal, Santa Cruz Islands, New Guinea, New Britain and Leyte Gulf. In 1944, the USS Mahan was struck by three kamikaze planes and sunk off of Leyte in the Philippines. Russ was rescued by a cargo vessel after being swept into the open waters of the Pacific. Once recovered, he was assigned to the heavy cruiser USS Bremerton in the East China Sea and eventually Japan’s coastline.
On VJ Day, Russ was aboard the USS Bremerton off the coast of Japan. He spent a total of 21 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring and going into volunteer service for ROTC.
Charles “Charlie” Levesque
S1c– USS Teton, U.S. Navy
Charlie Levesque was born in Colonie, New York on November 23, 1926. When the events of December 7, 1941 began to unfold, he was at home listening to the radio in shock and disbelief. He dropped out of high school to enlist with his four classmates, but because he was only 15 years old, needed his parent’s permission.
Charlie was assigned to the USS Teton, an Amphibious Force Command ship. Serving throughout the Pacific, he spent time in the Philippines, Pearl Harbor and participated in the invasion of Okinawa. The ship arrived at the island of Okinawa on the day the assault began and remained there for 72 days controlling the landing operations. They survived over 150 kamikaze attacks.
On September 2, 1945, the day of the surrender, the USS Teton was in Tokyo Bay docked next to the USS Missouri. This ship transported several dignitaries to the Missouri for the surrender ceremonies. Charlie was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned home earning his GED.
Charles Shay
PVT- 1st Infantry Division, 16th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, U.S. Army
Charles was born on June 27, 1924 in Bristol, Connecticut. At 5 years old, he moved with parents back to their tribal reservation village on Indian Island, Maine. He graduated from high school in 1943 and was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve as a combat medic. Assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, 16th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, he was sent to England to prepare for the invasion of Normandy.
As a combat medic, PVT Shay was assigned to an assault battalion in the first wave of June 6, 1944. For his valor on the battlefield, having rescued drowning, wounded comrades under enemy fire, he received the Silver Star. After serving frontline duty in the battles at Aachen, Huertgen Forest, Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and the Rhine, he was captured in the Sieg Valley. Spending nearly a month in German prison camps, Charles was liberated on April 18, 1945. At the end of the war he was discharged with four bronze battle stars.
Charles served until 1964 retiring as a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. On November 6, 2007, French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, personally awarded him the prestigious medal distinguishing the Penobscot Indian combat veteran as a Chevalier in the Legion d’Honneur.
Cash Barber
AD– VP-11, U.S. Navy
Clyde “Cash” Barber was born in Drennan, Colorado on May 6, 1924. With his parent’s permission, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on May 24, 1941 at 17 years old. When the attack occurred on Pearl Harbor, he was aboard a cargo ship underway en route to Hawaii with orders to Fleet Air Wing One. Upon his arrival he was assigned to Patrol Squadron 11 (VP-11) at Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay as an aviation mechanic on a PBY Catalina.
Cash performed combat operations in the PBY Catalina supporting Allied campaigns in Midway Island, the Solomon Islands followed by “Black Cat” operations in New Guinea, New Britain, and the Philippines, “Black Cat” operations consisted of flying PBYs at night with no lights to rescue downed pilots from the sea. In December 1943, VP-11 participated in the evacuation of Australian commandos from their post in New Guinea. After stripping unnecessary equipment and armament and reducing the normal 10-man crew down to 5, pilots landed their aircraft on the Sepik River. Over 5 days, and 17 roundtrips, the aircrews evacuated 219 commandos and 25,000 pounds of their equipment.
Cash served a total of 30 years before retiring, participating in the Berlin Airlift through the Vietnam war. For his service, Cash was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and many others. He now volunteers at the Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Calvin Pascetta
Chief Gunner’s Mate
USS New Mexico, USS Cossatot & USS LST 589
Calvin was born February 3, 1924 in Philadelphia, PA. He was 17 years old when he enlisted in the United States Navy. He wanted to join the Navy because his father served as a sailor in World War I. He was assigned to the USS New Mexico (BB-40). After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy upgraded the USS New Mexico with new guns and state of the art radar. In 1943, Calvin was transferred to the USS Cossatot (AO-77) and carried fuel on convoy escorts. He made 4 such voyages from Norfolk to North African ports in Casablanca, Oran and Bizarre between October 4, 1943 to November 30, 1944. He was then assigned back to the South Pacific where he served on LST 589 and made seven assault landings at Luzon and six other islands to invade and retake the Philippines. In August 1945, about a week after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, he witnessed the beginning of surrender when low-ranking generals landed their Betty bombers on Le Shima, Okinawa. After the war, he stayed in the U.S. Navy for more than 22 years. He retired as a Chief Gunner’s Mate on December 1, 1970.
