My dad was on the DD USS WADSWORTH, they were always on the tip of the spear headed towards Japan, sans 2 months at Mare Island for a refit.
Ships of Steel, Men of Iron
My FIL was on a CE Escort Carrier. CEs were to be the pack houses of the fleet assigned to carry replacement planes and pilots across Pacific up to the front line.
FIL said prior to start of Coral Sea, his Div Officer announced that we are now a front line carrier. Someone at quarters asked what that meant, he replied that any ship that floats is front line. I think my Dad’s destroyer had more below water armored plating than the CEs.
Daddy was in the combat engineers.
On the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, their C.O. was asked if he could cease their operation cutting timber in the Ardennes. If so they were to take a position blocking the Germans.
He replied that they could and did. Fortunately for them, the Germans took another route and it was the 291st which bore the brunt of the German spear.