From the December 25, 2011, Vos Iz Neias.
Carl Clark will receive a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal January 17, 2012.
He was an E-6 Steward First Class on the destroyer minelayer USS Aaron Ward (DM-34) when it was attacked by kamikazes near Okinawa in May 1945. He said, "They would guide those planes directly into ships...flying bombs."
Six kamikazes attacked the Ward. The blast from one explosion was so strong, it blew Clark "all the way across the ship." He suffered a broken collarbone from that, but even so, dragged several men to safety and put out a fire in an ammunition locker which would have destroyed the ship.
He never received any honors for what he calls "bigotry."
Congratulations Mr. Clark. It's About Time! --GreGen
My Cooter's History Blog has become about 80% World War II anyway, so I figured to start a blog specific to it, especially since we're commemorating its 70th anniversary and we are quickly losing this "Greatest Generation." The quote is taken from Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Curre, who was on the USS Tennessee that day. He died Dec. 7, 2011, seventy years to the day. His photo is below at right.
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