The last of 260 laser-engraved bricks were placed this past week at Pershing Square, honoring veterans, living and deceased, from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Mideast Wars era who served in the military, reserves, National Guard, Coast Guard or Merchant Marine in the USA or overseas preserving our freedom.
My father served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II, ending his naval career as a Second Class Electricians Mate (EM-2). He served on several destroyers throughout the Pacific during World War II, even decommissioning one destroyer at 32nd Street in San Diego. Later, Dad served as part of the occupational forces in Japan after the war ended, serving in Yokosuka, where I later served on USS Midway, the first permanently home-ported aircraft carrier.
Dad grew up in the small farming community of Ioka, Utah, where his mother was the community nurse, postmistress and much more.
My family is basically a Navy family. I am proud to say that I had 11 uncles serve in World War II. My hero is my uncle Eugene. He was on USS New Orleans, a cruiser, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He said he saw his shipmates get blown up. The Japanese had blown off the bow of the ship. They were able to get the ship underway and had to steam 1,000 miles backwards to a port to get the ship repaired. After that Uncle Gene was in every major sea battle in the South Pacific. He recalls the Battle of the Coral Sea. They went to general quarters and closed all the hatches.
