Blog Archives
Fourth of July
Red Skelton is amazing here – Please watch and have a happy and safe 4th of July!!
God Bless Our Troops
THE SOLDIER’S POEM
When this is over And we come home again,
Forget the band
And cheers from the stand;
Just have the things
Well in hand –
The things we fought for.
UNDERSTAND?
_____Pfc C.G. Tiggas
♣
♥
ONLY A SAILOR
He’s only a sailor on the boundless deep, Under foreign skies and tropical heat. Only a sailor on the rolling deep, In summer rain and winter sleet.____Unknown
Remember when it was popular to be patriotic? We had fun back then!!
Parades and picnics!!
Even the kids got involved!
Please remember that fireworks can cause PTSD reactions. Please be considerate. Thank you.
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Fourth of July – Humor or Truth ?
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Farewell Salutes – 
Kenneth Alsdurf – Syracuse, NE; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Phyllis Cox Birney – Floral City, FL; Civilian US Army & Air Force employee (Ret.)
Ray Flow – Broadway, NC; US Army
Dick Hickman – Louisville, KY; US Air Force, Vietnam, MSgt. (Ret), Bronze Star
Paul Hubble (103) – W.Palm Beach, FL; US Navy, WWII
Jack Jennings – Bronx, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Lt.Col. (Ret. 30 yr.), fighter pilot
Cyril Maceyka – Waltham, MA; USMC, WWII, PTO
Oiva Pakka – Butte, MT; US Army Air Corps, WWII, CBI, 1st LT., B-29 navigator
Kenneth Steele – Kansas City, MI; US Navy, WWII, ETO
Franklin Trapkin – Ramsey, NJ; US Army, WWII
Robert Uhlman – Des Moines, IA; USMC, WWII, PTO
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Intermission Story (4) – A Japanese Ace
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa
“In the ocean of the military, reflective of all distinguished pilots, an honored Buddhist person.” So translates the name awarded to Japanese pilot Hiroyoshi Nishizawa following his death in 1944. In life, however, he earned himself a very different title.
The Devil of Rabaul, they called him, and not without good reason.
Rabaul 1943
Skilled pilots on both sides fought terrifying aerial battles, carried out daring raids against the enemy and engaged with combatants in the air, on the land and on the sea. Yet even amongst the many outstanding Japanese aces, there was no one quite like Nishizawa.
The outrageous aerobatics, performed in the early summer of 1942, could easily have cost him his life. Instead, the soldiers on the ground held their fire, and by the time Nishizawa returned to his own base, a letter had already arrived congratulating him on his maneuvers – and inviting him back for the “all-out welcome” he deserved. The Devil of Rabaul chose to decline that particular invitation, of course.
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa
In fact, even amongst his own comrades he seemed like a figure out of legend. Nishizawa was known as a strange and solitary character, for he seemed ever more content with the status of an outsider as his celebrated status increased. Tall, thin and strikingly pale, Nishizawa was far from forthcoming, and even once his name became synonymous with acts of courage and valor, he kept to himself.
Even in death, elements of mystery still cling to the man who seemed to stray so close to myth. Nishizawa had already been present at some of the key battles fought in that geographical theatre of the war, and October 1944 found him escorting the first of Japan’s major kamikaze attacks against the Allies. He himself was only present to back up the five bombers, but as the attack unfolded, something extraordinary occurred.
The young pilot watched his comrades hurtling to certain death, their planes ripping into the US warships below. Led by Lieutenant Yukio Seki, the explosions caused by four of the five planes triggered chain reactions throughout the vessels. In the sky overhead, Nishizawa was also engaged in combat, successfully bringing down two F6F Hellcats and raising the total number of his confirmed kills to 88. It was a clear victory for the Japanese fighters, but even as he fought, Nishizawa had a striking vision.
