I had the pleasure of meeting a WWII veteran this afternoon . He was drafted, joined the navy, and his ship, the USS Chase, was damaged by a kamikaze attack near Okinawa. The men jumped into the Pacific. He held onto an oil barrel as he barely knew how to swim.
Another ship picked up the men and gave them dry clothes. The next morning, when their ship did not sink, they got back on it and it was towed in for repairs.
I found a copy of his draft registration card on Fold3 and printed a copy. He and his daughter seemed to appreciate that. That made me feel good to do something small but nice for him.
It was an enjoyable conversation, and my honor to talk with him