Battleship 40mm Gunner Describes Fighting Off Kamikazes | Charles Owen

With the draft looming, and not wanted to sleep in foxhole, Charles Owen made the decision to enlist in the United States Navy in January 1943. After completing basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois, Owens would attend gunnery school where he learned to operate the 40mm anti-aircraft gun.
Owens was assigned to the Iowa-class battleship USS New Jersey, aboard which he would participate in many of the fiercest naval engagements of the Pacific War. Owen's would see action in the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa before returning home from war.
Recorded on February 20th, 2020
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[@americanveteranscenter]

Please subscribe to our channel so you don't miss future interviews with American heroes.

[@SpaceRanger187]

Please cover the Arellano vs the Supreme court.. Every veteran should know they are about to get fucked forever

[@koharumi1]

It would be interesting to see it from the other side of the war too.

[@jamesmusisca7547]

these are people with giant cast iron balls that didn't take no for an answer the enemy was very strong and they still beat them

[@72marshflower15]

@American Veterans Center ~ Hello, I'm an acquired savant from what I suspect is an aspect of the MK ULTRA program. Just a common citizen at a passing glance, though. You see, as a savant I understand objective political theory more adeptly than anyone alive today. This will be important for you to note, as I've been able to connect the dots on what the US military is and what it's actual purpose pursues. The US Capital Establishment sponsored the nazis as controlled opposition to reestablish Israel for religious conservatives. Sykes/Picot, Balfour, Nahkba all point to both world wars being instigated for such a cause. Also to annex the pacific arena, and force the emergent collective of the USSR to use up its immediate resources to defeat the nazis, thus allowing the US to take global hegemony. There's a reason the Ruskies have a holiday celebrating the defeat of the nazis and the US doesn't. The US has a demonstrable history of backing right wing extremists in other countries to over throw them or their neighbors. 72+ "color revolutions" (US backed Right Wing coup de eta'a) around the world in the past 80 years alone. It's the same social archetype at play in Ukraine today. Same sh!t. Different pile. Zelensky a Jew? Zionism has always been the Reich Wing, dummies. The Capital Establishment you serve has stolen most all of my life from me. Its the same Establishment bent on world destruction. I will not stop til the USCE and its pet MIC are dust.. ~ kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6nbqZ-rqdh-q6s *the memory of these men are a disservice to them in the light of truth. You people are sicko AF!!

[@72marshflower15]

@@billywylie3288 👆

[@kyleb.6756]

that man was more of a badass at 19 than most of us will be in our whole lives

[@Bee-tj8gc]

Khamakezse we're no joke. They sank close to 40 ships in the Pacific

[@johnnunn8688]

Loves the way this gentleman says ‘we’ but ensures we know it’s not just his ship. Kudos, Sir.

[@lokiprepper]

Proud of what he did, yet simultaneously humble about it. An excellent example for all of us.

[@brianjmortensen]

100% Pride, with 0% Ego. They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to. . .

[@Jc-cv2ug]

"we" is also a very common way for Kentuckians and Tennesseans to refer to themselves instead of using "I" or "me"

[@jamesscheidt4278]

"Uncommon valor is a common virtue."

[@fdd7002]

I think your giving too much credit for literally something irrelevant

[@Naddan49]

My dad drove a truck in Germany. I asked him where he was. He said he didn't know. Nobody knew where they were. After the war he came home and drove a street car in Chicago. His route ran right next to Midway airport. One day a plane came in low and buzzed his street car. He slamed on the brakes, opened the door and dove into the gutter in the street. He wasn't sure how long he laid there but got up and sheepishly got back on the car. The passangers all cheered him. They knew.

[@xakistrxsh4501]

bro hella capping

[@stevispevisclips4429]

what in the hell are you going on about!?

[@mikebrase5161]

@@stevispevisclips4429 planes would strafe the trucks his dad drove during the war. The first move was to stop and seek cover. The trucks have no armor so you didn't want to be in one when a plane was shooting at it.

[@johndemetrii809]

@@mikebrase5161 thx great explanation, still don't believe him... But thx

[@lynnwood7205]

@@johndemetrii809 I believe him. I have seen that reaction in amongst the fathers of my boyhood friends who were combat veterans of the European theater.