Nishizawa in his Mitsubishi Zero A6M3, 1943
While the carnage unfolded before his eyes, he saw another event take place –his own death. Though accounts vary as to the exact nature of the fate he envisioned for himself, he returned from the mission without a shadow of a doubt in his mind. To the Devil of Rabaul, it seemed his end was close at hand.
Once again, he held true to his courageous nature. While another man might have tried to run from his fate, the Devil of Rabaul wasted no time in facing his destiny head on. The very next day, with his premonition still at the forefront of his mind, he himself requested a position on the next suicide squad kamikaze mission. If he had to die, Hiroyoshi Nishizawa was going to do it in style.
Of course, his request was refused. By denying his wish, Nishizawa’s superiors sealed the fate of their finest pilot.
He was assigned to a different mission in the end, and the following morning set out as a passenger on a transport aircraft, setting off from Mabalacat. The weather was fine, with clear skies and low winds – the region had always been known for its gentler climate.
High in the clear October skies over Mindoro Island, two planes appeared in the distance. They were far behind, but rapidly closing the distance. The US fighters, a pair of F6F Hellcats, were now in hot pursuit, though even they had no idea just who they were bearing down upon.
As the three planes flew above the town of Calapan, American pilot Lt. Harold P. Newell sent the lumbering transport plane before him down in flames.
At the age of 24, just days after he predicted his own end, the Devil of Rabaul was dead.
In his short career, the Japanese Ace of Aces had earned the respect of his enemies and his comrades alike. He had become a nationally recognised symbol of bravery, patriotism and fearlessness in the face of death. Hiroyoshi Nishizawa walks to this day a unique line between a man and a myth, with a story rivalled by few others in its mysterious and evocative nature.
Like all the great figures of legend, the legacy of the man now known as Bukai-in Kohan Giko Kyoshi lives on, even after death. In the ocean of the military, Nishizawa is remembered as an honored Buddhist person, the Devil of Rabaul and the Ace of Aces.
By Malcolm Higgins (@Mhiggins95)
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor – from the Kunihiko Hisa cartoon album – 
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Farewell Salutes –
Helen Dellinger – Lincoln County, NC; Civil Air Patrol, WWII
William Emnott – Oshkosh, WI; US Navy, WWII, PTO
Edward Fanning – Englewood, FL; Merchant Marines, WWII
Jack Heyn – W.Des Moines, IA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 3rd Bombardment Group/5th Air Force, photographer
Francis Higgiins – Salem MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Jack Kronenberger – Broad Channel, NY; US Navy, WWII
Ora “O.P.” Miller – Anderson, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Air Transport Unit, pilot
Irena Nowakowska – Warsaw, POL; Polish Underground Army (Armia Krajowa), WWII
Richard Powell – OH; US Navy, WWII, ETO
Leslie Scace – London, ENG; Royal Navy, WWII
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Memorial Day 2017
MEMORIAL DAY.
WHO DO YOU SAY THANK YOU TO?
Should you care to see Memorial Day posts from past years ____
Michael’s Tree – planted by Lavinia & Rick Ross in honor of my son, Michael USMC.
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Farewell Salutes –
Jacob Baboian – Watertown, MA; US Army, WWII, ETO
Thomas Coughlin – Portland, OR; US Army, WWII, Corps of Engineers
Lamar Day – Salt Lake City, UT; US Navy, WWWII, PTO, USS John Pope
Edward Flora – Mishawaka, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, A/674th Artillery/11th Airborne Division
Earle Garlinger – Roswell, NM; US Army Air Corps, WWII, (Ret. 21 years)
Harold Kline – Charlotte, NC; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 737th/454/15th Air Force
James O’Leary – Manchester, NH; USMC, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Cuban Missile Crisis
Michael Sadlo – Hollywood, FL; USMC, Pfc
Everett Smith – Broad Channel, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, HQ/187th/11th Airborne Division
Vartan Torosian – Pleasant Hill, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188th/11th Airborne Division
Albert Washington Jr. – Midland, TX; USMC, WWII, PTO
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WWII – in memorial
Memorial Day is to honor those that have left us after they served to guarantee us the freedoms we too often take for granted. I do not have the words – so I present Jay who wrote a poem that expresses what I feel.
