My Dad served on the attack transport, USS Arthur Middleton. His ship participated at the battle of Tarawa.
He never spoke to me about the battle itself - other than to say he was there.
After my Dad’s passing in 2006, I learned from a family member that shortly after the end of the war my Dad had confided in him how it was impossible to avoid the bodies of our dead floating in the shallow waters as helped guide the landing craft that brought in supplies & took out our wounded Marines from Tarawa back to the Middleton.