>> “Wished I’d have interviewed my dad when he was alive - but he never wanted to talk about it.”
My dad only told me 2 things about his WW2 naval service.
The name of his ship (USS Heermann, DD-532) and that he’d received a battlefield promotion from Ensign to Lieutenant Commander during an engagement near the Philippines; nothing else.
It wasn’t until 3 years ago that I learned the details from another crew member I accidentally met. My dad’s ship was in the The Battle off Samar during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He was part of the Taffy 3 Force and the 4 destroyers and 4 destroyer escorts who charged the Japanese fleet.
I wish my dad had been more informative about his service.
Wow! Good for him!