Once upon a battlefield
I stood where heroes fell,
where brothers, sons and lovers paused
to hear death’s tolling knell.
Once upon an open sea
I sailed where deep remain
the bodies of courageous men
who, by war were sadly slain.
Once upon the azure blue
I drifted through the crimson cloud
where valiant fighters dealt with death
to die alone in sullen shroud.
I’ve felt the moments summoned.
I’ve seen the grave despair.
I’ve witnessed every breath so gained
and every soul laid bare.
I’ve shed a tear not meant for me,
but for the uncaressed
that ne’er again felt warmth of love
before their final rest.
To their souls my prayer,
my honor and my truth,
that they be blessed eternal,
and blessed in memory’s youth!
Eye Witness Account – Leyte
Leyte patrol
These events took place in November 1944, therefore please do not be offended by any offensive language.
This was written by Pfc Deane Edward Marks, Light Machine-Gun (LMG) Platoon/HQ2/11th Airborne Division. From “No One Smiled On Leyte,” published in the “Voice of the Angels” newspaper, Matt Underwood, Editor.
“…It was still raining. We had no idea where we were going. Someone mentioned Ormoc, wherever that was. We heard that somewhere ahead, part of the C/511th was surrounded by the Nips. We didn’t have any idea what the hell was going on. After a day or two of walking, we arrive where the C/5511 had been. Now, I see my first dead man, he was a trooper. Now I realize what was going on. It was real, real. Somehow the mud seemed wetter, the rain colder and the stomach emptier.
Type 96 LMG
“…every now and then they would open up with their “woodpecker”. [name given to the Japanese Nambu 6.5mm light machine-gun Model 96] … the only thing you do is drop to the ground and roll over a time or two so when you lifted your head, you would not be in the sights of the shooter … ole Vicbert D. Sharp, LMG Platoon Sgt., starts wiggling up the side of the slope with his M-1. He stopped, saw a sniper in a tree, then another and with 2 quick shots, using Kentucky windage, he got the both of those Nips.
“One day we climbed up a very large plateau and moved up our LMG. We didn’t know why – shucks we never knew WHY we did anything. We just kept putting our feet in the mucky brown footprint in front of us. About 2 hours after we set up, we looked out into the valley and ‘holy cow!’ here came this C-47 barreling at eye level perhaps a thousand yards to our front … a slew of red and yellow parapacks dropped and troopers started jumping … We finally figured out that they were the 457th Airborne Artillery also part of the 11th Airborne!
Cameraman on Leyte
“We headed back to our perimeter around a place called Lubi …we looked up to see at least 6 C-47s flying at 6-8 hundred feet overhead. I found out later that they were Japanese “Tabbys” (a DC-2 built in Japan), loaded with a few hundred Nip paratroopers headed for the airstrips around Burauen … raised hell for a few days and nights and were finally driven off by the HQ Company/11th Airborne. (Smitty was there.)
“All the time the rain kept falling. We were all damp and cold. After dark, one’s eyes got big as saucers. You couldn’t see 5′ in front of you and your imagination would run rampant. There were Japanese out there and one consolation was, they were just as wet, muddy and cold as we were. Sitting in your foxhole at night and waiting to see if they would try to slip through was something else. You were full of anxiety….”
Click on images to enlarge.
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Current News –
To Remember – April 25th is ANZAC Day! To view this blog’s posts on that memorial day – type ANZAC Day in the search box [top right].
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“Valor with Honor” will be screened on Vimeo starting May 2017 for Asian Pacific Heritage Month. “Valor with Honor” not
only records the deeds and emotions of the veterans of the 442nd, but highlights the difficult struggle of the brave Nisei both on and off the battlefield.
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Military Humor –
“THIS WASN’T COVERED IN THE MANUAL!”
