I have another one, the fellow was my brother in law, now deceased. He enlisted in the navy at 15, lied about it to get in, and was a coxain(?) on a higgins landing boat. He was a participant in very heavy combat in the pacific. I asked him one time if he hated the japanese, he said no, he actually admired them. He said most were just kids doing what their govt told them to do, just like we were just kids doing what our govt told us to do. As to japanese atrocities? He said yeah, we wrote most of the history books of the period, and do you see any mention in there of american sailors machine gunning shipwrecked japanese sailors for sport and laughing about it? His comment was there were no winners in war.
Up into the 60's you didn't approach him when sleeping without making noise. As to tough, he was a fleet golden gloves champion. One of the most gentlest and toughest men i ever knew.