[@canoli72]

My dad was on the West Virginia after they raised her off the mud at Pearl Harbor. He ended up as the XO on a LSM headed for Japan when the bombs were dropped. His ship then sailed up the Yangtze River where it was handed over to the Nationalist Chinese. He boarded another US ship and ended up in Puget Sound in May of 1946. He died in 2015 at the age of 91.

[@edstyer2566]

Bless him and his service and family!!!

[@lt.petemaverickmitchell7113]

From the state of West Virginia, I thank your Dad for his service and sacrifices! God bless you and your family!

[@ColoradoStreaming]

My Grandpa fought on a Sub Chaser in the Pacific Theater and ended up living on Bainbridge Island to retire. He used to sit on his back deck with binoculars and watch ships go by. Once I asked him what his favorite Navy ship was to watch and he just said, "I just like the fact I can watch our ships come into harbor and they are not damaged anymore." I didnt really understand what he meant until I was older and watched footage of our ships in WWII getting hit by kamikazes etc. Then it really hit home that he knew every ship that went by burned or full of holes meant dead sailors.

[@geniocristo5297]

Another youtube comments war hero 👎

[@richardhall6762]

Your father was outstanding. Bless him for his service! Of course I never met him but he was willing to give his life for the greatest Republic the world has ever seen, and all of our freedoms, such as they are these days.

[@stulynn2005]

I can’t imagine helping build your own ship at the start of naval training This man truly is a hero and shows what the greatest generation was made of

[@cs-rj8ru]

My Great Uncle was a gunner just like him on a similar ship. He was Handcuffed to his gun during a battle and never forgave his officers for it. They told him "fight or be killed". Similar to what this gent was told.

[@alextownsend8624]

Men like him make me proud to be an American. Proud to have a flag hanging in my room I see every morning before work. I hope my son's look up to men like him and all of the others who fought with him. They left their homes, friends, families, and everything they knew to ensure our freedom. Most were boys, who never had the chance to reproduce, get married, feel the love of having two sons greet you at the door like I did. These men, and all who serve shouldn't have to want for anything as long as they live. Thankyou for you're sacrifice and service to all active and ex military.

[@dellomino3703]

Well said.

[@markjordan1765]

Semper FI Alex

[@trev5287]

Bootlicker

[@timhensley1297]

That was a great tribute comment to men like him. Couldn't say anything better. I'm glad their are still people that appreciate great American's as i do.

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

Dittos pal, dittos.

[@FarmerDrew]

The New Jersey bristled with so many guns that it was a true novelty, like a floating war cactus. Powerful words from a good sailor. Thanks for fighting.

[@steved1355]

Floating war cactus lol that's my new favorite nickname for a battleship

[@FarmerDrew]

@@steved1355 It was also the fastest floating war cactus ever! How fast was the USS NJ? 35.2 knots In 1968, during a shakedown cruise, the Iowa-class USS New Jersey achieved a top speed of 35.2 knots (65.2 km/h) which it sustained for six hours.

[@glenchapman3899]

@@steved1355 There is a British naval historian described her as USS 2nd Amendment, because she had so many weapons every crew member could exercise their rght to bare arms lol

[@FarmerDrew]

@@glenchapman3899 Glorious

[@OrbitFallenAngel]

The USS New Jersey was also an Iowa class Battleship! The Iowa class was one of the best, especially during WW2!! Our Battleship's were very very dangerous to approach...especially after 1944....the US Navy had by then eclipsed the Japanese Navy...

[@jamesotayza2230]

These vets are an INTERNATIONAL treasure. They spilled their own blood making the world a better place for us. These are seriously hard and brave men. Thank you from the Philippines!

[@donaldg.freeman2804]

This gentleman has a phenomenal memory. Sounds like he memorized the ship's log, day by day, date by date.

[@bigmclargehuge7170]

Before the internet, people used to remember things far better.

[@theaccountant5133]

It may not be just a good memory. If you have been in the military in a war zone you know you remember things vividly. Some call it post trauma disorder. Lasts for life.

[@maddyg3208]

@@theaccountant5133 He probably kept a diary

[@barryrammer7906]

What a great man from the greatest generation. What a treat to hear him speak.

[@BST-lm4po]

This is why Americans need to keep an eye on D.C.! Too many Americans sacrificed to protect America's freedom and sovereignty. If you're fortunate enough to not have to go to war, the least you/I/we can do is be vigilant in monitoring our government.

[@BeardedDanishViking]

@@BST-lm4po You don't genuinely believe that any war fough by the US since Vietnam has had anything to do with "protection", do you?