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Farewell Salutes –
Richard Allen – Little Rock, AR; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Bullwheel
Clifford Cursons – Wellington, NZ; RNZ Army # 239426, WWII, gunner
Arthur Gordon – Rochester, NY; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Cabot
Gary Hardman – Newcastle, AUS; RA Navy, Vietnam, HMAS’ Ibis & Parramatta
Robert Kabat – Cleveland, OH; US Army, 17th Airborne Division
Michael Mastel – Hague, ND; US Army, WWII, PTO, surgery technician
Walter Roderick – Fall River, MA; US Navy, WWII
Richard Saggau – Denison, IA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 101st Airborne Division
George Teale – Vineland, NJ; US Army, WWII
Jack Wilson (106) – Willow Springs, IL; US Army, WWII
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Lost at Sea
A look into the air war and saving pilots!
As November 1944 began, the 345th Bomb Group was flying to the staging base of Morotai, where they would then take part in missions that targeted islands in the Philippines. Morotai was three hours away from their base at Biak Island. While this hop could be considered routine, weather once again thwarted plans of landing at Morotai on November 6th. As the B-25 pilots attempted to fly through the stormy weather, Morotai went on red alert and the control tower went off the air. It became extremely difficult for the crews to find their way to Morotai without a radio signal, not to mention a way out of the storm. Several pilots turned around. One, Lt. Edward Reel, remained in the area, hoping to catch a station. Aboard his B-25 were six crewmen as well as two passengers.
Hours passed. Reel had descended to find the bottom of the clouds…
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International Women’s Day, Veteran of the Day, Violet Gordon
Violet Gordon
Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Women’s Army Corps Veteran Violet Hill Askins Gordon. Violet served during World War II.
Violet was living in Chicago, Illinois, supervising stenographic pools, bored and restless, when a friend told her about the Women’s Army Corps. Violet enlisted when the first Officer Candidate class for women accepted her application.
At the end of the training period, Violet had earned the rank of Second Commanding Officer and was assigned to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where the first detachment of African-American women for the WAC were stationed. In an interview with the Veterans History Project, Violet said it was a little nerve-wracking when they arrived. “Of course the male units that were already there knew that we were coming. There was a lot of controversy about women in the services. A lot of rumors, most of them not really very complimentary.” Fortunately, Violet said Army officers always maintained safe and appropriate order within the camps.
After Fort Huachuca, Violet and her unit became the only all African-American female unit to serve overseas in England and France during World War II. Violet believes her experiences in WAC changed her from a shy, introspective person into a leader. Violet left the service as a Captain.
Decades after her retirement, Violet went to the dedication of the Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. On the final day, Violet heard somebody say, “Violet?” and turned to see one of her old friends from her unit. “I had no trouble whatsoever recognizing her and obviously she had no trouble recognizing me,” Violet said. Her friend then led Violet to a group of women from her first officer’s class and unit all sitting together. Violet was overjoyed to see her old friends.
Violet remembers how happy it made her to see the women on active duty at the dedication in D.C. from all branches of the service, representing all colors, all races and all ranks. “It was something that I would have never envisioned in 1942 was right there in front of me.”
This past October, Violet celebrated her 100th birthday in Florida.
Thank you for service, Violet!
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much of the information as you can put together with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating for how to create the best submission.
Veterans History Project
This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.
Graphic By Kierra Willis: Kierra Willis is a Graphic Communication Major at the University of Maryland University College. She currently has an AAS in Graphic Design and Visual Communications.
Japanese View of the Leyte Naval Battle
The following was published in “Senso: The Japanese Remember the Pacific War.”
Don’t Shoot at a Sinking Enemy
As a 25-year old seaman about a destroyer, I participated in the sea battle off Leyte. In the midst of the battle, our destroyer was pursuing a fleeing aircraft carrier through squalls and curtains of smoke. Suddenly a single enemy destroyer headed directly for us. Attacked by the concentrated fire from our destroyer squadron, it rapidly went up in flames. As we neared the enemy ship to see its last moment, it listed to one side, with flames rising everywhere. It was about to sink. Men were floating on the water’s surface or sinking beneath it, while half-naked crew members jammed themselves into lifeboats and rowed away, escaping.
