[GATOR NAVY]

Won't be seeing too many of these any more. My favorite years of the 24 I spent in the Navy were 1994 and 1995. The ship I was on spent almost a year just participating in 50th anniversary commemorations across the Pacific including Leyte in October. Got to meet a lot of the vets who came out for the ceremonies.

[GATOR NAVY]

"The first day was beautiful, and by 7 o'clock that evening it was raining," he said. "I think it rained every day for the next 30 days. My uniform just about rotted off me."

I remember on the way into Leyte Gulf we hit a wall of rain that was so heavy we had to turn around and head back out to sea. We were totally blinded visually and the radar picture was solid video. It was the hardest rain I've ever seen.

[Kirkwood]

My father, who is still living, was there at that moment and took a photograph of MacArthur coming ashore with his little folding pocket camera. He took many photographs of Leyte and later the remains of Manila.

[A.A. Cunningham]