[@ridethecurve55]

@@BST-lm4po Without conspiracy theories, of course, Sir. That's what made America who She Was. Truth. No Less, and No More.

[@mosin9105]

What an honor it is to listen to Mr. Owens tell us the story of his service to our great country! Thank you, sir!

[@markcantemail8018]

Yes My Neighbor Rodgers Gorman was a 40mm Gunner on a Tin Can . He also mentioned being a ships Talker and radio work ? He was the youngest guy on the Ship and was trained at Sampson . He missed Sicily but his ship was active in both Atlantic and Pacific . The Stories he told about Kamikazes of Okinawa were Chilling ! Weeks of constant action on Picket Duty . Thank you Mr Owen and all the rest of you who can still remember how it was .

[@ridethecurve55]

Officer Owens, that is. And He earned his title!

[@ElementalMaker]

Having been on the USS New Jersey several times, it's amazing to hear this man who waitied for it to be built share his experiences. Thank you for your sacrifice and service sir.

[@markcorbett3807]

The New Jersey is The Most Decorated Ship in USN history. Fought the Japanese,…provided kickass naval threat in BEIRUT. Thank You!

[@fight-sex-trafficking]

Much respect for this man and his generation. We owe them a lot

[@seanohare5488]

We sure do

[@matro951]

My grandfather got a purple heart in WW2 he was a fc2 shooting down kamakazies he got burned from kams hitting ship and blowing up saw a lot of his friends die these guys were truly the greatest generation

[@qcoats]

Thank god for your grandfather. I was also an FC2 during Desert Storm. Your grandfather blazed that path. God bless you and your Family. Semper Fortis!!!!

[@matro951]

@@qcoats he's the reason I went in the navy

[@josephtravers777]

My FIL was a cockswain landing troops on Iwo Jima. A shell hit his gun and knocked him out of the tower onto the deck, crushing his lungs. He was sent home with a Purple Heart but struggled the rest of his life fighting the demons he saw in the war. God bless his soul, may he RIP.

[@matro951]

@@josephtravers777 he's also a legend

[@ridethecurve55]

@@josephtravers777 Oh, I am so Sorry, Sir. What a sorrow, yet an Honor to experience this as a SIL. You surly gave comfort to him and did more than you ever thought you would. May God Bless you and your FIL, Sir.

[@jeffreyperrault3792]

The greatest generation no doubt.Most were boys who lied about their age so they could enlist..past and present always thank a veteran.freedom isn't free.

[@chuckgrigsby9664]

Amazing parallel to my Dad, who went into the Navy before Pearl Harbor, did his basic at Great Lakes, and joined the USS Idaho in the N. Atlantic shadowing the Bismark. The USS Idaho missed out on the attack on Pearl Harbor, but made it back to the Pacific post haste. My Dad was a "director-operator" on either a 20mm or a 40mm AA gun, and he described battles in the Gilberts, the Marshalls, the Marianas, and Okinawa. He often mentioned being part of the action that shot down five kamikazes in 4 minutes and 32 seconds. His story then got fuzzy. Somehow, he got transferred stateside on Shore Patrol on troop trains returning ETO military personnel to their homes following demobilization. He described picking up the train on the east coast and being able to stop off in Kansas City to visit home before making the trip back. I wish I had learned more from him about his experiences. What an amazing generation of people. What pieces of s**t we have in our society who embrace fascism in the light of the massive struggle, worldwide, to put fascism down.

[@cassconner6023]

Embracing Communism is more accurate.

[@tonyInPA]

I’m so proud to be a volunteer on battleship New Jersey. So many of your shipmates are no longer with us. I hope you’ve been back and signed the crew’s wall. We will keep up our work so future generations will remember you.

[@navret1707]

👍

[@GLC-1979]

Your profile pic is childish and offensive. Indicitive of them being better than you.

[@vipergtsmre]

Such an amazingly detailed memory. Fantastic story from an incredible man. I'm glad he shared it with us, my Gramps never said a word. MSgt in the 8th/12th/15th AAC 301st BG 419sq. 1942 to 45.

[@OrbitFallenAngel]

Your Grandpa is part of *The Greatest Generation To Have Ever Walked The Earth* !! 💗🇺🇸💗🇺🇸💗🇺🇸 God Bless your Grandpa for his service during WW2!! 🙏💗🇺🇸 My Grandpa also served during WW2 in the European Theater, he was in General Patton's 3rd Army!! 🇺🇸💗🙏 I never got to talk to him because he died when I was very young...😞 These guys literally saved the world!!