SGT William “Bill” Casassa
Anti-tank gunner, 638th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 84th Infantry Division
Born: September 5, 1925 – Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Graduated High School mid-Senior year and began college studies under an “accelerated program”.
July 21, 1943, volunteered for Army ASTP. Called for active duty February 4, 1944.
Seventeen weeks of very intensive and extensive combat training in the ‘’Tank Destroyers” at North Camp Hood, Texas,
before assignment in July to 638th Tank Destroyer Battalion at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma.
Shipped overseas September 4, 1944, ( celebrated 19th birthday next day). Landed directly in France September 15, 1944.
Continued training pending arrival of M-18s.
First day of combat in support of 84th lnfantry Division’s initial attack on Siegfried Line at Geilenkirchen on November 18, 1944.
Combat continued through ‘’Rhineland” – ”Ardenne” – ‘’Central European’’ campaigns.
We have the (minor) distinction of serving 171 consecutive days ‘’full engagement with the enemy’’.
Detached from division in July and returned to the United Stated for ‘’amphibious’’ training preparing for the invasion of Japan.
Harry Truman dropped the atomic bomb in August 1945 and gave him his life back.
Honorable Discharge 2-2-1946
Ben Portaro
SSgt– U.S. Army
Benjamin Portaro was born in the small village of Pezzullo, Italy in March, 1921. When Ben was three years old, his father brought them to the United States and settled in Anmoore, West Virginia, where his father worked in the coal mines.
In 1943, Ben joined the U.S. Army and was sent to England after basic training. As a “buck Sergeant,” he was sent to the front lines in France. Ben and his fellow troops were sent to the Battle of the Bulge. During the fight, Ben incurred shrapnel in his leg and foot but kept on fighting.
On January 2, 1945, he was taken prisoner of war by the Nazis. They walked for miles in the hard winter. Ben had frozen feet and watched while other men in his group were shot because they could not walk any further. During a forced march, on April 8, 1945, he and another prisoner decided they would try to escape. They waited until after dark, and fell off to the road side in ditches. They hid there until they could run away from the road into the woods. Three days later, Ben and his friend were rescued by the American Army.
Ben was discharged from the Army October 13, 1945.
Arthur Rinetti
F2c- USS West Virginia, U.S. Navy
Arthur Rinetti was born in Sacramento, California on September 9, 1924. He was in high school, working after school at a gas station when Hawaii was bombed. Not knowing where Pearl Harbor was, he did not realize the importance, but he knew he wanted to defend his country. Arthur graduated high school in 1942 and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He attended boot camp at Camp Farragut Naval Training Station in Idaho followed by Fire Controlman training. He was then assigned to the USS West Virginia as it was refitted after it sustained damage during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Arthur served aboard the USS West Virginia for the entirety of the war participating in battles including Leyte Gulf, Sulu Sea, Lingayen Gulf, Surigao Strait, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. On April 1, 1945 the USS West Virginia was hit by a kamikaze, but was able to remain in action.
Arthur was honorably discharged on May 2, 1945.
Clifford “Cliff” Stump
PFC– 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army
Cliff Stump was born in Van Meter, Iowa on June 13, 1924 and was one of eight children. On December 7, 1941, he was in high school. “Everything got real quiet. We were trying to figure out what this meant for me. It’s something we thought would never happen.” He was drafted into the Army in 1943 and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne artillery.
Cliff landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944 on a glider. These landings were extremely dangerous—canvas wrapped around an aluminum frame and crash landing to the ground. From the beaches of France, he then went onto Holland and into the Battle of the Bulge.
On VE Day, he was in Berlin when he heard the war was over. There was no celebration as there was lots of work to still do. They went house to house looking for weapons. In total, Cliff served three years and was honorably discharged in 1946. He used the GI Bill to obtain his accounting degree.
