As a child, I would watch him take a nap during the evening news. Late each afternoon, he slept on one end of the couch, while my grandma slept on the other. It was then that I would study the Navy tatoo on his arm, and the letters that he had tatooed on the knuckles of each hand. He was larger than life to me.
Over time, I came to understand all that he had been through in his life. The more that I found out about him, the more I wondered how anyone could have gone through what he had. He was truly the toughest man that I had ever met, but it was obvious to me that he had a soft spot for those that he loved.
While growing up, I learned that my grandfather had been a sailor during WWll on the USS Nevada. Not too long ago, I did a little research on that ship and found out that it was one of the only battleships to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was then repaired and re-fitted for the rest of WWll. Being a super dreadnought, it was one of the fastest gunships at that time, heavily armed, and it often accompanied air craft carriers and provided cover during various missions.
During one battle off of Okinawa, the ship came under attack while it was totally cut off from air cover. It was there as part of the "Fire Support Force" and was engaged in a pre-invasion bombardment. The Nevada took a pounding, and my grandfather was one of the 49 wounded. He was a gunner, and an enemy plane had crashed into his gun. Eleven men were killed during that attack, but he survived and returned home to continue on with his life. It was not something that I ever heard him speak of.
He died in 1987. I think of him often, but even more so on Veteran's Day. I am proud of his service to our country, and I am thankful to be his granddaughter.
Dawn Isenhower
Realtor
Sibcy Cline Realtors
Milford Office
office: 513-248-0800
cell: 513-236-1254
Comments(2)