Visiting Veteran Talks About Okinawa

Met a fellow World War II veteran at church today.  He lives close by the church and came on his motorized scooter.  Jack ( I did not get his last name) served on a Coast Guard cutter at Okinawa where his ship shot down four or five kamikaze planes, and, he regrets, an American plane when control red was called and ships shoot at all planes.   We agreed that Okinawa was probably the most important battle of the war, although the 65th anniversary of the battle passed with little observance.  Jack said  several times that Truman saved his life, referring to the dropping of the atom bomb, which convinced Japan to surrender, thus making an invasion unnecessary.  Okinawa was the only battle in which United States had more casualties than did Japan.  Many Okinawan civilians lost their lives, also.  Jack does craft work, including making bird houses.  I'll probably drop in on him in a few days.