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The Americans

USS CABOT
(CVL-28)

USS ESSEX
(CV-9)

USS HANCOCK
(CV-19)

USS INTREPID
(CV-11)

 

The Japanese

The Kamikazes

A6M Zero

D4Y SUISEI

IJN Kumano

IJN Yasoshima

 

Narrated By

Marvin Scott

 

Historical Advisor

Michael Marmé, PH.D.
Fordham University,
New YORK, NY

 

REcommended links

World War II
Multimedia Database

Nine Sisters

 

The American Veterans

The six veterans all joined the United States Navy in their teens. During World War II, the sailors were not much older than the high school students they met fifty-eight years later.

SIX TEENAGERS OFF TO WAR

Ed Coyne USS Intrepid (CV-11)	I. D. “Inny” Cerbini USS Hancock (CV-19)
John Giganti USS Essex (CV-9)	Gene Masucci USS Cabot (CVL-28)
Frank Maurizio USS Hancock (CV-19)	Lou Valenti USS Intrepid (CV-11)

The “Bluejackets” of World War II

The United States Navy numbered 125,202 officers and men in 1940 and 3,380,817 in 1945. Some 38% of United States Navy personnel volunteered, while 62% were drafted. During World War II 36,950 Navy personnel were killed and 37,778 were wounded in combat operations. 157 United States Navy (military) vessels were sunk during the war. An apprentice seaman received base pay of $50.00 per month ($564.45 in 2005 dollars) while a Chief Petty Officer received base pay of $138 per month ($1,557.88 in 2005 dollars).

The number of ships and men destroyed by kamikazes is in dispute, but roughly 7,500 Japanese suicide pilots flew to their deaths, sinking 120 American ships, with many more damaged. Almost 6000 Allied sailors were killed and another 6,000 wounded during October 1944-August 1945.