We were close enough to see their unkempt beards and the tattoos on their arms. One of our machine-gunners impulsively pulled his trigger. He must have been overflowing with feelings of animosity toward the enemy. But he was checked by a loud voice from the bridge saying, “Don’t shoot at escaping men! Stop shooting, stop!” So he inflicted no injury on the enemy.
I read an article written after the War’s end that the captain, who survived*, (a descendant of the Cherokee tribe) had tears in his eyes when he recalled the scene. “A Japanese destroyer that passed by did not shoot. What is more, I cannot forget the officers on the Gigantic warship who saluted us in seeming condolence for the loss of our ship.” What flashed through my mind was the story of Commodore Uemura, who rescued the crew of the sinking Yurik during the Russo-Japanese War. Seppū was the name of his destroyer – known as the luckiest warship in the world.
This was written by Okuno Tadashi, who became a business owner in Ōmuta, Japan after the war.
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Edward E. Evans
Commander Ernest Edwin Evans was born in Pawnee, Oklahoma on August 13, 1908. He was three quarters Cherokee Indian.
During the Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944 Commander Evans and the USS Johnston were assigned to Task Unit 77.4.3 AKA Taffy III with 2 other destroyers (Hoel and Heermann), 4 destroyer escorts (Butler, Dennis, Raymond, Roberts) and 6 escort carries (Fanshaw Bay, Saint Lo, Kalinin Bay, White Plains, Kitkun Bay, Gambier Bay). Here, at the Battle Off Samar, they fought the vastly superior Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force which consisted of 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 11 destroyers.
At 9:45 AM Commander Evans ordered his crew to abandon ship. The USS Johnston sank at 10:10 AM, receiving a hand salute from the skipper of a Japanese destroyer.
* The article Mr. Tadashi read must have been written by another crew member, as Cmdr. Evans was seen abandoning ship, but was never found.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Personal note –
I would appreciate hearing if you are interested in more stories from the Japanese side of the war. I refrained from adding a second story here from a crew member of the Musashi to keep the post at a decent size.
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Military Humor – from the Readers Digest ‘Humor in Uniform –
“I’m the commander of data security.”
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Farewell Salutes –
Anthony Allis – Clearwater, FL; USMC, WWII, PTO
Lou Bucelli Sr. – Bridgeport, PA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Scoter
George Clifford-Marsh – Waikato, NZ; RNZ Army # 629433, WWII, Cpl.
James Fuehrmeyer – Chicago, IL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Thomas Gibson – Nashville, TN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, pilot
Stuart Hansen Jr. – Kettering, OH; US Army, Vietnam
Robert Jones – Syracuse, NY; US Navy, WWII
William ‘Bud’ Liebenow – Fredericksburg, VA; US Navy, WWII, PTO & ETO. Captain, PT-199
Howard Porter – Kalamazoo, MI; US Army, WWII, PTO, medic
Joseph Wapner – Los Angeles, CA; US Army, WWII, PTO, Bronze Star, Purple Heart
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A Soul Lost in a Faraway Jungle – Part 2
Our good friend Koji Kanemoto gives us a view from both sides of the war.
It is believed I occupy a potentially unique position when it comes to looking at history as it pertains to the Pacific Theater in World War II. I am American first and foremost and have studied WWII history out of curiosity. As expressed in the description of my blog, my viewpoint is from “one war, two countries, one family”. However, one potential uniqueness is that I am able to read a bit of Japanese; you may be amazed to read what is written about WWII from the Japanese viewpoint of history. As such, I believe each battle will have in the background two broad, driving and dissimilar viewpoints: one from America and one from Japan. The attack on Pearl Harbor is one example. But that is but the surface on war’s history – a high altitude view. One that can be easily manipulated politically. But being on the ground dealing…
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Japanese Prime Minister Abe in Hawaii – correction
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe having a moment of silence after the laying of the wreath
Once again – correcting the media……
In May, President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Hiroshima, where the United States dropped an atomic bomb in 1945 and soon compelled Japan’s surrender, ending World War II. It was a historic moment: Obama was the first sitting U.S. president to visit the city.
