I SURVIVED A KAMIKAZE ATTACK AT 19 YEAR OLD, WWII NAVY GUNNER'S STORY USS FRANKLIN 1945

Описание: "The sound of that Zero engine... you never forget it. It meant a man had decided to die, and he wanted to take you with me."

George Anderson is 101 years old. In 1942, at just 17, he lied about his age to join the Navy. By 1945, he was a gunner aboard the USS Franklin - the most heavily damaged aircraft carrier to survive World War II.

On March 19th, 1945, fifty miles off the coast of Japan, George's ship was hit by two kamikaze attacks that killed 724 of his crewmates in eight minutes. This is his story.

This is what he saw. What he survived. And what he'll never forget.

📖 ABOUT THIS STORY:

The USS Franklin (CV-13) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier that served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. On March 19, 1945, while operating just 50 miles from the Japanese mainland, the Franklin was struck by two Japanese aircraft in a devastating attack.

The resulting fires and explosions from armed aircraft on the flight deck caused catastrophic damage. 724 crew members were killed and 265 wounded - the highest casualties suffered by any U.S. fleet carrier that survived the war.

Despite the damage, the crew's heroic efforts kept the Franklin afloat. The ship limped back to Pearl Harbor and eventually Brooklyn Navy Yard, but never returned to combat. For their actions that day, the Franklin's crew received the Presidential Unit Citation, and her captain, Leslie Gehres, and executive officer, Joseph Taylor, received the Medal of Honor.
George Anderson was one of the gunners who fought back against the kamikaze attacks. At 101 years old, he is one of the last living survivors of that day.

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