It was early morning March 30, 1945, and the USS Pickens was part of the armada heading for Okinawa. For several days all of the ships were calling General Quarters to be on full alert for possible attacks by Japanese suicide planes. The Japanese liked to attack at dawn from the east and the rising sun.
On this morning I awoke to an empty compartment and eerie silence. I had done the unthinkable -- slept through the blaring sound of a call to General Quarters. I didn't know what time it was but I quickly dressed and headed to an outside deck, thinking it would be the quickest. There was a problem -- my right leg was asleep and I had to drag it. As I crossed the boat deck I had to go over a cable. I couldn't raise the right leg and could only drag it over the greasy cable.
I finally reached the radar shack, only a few minutes late, and nothing was made of it. Two days later we would face an attack and I would be fully awake during it.
On this morning I awoke to an empty compartment and eerie silence. I had done the unthinkable -- slept through the blaring sound of a call to General Quarters. I didn't know what time it was but I quickly dressed and headed to an outside deck, thinking it would be the quickest. There was a problem -- my right leg was asleep and I had to drag it. As I crossed the boat deck I had to go over a cable. I couldn't raise the right leg and could only drag it over the greasy cable.
I finally reached the radar shack, only a few minutes late, and nothing was made of it. Two days later we would face an attack and I would be fully awake during it.
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