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Started By
Message
That Easter Sunday 1945
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:17 am
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:17 am
The sun dawned bright that Easter morning April 1, 1945. Every ship in the huge armada had been at battle stations since 5 a.m,when out of the sun came the kamikaze, planes flown by Japanese pilots on a mission to die attacking American ships.
I was in the radar shack trying to detect the planes as they came in skimming the top of the ocean. Out ship, the USS Pickens, APA 190, was second in line behind the USS Hinsdale, APA 120, in a column of transports carrrying the Second Marine Division.
Suddenly, hell was was unleashed; Japanese planes attacked like flies on jam. At around 5:50 a.m. a plane hit the Hinsdale near the waterline, exploding and creating several holes. A plane headed for us but hit the mast of an LST, fell to the deck and exploded, setting off several explosions of ammunition,
The Pickens put boats in the water and picked survivors off the Hindale and LSTs 724 and 884, Flag officers transferred from the Hinsdale to the Pickens.
That Easter Sunday was the beginning of the largest sea-land battle in history. Navy casualties exceeded those of the Army and Marines combined. In fact, one seventh of all Navy casualties of World War 11 were suffered at Okinawa.
Talk to a navy veteran who was at Okinawa and slated to invade Japan and he will say something like "Mr. Truman saved my life," or, "Dropping the atom bomb saved my life."
I was in the radar shack trying to detect the planes as they came in skimming the top of the ocean. Out ship, the USS Pickens, APA 190, was second in line behind the USS Hinsdale, APA 120, in a column of transports carrrying the Second Marine Division.
Suddenly, hell was was unleashed; Japanese planes attacked like flies on jam. At around 5:50 a.m. a plane hit the Hinsdale near the waterline, exploding and creating several holes. A plane headed for us but hit the mast of an LST, fell to the deck and exploded, setting off several explosions of ammunition,
The Pickens put boats in the water and picked survivors off the Hindale and LSTs 724 and 884, Flag officers transferred from the Hinsdale to the Pickens.
That Easter Sunday was the beginning of the largest sea-land battle in history. Navy casualties exceeded those of the Army and Marines combined. In fact, one seventh of all Navy casualties of World War 11 were suffered at Okinawa.
Talk to a navy veteran who was at Okinawa and slated to invade Japan and he will say something like "Mr. Truman saved my life," or, "Dropping the atom bomb saved my life."
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:24 am to EdwardTeach
Is this a excerpt from something or a personal account? If it is personal, you are a bad arse and thank you for your service.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:27 am to chillygentilly
Ben Affleck saved the world later that year.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:32 am to EdwardTeach
Yes, I was writing about my personal experience at Okinawa.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:39 am to EdwardTeach
For Blackbeard.
This post was edited on 4/1/14 at 9:53 am
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:47 am to EdwardTeach
Wow. Thank you Edward Teach.
My great uncle was a corpsman in the Pacific. The little I know about his experience came from a few letters he had written home to his mother that my grandfather (Army, European theater) had kept. He was at Okinawa, Peleliu and a few other island battles I'd read about in history. Never would talk about it.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to hear your story if you'd like to talk about it.
My great uncle was a corpsman in the Pacific. The little I know about his experience came from a few letters he had written home to his mother that my grandfather (Army, European theater) had kept. He was at Okinawa, Peleliu and a few other island battles I'd read about in history. Never would talk about it.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to hear your story if you'd like to talk about it.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:49 am to EdwardTeach
Thanks for sharing. You have to be the oldest member of this site!
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:50 am to EdwardTeach
Thank you for your service to this country. We can never repay you.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 9:54 am to EdwardTeach
My Dad was in the navy and stationed at Okinawa as a Seabee. He was on Okinawa until the war ended. He lied to get into the navy early, and turned 18 while on the island.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:06 am to EdwardTeach
What is your age if you don't mind my asking, sir?
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:10 am to EdwardTeach
Thanks for sharing your story with us!
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:13 am to EdwardTeach
I always thought you were Black Beard the pirate.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:16 am to DirtyMikeandtheBoys
If the profile birth date is accurate, he is 87.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:20 am to DirtyMikeandtheBoys
quote:Victory over Japan Day
will be 87 on August 21.
Checked out his post history and it looks like he just drops in from time to time with these accounts. This guy has to be one of the greatest posters on this site.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:21 am to EdwardTeach
Awesome story. Please share as much as you can with us about your experience. We all need to hear more.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:22 am to EdwardTeach
quote:
Talk to a navy veteran who was at Okinawa and slated to invade Japan and he will say something like "Mr. Truman saved my life," or, "Dropping the atom bomb saved my life."
My grandfather landed at Yokahama Bay after they dropped the second bomb. He always told me about how many bunkers there were along the beaches there.
He always said the same thing...the atom bomb saved his life.
Posted on 4/1/14 at 10:36 am to EdwardTeach
quote:
Yes, I was writing about my personal experience at Okinawa
I wish I knew where you were, I wasn't at work, and was somewhere geographically close to where ever you happened to be.
I'd get you to meet met at a coffee shop, and I'd want to sit and listen to your accounts of what must have been the most horrifying day of your life.
Thank you for your service.
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