Freeman K. Johnson
USS St. Louis, U.S Navy
Freeman K. Johnson was 19 when he enlisted in Boston for the US Navy. He attended boot camp in Newport, Rhode Island. His first assignment was on the USS Augusta, a temporary assignment as he was waiting for the USS St. Louis to come out of the naval yard. Once aboard the St. Louis he was assigned to #1 Fire Room as a fireman. During 1940 the St. Louis and the Augusta surveyed Argentia when looking for a naval base that the United States could use, which they did and it is still in use today. From there he went through the Panama Canal to Hawaii and became part of the Pacific Fleet. On December 7 Freeman was a fireman in the #1 Boiler Room on the St. Louis. He was down in the boiler and heard the attack, but didn’t witness it. His immediate goal was to get the ship underway and get out of the harbor. The St. Louis was the second ship out of the harbor and consequently it was nicknamed “the Lucky Lou”. Much of his time over the next year was spent in the Pacific. He was transferred off the St. Louis in the fall of 1942 to a holding area in San Francisco. From there he was assigned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the USS Iowa. They put the Iowa into commission in March of 1943. Later that year, the USS Iowa picked up FDR in Washington and transported him to Tehran, Iran to attend The Tehran Conference between U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. At the end of the conference the USS Iowa transported FDR back to Norfolk. From there the Iowa traveled through the canal and became part of the Pacific Fleet. On September 2, 1945 Freeman was on the mast of the Iowa witnessing the surrender being signed in Tokyo Bay bringing an end to WWII.
Frank Emond
Musician- USS Pennsylvania, U.S. Navy
Frank was born and raised in Rhode Island and enlisted in 1938. Upon hearing a radio ad that the Navy was looking for musicians and being proficient in the French Horn, he thought the Navy would be his best option.
After basic training and attending the U.S. Navy School of Music, he was assigned to the USS Pennsylvania and in late 1939, the ship was moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
On the night of December 6, he and his bandmates participated in the “Battle of Music” at Bloch Arena on Pearl Harbor and won the competition playing French Horn. The next morning, December 7, 1941, it was the USS Pennsylvania band’s turn to play morning colors. They were lined up on the stern in dry dock across from Battleship Row. At 5 minutes before 8 o’clock, he saw a line of planes approach the harbor. He watched as the first bomb was dropped on Ford Island. As the planes continued to fly over, he identified the red “meatball” on the side and knew it was the Japanese attacking. One of the planes began firing directly at the band and Frank could hear the metal clips hit the turret behind him. After running to their battle stations, he felt the ship shudder as they were hit by a bomb and caught fire. The most difficult part was trying to help those who were closest to the bomb blast. The smell of burned flesh still lives with him today.
After the attack Frank served on a U.S. Navy band cruise until the end of WWII. This included a week in Rome; CINCPAC, Hawaii; Havre de Grace, Maryland; San Diego and Washington D.C.
Frank retired from the Navy as a CWO4 in 1968.
Dorothy Jones
Y2c– Office of Naval Officer Procurement, U.S. Navy
Dorothy was born in Lancaster, South Carolina on November 29, 1920. She graduated from high school and completed two years of college. On December 7, 1941, Dorothy was 21 years old sitting in her mother’s living room with her brother listening to the radio when she heard news of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Less than a year later, in September, 1942, Dorothy enlisted in the U.S Navy and left for boot camp in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Throughout the war, she served as a Yeoman with the Office of Naval Officer Procurement and then with Navy Recruiters in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. She transferred to Hilo, Hawaii in 1944. It was there she learned of President Roosevelt’s death in May, 1945. “It was like getting the news of a relative dying.” The flags were lowered to half mast immediately. Dorothy was also on the Big Island when she heard of Japanese surrender. News came during the night and they celebrated in their barracks.
Dorothy was honorably discharged on November 9, 1945. After the war, she worked for the Veteran’s Administration in South Carolina and Stockton, California where she met her husband.
Dick Ramsey
COX—USS Nevada, U.S. Navy
Richard “Dick” Ramsey was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 31, 1923. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, Dick was at home with his family when he heard the report of the radio. He was not old enough to be drafted, so he did not know what to expect. However, he was motivated to quit school and sought employment at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. While there, he helped to build the USS Missouri and the USS Iowa.
In 1943, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Station for boot camp. He served as a Coxswain, in charge of driving small craft, and was send to Normandy for the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 aboard the USS Nevada. The invasion on the beaches of France was his first experience in combat. Dick also participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands all before the war’s end in 1945.
When the Japanese surrendered, Dick and his shipmates were in the Philippines. For his service, he received the French Legion of Honor. He was honorably discharged on January 25, 1946.
Dick Ramsey
COX—USS Nevada, U.S. Navy
Richard “Dick” Ramsey was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 31, 1923. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, Dick was at home with his family when he heard the report of the radio. He was not old enough to be drafted, so he did not know what to expect. However, he was motivated to quit school and sought employment at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. While there, he helped to build the USS Missouri and the USS Iowa.
In 1943, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Station for boot camp. He served as a Coxswain, in charge of driving small craft, and was send to Normandy for the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 aboard the USS Nevada. The invasion on the beaches of France was his first experience in combat. Dick also participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands all before the war’s end in 1945.
