Cpl Kenneth Wells, USMC, World War II, Okinawa
Listen now
Description
Kenneth Wells was planning to join the U.S. Navy in World War II but the U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at the office told him he was joining the Marines instead. And so he did. His background as an athlete and working on the family farm helped Wells do well in boot camp. Soon he would be halfway around the world, fighting in some of the toughest combat in World War II on the island of Okinawa. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Wells explains how he did not end up getting deployed with his original unit - a confusing moment that he is now convinced saved his life. He also describes going ashore at Okinawa and finding no initial opposition, fighting a Japanese enemy he could not see, and how the Marines were able to get the upper hand. He also tells us about other enemies, namely fleas and the incessant rain. Mr. Wells gives us a lot of detail about combat on Okinawa, the vicious fighting on Sugarloaf Hill, losing a close friend during that fight, and how he was wounded and removed from the fight more than two months after it started.
More Episodes
Mike Ergo originally joined the U.S. Marine Corps to play his saxophone in the Marine Corps band. But a short time after joining the Corps in 2001, Ergo changed his mind and asked to be transferred to the infantry. Soon, the U.S. was at war in both Afghanistan and Iraq. After an uneventful first...
Published 11/06/24
Aaron Cunningham started thinking seriously about military service after watching Operation Desert Storm unfold in 1991, the year he graduated from high school. He began college without being sure of military service. Now, Col. Cunningham is retired after 29 years of service. But the service that...
Published 10/30/24
Published 10/30/24