To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in 1945, USAWS is showcasing a WWII Veteran each month. Lloyd A. “Chuck” Pickard was a Veteran of the Pacific Theater of Operations, 15 December 1942 – 7 December 1945. Stationed in various Pacific U.S. held islands with his USMC heavy artillery group Chuck and the 17th Air Defense Battery Group were finally stationed at Tinian Island to protect the all-important B-29 bombers and their air strips.
Read MoreTo commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in 1945, USAWS is showcasing a WWII Veteran each month. Donald "Don" Graves quit high school to join the Marine Corps in 1942 when he was 17. On February 19th, 1945 at 8:00 in the morning Don Graves landed on Iwo Jima. Don was the only flame thrower in the Second Battalion that survived the battle. "We had 335 Marines going in, 18 came off, I think about my buddies all the time. How can anyone go through that thing—day one through the end and not get hit? Grace of God.”
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