My grandpa fought in Okinawa. He was a mechanic and landed after the marines had cleared the beaches. When his unit showed up they asked all the mechanics to raise their hands. When they had done so, they said they didn't need any mechanics and to pick up a rifle and form up. Same went for the cooks and the clerks.

He fought from April through May until finally being wounded by shrapnel from an errant shell. They sent him to Hawaii to recoup, and the war ended before he was to be mustered back in. He still had shrapnel in his arm when he died in December 2000.

I remember watching Sands of Iwo Jima as a kid. I was probably about 8 years old. My grandpa came in the room and started talking about how it really was. That was the only time I remember him talking about the war. I wish I had been old enough to pay attention, now all I have is that one memory and a badly written history my grandma typed up. I wish I wasn't too young to realize John Wayne was playacting and my grandpa had the real story.

About 5 years ago I discovered a good friend of mine Frank (my wife and I have become friends with a number of older couples) had been a marine on Okinawa. I told him about my grandpa and how he never spoke much about it. Frank was willing to share his story with me which is something I'm grateful for. Frank had lied on his enlistment in order to join up when he was 16. He joined the Marines and Okinawa was his first and only engagement. On Okinawa he got shot in the butt and like my grandfather spent much of the remainder of the war in Hawaii. After the war ended he served some time in the occupation of Japan.

Frank's still alive, though he and hi wife moved away to be closer to his kids. I don't know any others who are still alive that fought in WWII.

-Steve G.