. . Albert Crawford On December 7, 1941, 17-year-old Al Crawford asked his father if he could join the Navy. His father’s response was swift: “One less mouth to feed.” Those five words launched Al’s long military career. In WWII, Al served on the USS Swivel (ARS-36), which saw duty
. . Fred Connors Fred Connors served in the US Navy from August 1942 until January 1946 aboard the USS Lexington in aviation ordinance. missing video/audio
. . Ila Cole Coming from a large family (nine siblings) and having four brothers in military service, it seemed like a normal decision for Ila to want to join the WAVES at the age of twenty. She grew up in a small town in Iowa and had a nice
. . Walter "Larry" Chrzan Larry Chrzan’s mother didn’t want him to join the Navy; she feared that if he were killed in battle at sea his body might never be found. But Larry had a compelling but personally peculiar reason to join the Navy. As a Depression-era teenager, he
. . Bob Christman As a Navy ensign during World War II, Bob Christman served as a navigator aboard the USS Sitka (APA-113), a luxury liner that had been refitted for troop transport. Back and forth from its home base in Manila, the Philippines, the Sitka plied the Pacific Ocean,
. . Edward Chekan Edward Chekan served in the US Navy from 1943 to 1946 as a radio operator and gunner aboard a PBY seaplane in the Atlantic. missing video/audio
