THE FOOTNOTES

Had a short visit with Bob over the weekend. Got to see everyone, including Savannah. Great time.

April 24,  2015

HERE COME THE MAGNOLIA BUDS-APRIL 17, 2015

     Wasn't sure I  would  see April  7.
     That  day,  the  USS-YMS 176  in  conpany wirh  other  minesweepers,  was  performing a minesweeping  operation   near an  island  called  IE Shima,  very  close to Okinawa , which
  American  Forces  invaded  on  April 1, which  was  Easter  that  year.
    The  Japanese  launched a massive   air  assault  on  our  ships, which now  seems  was an  effort  to  break  up  the  Okinawa invasion, and  avert  the  invasion  of  the  Japanese  home  islands which was  sure to  follow, were only  300  miles  from  Okinawa.
    The    attacking  aircraft  were  all  kamikazes  which  were suiciders  whose  purpose  was  to  crash  into  our  ships,  killing  the  pilot, and  being  loaded with  bombs and  gasoline  which  would  explode  doing  enormous  damage to  the  target  ships.
     They  kept  coming and coming  and   even  we,  with  our  comparative  pop  guns,  shot  one  down.
     One  of  our  sister  YMS's  was  hit  by a  kamikaze,  but  mostly, the  targets  were  bigger  ships.  Destroyers   seemed to  be  particular  targets,  and  one  which  came to  our  defense was struck  multiple  times  by  kamikazes.
     Our  navy  aircraft  carriers fighters  had a field day,  as did  our    antiaircraft  fire    , and   counting  all the Japanese  planes  which  were  intercepted  before  reaching  the  battle  zone,  it  was  said that  hundreds  were  destroyed during  course  of the day..
    The  failure to  oust the  Americans  from  Okinawa   set the  stage  for the   invasion  of the  Japanese  home  islands,  but  never  was  necessary  because  of  the  surrender of the  Japanese.
     Needless to  say,  it  sticks
 in my  memory.