Since episode one was recorded, America lost another World War II veteran. Charles Earl DeMann, age 96, died on Thursday, January 6, 2022. Charles was present at Iwo Jima when the iconic flag photo was taken. As reported by Northfieldnews.com:

“The highlight of the battle of Iwo Jima was the raising of the flag,” DeMann said. “We were quite close in at that time and I remember watching a part of the climb.” On the night of May 3, 1945, DeMann found himself in one of the most vulnerable spots on the Little as 18-24 Japanese kamikazes came out of low cloud cover and attacked the destroyer…”

I am thoroughly saddened that I will never sit with Charles DeMann. Still, most will never know Jack. He lives and breathes, a living vestige of the war and nearby resident of the Hoosier state. Let us journey through episode two, as we continue to hear Jack’s firsthand account of life aboard a battle cruiser. As Jack was busy clearing shell casings off the deck, a torpedo “blew the bow right off the ship”.

In December of 1945, Jack went on to get married, courting his wife, Rita Freistroffer at the community center where Clinton meets Barr Street in downtown, Fort Wayne. You know, back when men were gentlemen; fellas would send the waitress with a drink, and hope to stir a conversation…with the cute one.