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Eugene Whitfield

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Aviation Ordanceman Eugene Whitfield recalls the stoic actions of Captain Dixie Kiefer during the kamikaze strike on the Ticonderoga. As if the crippling attack wasn't enough trouble for the crew, a typhoon lurked nearby. (4:38)

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Eugene Whitfield said goodbye to the USS Ticonderoga after it returned to Seattle, too damaged to continue. Put in charge of ordnance at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, he didn't have to dodge any more kamikaze attacks and he even had time to develop a special skill and teach it to new pilots. (6:09)

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After the war ended in the Pacific, Eugene Whitfield decide to make a career of it and served aboard many different carriers. A visit to Hiroshima was a sobering experience, and a search for a missionary led to an amazing coincidence. (7:04)

Evarist LeMay

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Evarist LeMay recalls his time spent in firefights in Korea and the effect that they had on his mindset. Losing a friend on the battlefield right next to you is not something that easily escapes you. (7:13)

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Evarist LeMay recalls the capturing of a group of Chinese soldiers by his regiment and the actions they took for retribution. While scouting, LeMay and his fellow scouts come across a group of American soldiers that had been brutally executed. He credits these types of situations for the PTSD that happens to guys like him when they come home. (3:18)

Everett Hampton

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Everett Hampton enlisted in the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor and after basic training was made a squad leader. His division became the first military unit to deploy directly from American soil into combat. They sailed from San Diego and stormed ashore at Roi-Namur in the Pacific. (3:51)

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On Saipan, his mortar crew fired so many rounds so fast that when they fell back to regroup, they had to leave the mortar because it was too hot to pick up. After a successful campaign, Everett Hampton received a battlefield commission to 2nd Lieutenant. Only catch, the Jr. Sergeant was told he had to have a physical. (5:03)

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On the way to Iwo Jima, the Marines were told to expect new tactics from the Japanese defenders, who had studied the previous American landings and were eager to correct their mistakes. Their deadliest move was to survey the entire island and pre-target every spot for their artillery and mortars. Marine Everett Hampton recalls the withering fire and how the enemy used the extensive tunnel network for cover. (3:31)

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Everett Hampton's unit lost nine officers in nine days on Iwo Jima. The 2nd Lieutenant was the only officer left so he was made company commander. His first task was to take a hill which he did but the Marines were forced to withdraw and that hill would be taken seven times before it was secure. Wounded by shrapnel, he had to evacuate. (3:47)

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Iwo Jima veteran Everett Hampton returned to the Marines when the Korean War broke out and commanded a company there on the static front line. His career continued with recruit training and contingency deployments until he retired as a Major. (4:57)