Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:55 | Paul Henley recalls the time in which two Kamikazes bombed the USS Bates and he was forced to abandon ship.
Keywords : kamikaze USS Bates bomb abandoned ship USS Gosselin
After leaving Hawaii, Paul Henley soon departed to Iwo Jima. He experienced everything from planes flying overhead and dropping bombs to being involved in a battle between ships. He was a witness to the massive invasion for about 5 days after which, he bore witness to the raising of the famous flag on Iwo Jima.
Paul discusses when he was on Londonderry Island two days before D-Day guarding the USS Nevada and how he and his fellow soldiers had to navigate between mines set by the Germans. He says, “You’ll never forget it once you smell someone has gotten burned, badly burned.”
Paul Henley recalls the days before D-Day, when he was in boot camp for 6 weeks and was assigned to laundry duty for all of the men.