When the Japanese surrendered, Dick and his shipmates were in the Philippines. For his service, he received the French Legion of Honor. He was honorably discharged on January 25, 1946.
Dick Hatch
EM– Fleet Hospital 108, U.S Navy
Dick Hatch was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 7, 1925 and moved to southern California when he was 16 months old. On December 7, 1941 he was at home listening to the radio. His family was shocked.
In late 1942, word was passed that enlistments were over. Dick wanted to join the Navy over the Army. When he went down to enlist, he was turned away due to failing the vision test. Three months later, he was drafted into the U.S. Navy. He was sent to electrician’s school and boarded ship headed to the New Hebrides in the South Pacific. From there, he was sent to Guadalcanal where he was assigned to Fleet Hospital 108 as an electrician.
On VJ Day, Dick was at the Fleet Hospital when word got around that the war was over. It was quite a celebration! He was discharged on May 26, 1946.
Derick South
USS Pennsylvania, U.S. Navy
Derick South was born in Krum, Texas on December 12, 1924. He was working when he heard the news about the attack on Pearl Harbor and enlisted in the Navy in 1942—the day he turned 18.
He was assigned to the USS Pennsylvania which had been badly damaged in the attack on December 7th and was newly repaired. The ship served throughout the Pacific from Attu, Alaska to Tarawa, Manila and Saipan. During the battle of Saipan, many of the 13,000 Marines that were killed were floating in water and he still dreams of those lost.
Derick South served for three years and was discharged in November 1945.
George Boutwell
1SGT– U.S. Marine Corps
George Boutwell was born on July 19, 1924 in Birmingham, Alabama. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, he was working as a soda jerk and he knew immediately that the United States would be going to war. When his draft number was called, George was given a choice to join whichever branch of service he wanted. He chose the Marines because his two best friends had signed up in front of him.
George attended boot camp in April 1943 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. After training was complete, he boarded a troop ship for more training in Hawaii and then sailed to Iwo Jima.
When the Japanese surrendered, George was on his way to Tokyo Bay.
After the war was over, George was honorably discharged, but it was not long before he went back into the Reserves. He was then called to active-duty service during the Korean War. He participated in the Bay of Pigs before serving as a Drill Instructor back at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. He also served a tour of duty in Vietnam. He retired in 1975 after serving a little over 28 years.
George Hamilton
RD2c– U.S. Navy
George was born in West Monroe, Louisiana on April 2, 1922. He enlisted in the Navy on August 26, 1942. After attending boot camp, he was assigned to a destroyer that patrolled the Aleutian Islands and then was sent to Jackson, Mississippi to attend V-12 training at Millsap College.
While out to sea in the North Pacific, George and his crew were hit by a severe storm and the ship listed 57 degrees. He rode out the storm on deck duty and was told that if it had listed one more degree, they would have gone into the sea.
George earned an honorable discharge on December 23, 1945. He spent 40 months in the service. He went on to play minor league baseball for the Opelika (Alabama) Owls and was inducted into the Central Alabama Softball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Glen Stenson
PhM2c– USS Tranquility, U.S. Navy
Glen Stenson Jr. was born on December 14, 1925 in Holyoke, Colorado. On December 7, 1941 he was at church as many were that Sunday and upon returning home, turned on the radio and heard the news. At the time, Glen and his family did not recognize where Pearl Harbor was as their focus had been on the growing war in Europe. On March 16, 1943, at age 17, Glen enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a Pharmacist Mate. Serving stateside for awhile, he was then transferred to the USS Tranquility which served as a receiving hospital for the invasion of Okinawa. He served as Lead Corpsman in the Special Diet Kitchen. After Okinawa, the ship was sent to Ulithi Atoll to prepare for the invasion of Japan and were ordered to Peleliu to receive the survivors off the USS Indianapolis.
Glen served a total of three years and was honorably discharged on April 5, 1946. He was awarded the Pacific Theater Ribbon with one star, Good Conduct Medal, American Theater Medal and Victory Medal.
Harold Stephens
TEC5– 246th Signal Operation Company, U.S. Army
Harold was born on June 16, 1924 in Jellico, TN. He was 17 years old in 1941 when he was assisting his uncle driving busses and he heard the news that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He knew that the country was now at war and just two years later he was involved.
Harold went to enlist in the Marines, but the government had ceased allowing a choice of branches. So in 1943, he was drafted in the U.S. Army. He attended basic training at Camp Crowder, Missouri and schooling in Illinois before being shipped overseas to England. They waterproofed vehicles in Birmingham, England, then to Torque, England where they crossed the English Channel on LSTs. He landed on Utah Beach, France on D Day +4. As a Corporal Technician in Communications, he handled all priority communications Walter entered France under General Bradley and then was assigned to the Third Army under General Patton. He stayed with Patton through the breakout all the way to the Battle of the Bulge. After this battle, he was preparing to go to the Pacific Theater, but the war ended before they left Europe, so he was sent home.