Now, Abe is repaying the favor. On Tuesday, he will accompany Obama to Pearl Harbor, the site of the Japanese attack 75 years ago that led the United States to join World War II.
But is Abe’s visit quite as historic? When it was announced in early December, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said Abe would be the first sitting Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor since World War II. News outlets repeated this assertion, including The Washington Post.
But quickly afterward, things began to look a little more complicated. The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper soon reported that Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida had stopped in Hawaii, home to Pearl Harbor, in 1951 when flying back home from San Francisco. He made a public visit to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, which honors American war dead, and a more private visit to Pearl Harbor.
Aug. 31, 1951, then-Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, center right, accompanied by his daughter, Kazuko, is greeted by Adm. Arthur Radford ( l), commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Joseph R. Farrington, a delegate of the U.S. Congress for the Territory of Hawaii, during an arrival ceremony for Yoshida in Honolulu. The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported that Yoshida had stopped in Hawaii in 1951.
The Pearl Harbor visit was not noted widely by the U.S. press, but it appeared in the Japanese press.
Yoshida told a reporter from the Yomiuri Shimbun that he had been “moved” by the visit. It also turns out that the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander at the time, Adm. Arthur Radford, was present. Radford later wrote that the visit was awkward for Yoshida and that they mostly discussed his dog.
Now more developments indicate that Abe may not be the second sitting prime minister to visit Pearl Harbor, either. Last week, the Hawaii Hochi — a dual-language Japanese-English newspaper based in Hawaii — suggested that two other Japanese leaders may have visited Pearl Harbor in the 1950s.
The newspaper posted images to its Facebook account that showed two front pages from its archive. One claimed that Ichiro Hatoyama visited the harbor on Oct. 29, 1956, where he was welcomed by a 19-gun salute and a band performing Japan’s national anthem. Another headline says that Nobusuke Kishi, Abe’s grandfather, visited the harbor on June 28, 1957, where he laid a wreath at the flagpole at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
The Japanese government has now been forced to change its story. After Yoshida’s visit to Pearl Harbor was made public again, the government asserted that as the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor was not constructed until 1962, Abe will still be the first to visit the most famous monument. “He will also be the first to do so with an American president,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.
Sheila Smith, a senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, says she was “taken aback” by the initial mistake.
“If any organization should know its history, its MOFA,” she wrote via email, using an acronym to refer to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. “I’m also surprised that Abe himself or rather his office didn’t correct the record as he is a careful student of his grandfather’s diplomacy towards the U.S.”
Article found in Stars and Stripes magazine; by Adam Taylor | The Washington Post | Published: December 27, 2016
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News Corrections Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Anthony Bossi – Medford, MA; US Army, WWII & Korea
Attilio Cardamone – Pittsburgh, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Bronze Star
Real DeGuire – Tecumseh, CAN; RC Navy, WWII, ETO, HMCS Hunter Haida & Algonquin
Pat Farwell – Skagway, AK; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, B-17 pilot
John Hayes – Elyria, OH; US Navy, WWII
Thelburn Knepp – Peoria, IL; US Army, WWII, ETO, 89th Infantry Division
Jack Messemer – Phoenix, AZ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, POW / Korea, Sr. Sgt. Major (Ret. 41 years)
Sam Patane – Kirland, WA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, HQS/127th Engineers/11th Airborne Div.
Donald Patterson – Wichita, KA; US Army, Korea
Liz Smith – Lincolnshire, ENG; Women’s Royal Naval Service, WWII, CBI, (beloved actress)
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