>>Since no one else has mentioned it. Hat's off to all the veterans. Thank you for your service.
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>Indeed. And to those who right now are in some very bad places doing things that are more difficult and more unpleasant than most of us have ever imagined.
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>Earlier I was on the phone with my sister. Sometimes on Veteran's Day ( and many times on the 4th or just on his birthday ) we read together some of the letters home from Sgt. Wm. J. Hankey Jr., 1st Marine Division, Somewhere in the South Pacific. And that's what the letters were always about - coming home.
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>To you, and all the veterans - even some without uniforms in wars that were "Cold" or undeclared or - and the names on little memorials and white crosses all over America and Europe and the ones carved on the black wall and the stars on the wall with no names ... Thank you.
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>And may you all make it home.

I have a box of letters from my dad to my mom. I also have his war diary. Dad was also in the 1 st Marine Corp Division, in the Pacific. He joined in 1938 at age 17, and first served in Shanghai, China. The last battle he was in was Okinawa, April 1 to June 15, when he was taken off the line. He and two buddies survived from a company of 120. My Boy Scout Master, Mr. Harroll Brown, was the only survivor from his company.

144,000 civilians, 120, 000 Japanese soldiers and 12,500 Americans (Marines, and Army) died in the battle of Okinawa.

Dad received his discharge from the Marine Corp in October, 1945. I was three and can remember that day like in just happened! Dad stayed in the Marine Corp Reserve, became an officer and was called up for Korea.


Discussing the experiences of my dad and Sgt. Wm. J. Hankey Jr., with you would be enjoyable. Perhaps if you are interested we could do so via eMail. War hurts many people in so many ways.

One letter from dad was so funny! After all the training dad had received he found himself in his first battle (1942), with his friend James Avalos, whom I met many times. Dad and Jim were told by their company commander Cliff Curtis, (editor of the San Francisco Chronicle) to take the left flank, and dig a fox hole, which they did. By the way Jim and Cliff were the other two survivors from his company on Okinawa.

Dad and Jim waited through the night for the impending attack. At about one o’clock in the morning, they heard movement in the brush across from their position. The two were really nervous, as the noise continued for about 15 minutes. Dad said that no amount of training prepared you for what might happen. Then suddenly, a Billy goat appeared from the brush, and walked towards them. Dad and Jim gave the goat some K Rations, and were laughing to themselves. Then the goat walked off. No mention of the battle, and if there was, the censors would have removed it.