On VJ Day in August, 1945 he was returning from the Battle of the Bulge and was somewhere in France. He served for three years and was discharged on November 6, 1945.
Harry McKnight
PFC– 29th Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division, U.S. Marine Corps
Harry McKnight was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 21, 1926. His family moved to Ohio shortly after. On December 7, 1941, his family attended church and had a typical Sunday without turning on the radio. He didn’t learn about the bombing until the next morning at school.
Although wanting to join the U.S. Marines, Harry was drafted before he could enlist. Fortunately, he was called up to be a “Devil Dog.” He attended boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina and trained at both Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton in making hand grenades and practicing night operations. From there he shipped out to Guam then Okinawa where he spent months in combat
On VJ Day, Harry was in Guam loading ships to prepare for the invasion of Japan. He heard the ship’s whistles blowing to signal the end of the war. They were told that they could go to the slop chute and get their own case of beer. Harry was discharged August 23, 1946. He also served in the Air Force and finally retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1978.
Hazel Von Roeder
2nd Lt.–U.S. Army Nurse Corps
Hazel Von Roeder was born on September 14, 1921 in Wellborn, Texas. She was in nursing school when Pearl Harbor was attacked and she, like the rest of the country, knew that the United States would soon be at war. She made up her mind up at that time that she would join the service upon graduation. Three of her brothers and close friends would be among those to volunteer for military service and she wanted to do her part. After graduating from A&M Consolidated High School in 1940, she enrolled in Jefferson Davis School of Nursing in 1941 and completed her Registered Nurse Degree in 1944.
Hazel enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 15, 1944. She attended basic training at Fort Sam Houston and was assigned to the William Beaumont General Hospital in Fort Bliss, Texas. As a ward nurse, she provided bedside nursing and administered medications. She also rendered nursing care to evacuated patients en route to various medical facilities. Signing up for every opportunity to serve overseas, she was disappointed to never get the chance.
Recalling how difficult it was when a soldier would ask her “not to let them die,” she assured them she would do her best to care for them. Caring for soldiers who had been in the Bataan Death March as POWs was extremely hard due to the mental and physical shape they were in upon their return home.
On VJ Day, Hazel was on duty at the hospital. She was discharged on July 30, 1946 upon her marriage as the military did not allow married women to serve on active duty. Following her husband’s death, she returned to service and joined the U.S. Air Force and served until 1953.
Jack Hamlin
BMC– U.S. Coast Guard
Jack Hamlin was born in Springfield, Missouri on October 15, 1921. In 1939, right after high school, he played major league baseball with the New York Yankees. When the attack occurred on Pearl Harbor, he was in his front yard playing catch with a neighbor when his mom called him in to tell him the news. It didn’t dawn on him right away that he would have to join.
Soon after, he went to join the Army Air Corps, but was rejected because of his enlarged heart. Instead, he joined the Coast Guard and served aboard a Cutter. President Roosevelt sent 15 Cutters to Omaha Beach. Jack was qualified as a rescue swimmer and went in on a landing craft. He jumped in the water to pull men out that were wounded and got them to the hospital ship off the coast.
On VJ Day, Jack was in Cherbourg, France. He served in the Coast Guard for three years until the end of the war and upon his return home played again with the Yankees. For his remarkable service, he was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government.
James Hardin
CM3c- 40th Naval Construction Battalion, U.S. Navy
James “Jim” Hardin was born in Claremore, Oklahoma on July 30, 1926. In the summer of 1943, just before his senior year in high school, he took a job surveying with the Army Corps of Engineers in northern Oklahoma.
In September 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Navy and attended boot camp in Farragut, Idaho followed by an assignment to the 40th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees). In March 1945, Jim and his unit stopped in Pearl Harbor on their way to Saipan and upon reaching Saipan, began preparations to continue to Okinawa. They built and finished Chimu airfield in Okinawa and stayed through the end of the war.
Jim was honorably discharged in May 1946 and used the GI Bill to earn his degree and entered the ministry as a Southern Baptist preacher. He still actively preaches in his independent living center.
William “Jim” Sivelle
AD– USS Detroit, U.S. Navy
William “Jim” Sivelle was born on February 27, 1926 in DePue, Illinois. In 1942, he moved with his family to Los Angeles where his father took a defense job with the Northrup Corporation.
