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.
Sean Corrigan was commissioned as a second lieutenant when he graduated from West Point in 1988. Within just a couple of years, he saw action in both Panama and Desert Storm. Soon after that he entered the world of special operations and served there for the remainder of his career, including...
Published 11/27/24
Frank Wright joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942, when he was just 16 years old. Before long, he became one of the famed Marine Raiders. After deploying first to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Wright contracted malaria and had to spend time recovering. After that, he was part of Marine...
Published 11/20/24