I enlisted in March of 1942.
Everybody was going to go. I had not registered for the draft at that time because they hadn’t dropped the draft registration to my age.
I had an older brother who was in the Marine Corps.
I was going to school at Oklahoma A&M, and they came through recruiting and they (Marines) were looking for people who were in college and would sign up.
When they came to campus with this program, I decided I would enlist and know what would happen to me.
I figured it would be a few months before I would be eligible for the draft.
I was 19.
I went (to Okinawa) in a replacement draft of 1,200 enlisted men and about 120 second lieutenants… in the latter part of the battle.
Not much to tell you, but a lot of ships off shore were being hit by Kamikaze planes.
By that time, the northern part of the island had been secured and the remaining Japanese were holding onto the southern end of the Island.
Japanese wouldn’t give up.
A few surrendered at the very last, but not many ever surrendered.
Submitted by Tom Hamill, 85, a Marine from Oklahoma City