At 17 years old, Jim worked for “Cal-Flyers” a subsidiary of Douglas Aircraft, where he built wing spars for C-47 aircraft. It was there he met his future wife, Betty Jane, a “Rosie.”
Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy and reported to boot camp in San Diego July, 1944. He was assigned to the USS Detroit (CL-8) as an Aircraft Mechanic and Air Crewman where he flew combat missions in the second seat of the ship’s OS2U Kingfisher planes. The USS Detroit was leading and protecting replenishment operations at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and throughout the Pacific.
Jim was an eyewitness to the surrender by the Japanese in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. He was honorably discharged on June 4, 1946.
John Pildner
PFC– 290th Anti-Tank Company, 75th Infantry, U.S. Army
John was born on January 16, 1926 in Erie, PA and was drafted on April 12, 1944. After basic advanced training, he was assigned to the 66th Infantry Division and then transferred to the 75th Infantry Division. He served as a minesweeper with the 290th Anti-Tank Company. He fought in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge where the German forces broke through. After the Bulge, the Americans pushed back and his unit fought in the Battle of the Colmar pocket on the German-France border. On the 15th of February, 1945, John’s unit was put on rest in the Netherlands. They moved on to the Rhineland in Germany and fought in the Ruhr pocket which was the industrial heart of Germany. When the war ended, he did not have enough points to go home, so he was transferred to the 612th Quartermaster. His job was to collect airmen in local cemeteries across Germany and bring them back to temporary cemeteries in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. He went back to the United States on April 28, 1945. John was discharged on April 30, 1946.
Elsie Rippin
AMM3c—WAVES, U.S. Navy
Elsie “Kitty” Rippin was born on January 31, 1924 in Ellinger, Texas. On December 7, 1941, she was working at Kelly Field in San Antonio. As news reports came in through the month, she heard the news that one of her friends was killed at Pearl Harbor.
In March 1944, Kitty enlisted in the U.S. Navy into the WAVES program. WAVES, or Women Accepted for Volunteer Service, was established in 1942. The purpose was to release men for sea duty and replace them with women on shore assignments. Kitty worked at Naval Air Station Dallas in Bunker Hill, Indiana and in Glenview, Illinois, near Great Lakes. As an Aviation Machinist Mate, she performed flight instrument repair work.
She recalls when the announcement was made that the war was over, people went crazy. There was hugging and dancing in the streets. Kitty served for a total of 2 years and was honorably discharged on March 4. 1946.
Lawrence Davis
TEC5–3281st Quartermaster Service, U.S. Army
Lawrence Davis was born in Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania and dropped out of school after the 10th grade. When news of the attack on Pearl Harbor spread throughout the country, he knew that everyone was going to have to come together to defend the country. He was drafted in the U.S. Army on April 23, 1943 and served in the Quartermaster Service as a truck driver.
Lawrence served throughout Europe and spent most of his time near Rome in the northern Apennine Mountains and Po Valley. When the Army was demobilized after the Japanese surrender, Lawrence was discharged on January 16, 1946 after 3 years of service.
Manuel Flores
SGT– U.S. Marine Corps
Manuel Flores was born on July 19, 1925 in Cambridge, Mass. On Feb. 20, 1943, he falsified his age (17) on his enlistment papers to join the U.S. Marine Corps. Manuel was sent to Parris Island for basic training and on to Camp Lejeune for parachute training. While there, he made Corporal and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Air Wing.
In 1944, his unit was sent to Okinawa aboard the USS U.S. Grant. His assigned duties in Okinawa included inspecting the parachutes given to pilots of the 3rd Air Wing F4U Corsair fighter planes. He was also assigned to be the driver for Brigadier General Schilt. Upon the war’s ending in 1945, Manuel was transferred to train new recruits in low-level parachute jumps. At one point he was a stand-in for then actor Ronald Reagan in a WW2-themed movie when it came time for Reagan to jump out of a plane! Manuel left the Marine Corps after transferring to San Diego where he met his wife of 69 years, Charlotte, at a USO dance in National City.
Ralph Matsumoto
PV2—Military Intelligence Service, U.S. Army
Ralph Matsumoto was born on June 9, 1921 in Honolulu, Hawaii and graduated from McKinley High School. On December 7, 1941, he was helping a friend clean their family-owned pool room when all the windows blew out and all he could see was smoke. As the smoke cleared he saw the enemy planes attacking as well as some of the pilots. Ralph didn’t understand the ramifications of the attack, but heard on the radio that this was war. He was detained for two weeks because of his parent’s nationality.
Feeling the fervor of patriotism, Ralph try to volunteer for service, but there were too many people. He began working as a civilian for the U.S. Navy and in 1944 was drafted into the U.S. Army.
