“Semper Paratus”, 22” x 17”, Serigraph, 2018
Richard, Marine Corps, 1943-1946
We’re sitting on five foot of ammunition and the Japanese are coming in strafing everything. One incendiary shell on this load and I was going to take a big ride. There would’ve been a big explosion, so I wanted off of that boat. Whatever was ashore had to be better than being on a stupid boat. And the Navy did take some serious injuries, very serious…they lost a lot of ships there, more than Normandy. Fourteen hundred ships involved and they lost a lot of them. I wanted off that stupid thing. I wanted to get my feet on the ground. Fortunately they didn’t hit us but I saw some other ones get hit. Big kaboom. Those planes dive right in…kamikaze, kamikaze. They dive right in and then a big explosion. So I was sure wanting to get on the ground.
We’re sitting on five foot of ammunition and the Japanese are coming in strafing everything. One incendiary shell on this load and I was going to take a big ride. There would’ve been a big explosion, so I wanted off of that boat. Whatever was ashore had to be better than being on a stupid boat. And the Navy did take some serious injuries, very serious…they lost a lot of ships there, more than Normandy. Fourteen hundred ships involved and they lost a lot of them. I wanted off that stupid thing. I wanted to get my feet on the ground. Fortunately they didn’t hit us but I saw some other ones get hit. Big kaboom. Those planes dive right in…kamikaze, kamikaze. They dive right in and then a big explosion. So I was sure wanting to get on the ground.