Ralph attended basic training in Minnesota—a far cry from the warm beaches of Hawaii. He was trained in military intelligence as an interpreter as well as worked at Fort Lewis in Washington to assist with ship repair. It was here, in 1945, that he heard the news of the Japanese surrender and celebrated VJ Day. Ralph was honorably discharged in 1946.
Richard Grantham
QM3c–USS Dupage, USS Elmore, U.S. Navy
Richard “Dick” Grantham was born on July 11, 1926 in Oakland, California. He and his brother were raised by a single mother so he began working at 8 years old to help support the family. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade and just a year later, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. He knew that it would lead the country to war.
In 1943, at 17 years old, Richard joined the U.S. Navy and attended boot camp in San Diego. He served aboard the USS Dupage (APA-41) on staff duty with the commodore as a Quartermaster. While out to sea, a plane crashed on the deck killing 36 and wounding 157. Dick was one of the wounded and was awarded the Purple Heart.
Richard participated in four major battles in the Pacific—Leyte Gulf, two battles of the Philippines and the invasion of Okinawa. Towards the end of the war, he transferred to the USS Elmore (APA-42) and was stateside before heading back to Japan for the final invasion. It was then that he heard of the Japanese surrender. They celebrated with a cup of ice cream.
In total, Richard served four years (called a “kiddie cruise” because the average age was 17-21 from 1943-1947.) After the war he was assigned to the USS Kenneth Whiting, a seaplane tender, for the experimental atom bomb testing.
Richard Rohleder
TEC5–Hq Battery, 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division
Richard Rohleder was born March 13, 1925 in Collyer, Kansas. His family were farmers. On September 22, 1943, at the age of 18, Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army. After shipping out to Liverpool in May of 1944, he joined the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion Battery Hq.
Richard’s first time in a Waco glider was on September 18, 1944 in Operation Market Garden. His unit of 12 men landed on landing zone N in a glider near Groesbeek. It was a rough landing, the bottom of the glider’s nose plowed into the ground. When they landed, they tried to find the rest of their unit and start engaging the Germans and supporting the 82nd airborne with artillery fire.
After weeks of fighting in Holland his unit was ordered to Rheims, France.
Two months later, the 82nd Airborne Division was ordered to move to the vicinity of Weber Mont, Belgium with the monumental task of holding key terrain points and counterattacking to stem the breakthrough by German forces in this sector.
Richard returned home in December, 1945. It took the ship 17 days to get back into New York harbor because of rough seas.
Wallace “Wally” King
1st Lt.–9th Air Force Division, U.S. Army Air Corps
Wally King was born in Courtland, Ohio on October 31, 1923. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, he was visiting a girlfriend in Ohio and was stunned at the news. He knew that would mean he would be serving his country. After enlisting in the U.S. Army, he was assigned to the 9th Air Force Division as a Private. Shortly after, he became an aviation cadet and eventually a 1st Lieutenant.
During his service, Wally flew 75 combat missions as a fighter pilot. It was his mission to shoot at the Germans and keep them at bay so the American transports could drop supplies. During one mission, the squadron was sent to “quiet” or dive bomb before transports arrived. His wingman was wounded and taken prisoner and his squadron commander was killed in action. Later on, Wally’s plane went down near Berlin and he was captured and became a prisoner of war.
Wally’s war ended on May 3, 1945 when he was turned over to the American bridgehead at Magdeburg, Germany by the German medical unit. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and three Presidential Unit Citations, among many others. He recently received the French Medal of Honor.
Walter Lebetski
CPL—Air Transport Command, U.S. Army Air Corps
Walter Lebetski was born on July 22, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1943, as a senior in high school, he was drafted into service.
Walter was part of the Army Air Corps, Air Transport Command. He trained at Camp Grant in Illinois and served in the Pacific, primarily Hollandia, New Guinea. As an aircraft mechanic, he worked primarily on C-47s. Before returning stateside, he maintained B-29s at John Rodgers Field in Honolulu.
Walter was ordered to fly with an American Airlines pilot in New Guinea who had landed on the wrong airfield. Inside the C-47, he saw the pilot’s civilian uniform jacket and hat lying on the airplane’s seat. Normally, a crew of 3 or 4 flew the C-47. Walter asked if he ferried the C-47 solo. The pilot replied yes and told him he worked for American Airlines. During the short flight, Walter acted as copilot lowering the flaps and gear.
Walter was honorably discharged on March 8, 1946.
Walter Stowe
S1c–U.S. Navy
Walter Stowe was born at home at the start of the Great Depression. He dropped out of school at 12 years old when he was in the 7th grade and entered into the workforce. At 14 years old he worked for Consolidated Aircraft Manufacturers building B-24 Bombers. Walt experienced the war on the homefront, and when his brother joined the Navy in 1942 at age 15, he couldn’t wait to follow. He enlisted three days after his 15th birthday with a doctored birth certificate just like his brother.
Walter attended boot camp in San Diego and boarded ship on his way to Saipan. He stopped in Hawaii and waited for Marine support in Kaneohe Bay. Once on Saipan, he helped set up a seaplane base in Tannepag Harbor where he served as a swimmer, swimming landing gear out to the seaplanes.
Finishing out the war on Saipan, he stayed there for a few more months as many Japanese came out of hiding to surrender. At just 17 years old, Walter met the love of his life, Lois and they were married in 1946. He became a pastor and preached the love of God for 60 years.
Warren Morrison
Pvt– 324th Engineer Battalion, 99th Division, Army Air Corps
Warren Morrison was born in Toledo, Ohio on August 19, 1924. He was in high school at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and was too carefree to realize that he and his friends were all going to have to join the service. He did know that the country was at war.
At 19, Warren enlisted in the Army Air Corps and spent one years in pre-meteorology before the program was cancelled and he was sent to basic training at Ft. Leonardwood. He served with the 324th Engineer Battalion at Camp Maxie in Paris, Texas and then with the 99th Division overseas in Belgium. The 99th Division replaced the 9th Division and as an Engineering Battalion, spent the winter building roads.
When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, Warren was in Colorado on a medical discharge. He served a total of two and a half years. When he returned home, he used the GI Bill to earn his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University and worked in an oil refinery as well as on the Alaskan pipeline.
SSGT Melvin Hurwitz
B-17 radio operator & gunner, 493rd Bombardment Group, 863rd Bomb Squad, 8th Air Force
Melvin Hurwitz (96) was born March 12, 1925, to Russian immigrants in Baltimore and grew up in nearby Westminster, MD.
After graduating from high school, Melvin started college in Nashville, TN, but soon after joined the US Army. Melvin was inducted
into the service in Baltimore and sent to basic training in Greensboro, NC and the to the Army Air Corps training centers in Tennessee,
Illinois, Arizona and then to Dill Field in Tampa, Fl, where he was assigned as a radioman and waist gunner on a B-17, “Flying Fortress”,
863rd Bomb Squadron, 493rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. The 493rd Bomb Group was the last bomb group assigned to the 8th Air Force in WW2.
Their journey to England started in Maine, flying to Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland and Whales. They were delayed in Greenland for ten days because of severe weather.
Arriving to England late in the war, Melvin’s B-17, displayed the name “Disorganized Confusion”’, flew only four combat
missions when the war ended. However, his plane participated in the dropping of food supplies to the starving Dutch civilians and flew several missions returning French prisoners of war from Austria.
Arriving back in Sioux Falls, SD, United States, Melvin’s crew immediately started B-29 training in preparation for the
ongoing war with Japan. While awaiting orders in Clovis, NM to the Pacific Theatre of Operations, The war ended.
After honorably discharged from the military, Melvin returned to Maryland and established jewelry businesses in Annapolis and Frederick, MD.
Cass Phillips
LCDR—U.S. Navy
Cass Phillips was born on April 2, 1918 in Pampa, Texas. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1938. On the morning of December 7, 1941, he was stationed at Kaneohe Naval Air Station on the east side of Oahu as a Radioman on a PBY Catalina Flying Boat. When the Japanese began to attack, he and his crew were in denial, but it did not take long to understand the Japanese were attacking.
Cass continued to serve in the Pacific and participated in battles in the Aleutians, Philippines and the Battle of Formosa (Taiwan). It was during this battle, while piloting his plane, the right engine began to sputter. He was able to regain engine power and land safely.
When the Japanese surrendered on VJ Day, Cass was on his was to the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida as a pilot being transferred to his next duty station. For his service, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross among others. After the war, he continued to serve, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and retiring after 22 and a half years.
Jack Stowe
CS2c– U.S. Navy
Jack was born in Denton, Texas on September 28, 1926. He was working at a grocery store when he heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Realizing that the United States was at war, he had no concept of what was to come.
Jack enlisted in the Navy in April 1942. He dropped out of school before completing the 9th grade to join the military. As a Petty Officer 2nd Class ship’s cook, he served most of his time in the Solomon Islands. One night, the ammunition dump near him was hit during a bombing raid. Many men were seriously wounded and killed. He never forgot the fear and panic as the munitions were exploding and everyone was running to find a shelter from the chaos.
Jack received an honorable discharge after 3 years and 9 months on January 1, 1946.