[@vipergtsmre]

@@OrbitFallenAngel ...and so was yours. Definitely the greatest generation. I'm lucky enough to have some of his decorations (highest is a BS) and his Class A dress. I was a teenager when he passed, so was fortunate to know him for a while. My other gramps was Navy but enlisted later in the war and never left country. He is one of the reasons my channel is what it is. One of these days I will video the ww2 air crew ration I have.🇺🇸

[@OrbitFallenAngel]

@@vipergtsmre Yes, my Grandpa definitely was part of the *Greatest Generation To Have Ever Walked The Earth* !! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💗 I really wish that I could have talked to my Grandpa and asked him about all of the places he was...I do have his blue book that he wrote the exact places he was..but it's different actually hearing about it then to read it.. you know?? We definitely need to get as many of their stories down as we plausibly can!! Because their Generation literally saved the world! I'm eternally grateful for all of the sacrifices and how they stepped up and many went off to War never to return home ever again...😞🇺🇸💗 It breaks my heart to know that many of them who served either in the European Theater or the Pacific Theater never got to know a world without War...never got to come back home and get married or have kids...or see their parents again.. I'm definitely going to subscribe to your channel! Thank you for sharing a little bit about your Grandpa!!

[@vipergtsmre]

@@OrbitFallenAngel you as well! Check out this channel. These guys preserve as many stories as they can. kzbin.info

[@onlyGodcanfixtheUSA]

“We were covered pretty good”, after listing all the ships guns! UNBELIEVABLE!

[@Existntlangst]

Damn. Battleship sailors are a rare breed.

[@craigbutler6243]

I'm an Englishman of 49 years. My grandfather lost a leg, a lung & portion of his face in France in ww2. This gentleman & my grandfather & all those men, no matter what allied country they were from, were cut from the same cloth....that cloth has become rarer & rarer.

[@04F350LOVER]

God bless you sir. I'm sorry if the people of this country are letting you down these days. Thank you for your service!

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

@Karl with a K In fact, the USA is many orders of magnitude richer and more powerful now, in every way measurable. If your companies had not moved their manufacturing overseas, they wouldn't have been able to supply your populations needs, even at many times the real cost of production. The calculation is simple, and the widespread riches completely apparent to even the simple minded.

[@ridethecurve55]

@Karl with a K And who did all that? Let's be clear about it, okay? You and they and I may have different opinions about that, but we need to not villainize each other before we all know the truth. Just please remember that we're all Americans, and we can Try to live up to the unspoken standards of the Greatest Generation.

[@ampatriotsmith9545]

@Karl with a K Unions played a part in jobs going overseas over time

[@thesweeples3266]

Ouch…. A pronoun hit me.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

@@karlwithak1835 No. Your children all have benefited enormously, the lives they lead and will lead are multiple times better by every measure than the children of the 1940s. Your entire Economy and Society has become the richest, best supplied, and most sustainable of all the world. Instead of most of you working on farms as was the case in 1916 ( something like 74% of Americans worked in agriculture then ) your employment potential is literally incalculable, simply beginning to take measure is defeated because of the swiftness of innovation. And that innovation wouldn't have come about without the vastly increased value of US business. And IF the businesses had not sent production of components and machines and tools overseas, you would already have run out of Americans to run the factories. Half as many people work in "American" factories overseas, as there are working age ACTUAL Americans. And to keep the same increase in wages that the present regime has supported, you would have had to price your cars, computers and washing machines so highly, as to massively decrease consumption. Even the American workers could not have afforded to buy them, and there would have been a much lower pool of FOREIGN buyers too. Sadly, you don't understand JUST how exceptional your business community has been in the last 50 years. You are relying on nostalgia, not actual fact.

[@dennisst.pierre210]

My Dad was on a heavy cruiser in the Pacific theater. Mad respect for those kids and what they went through.

[@KSparks80]

My Grandpa was in the Pacific as a radarman on the heavy cruiser USS Wichita (CA-45).

[@acommonspat5253]

My dad served on BB 41 USS Mississippi. He was on a 20mm that was hit by kamikaze, he was the only survivor from his crew.

[@gregstewart3641]

My father-in-law was also on the Mississippi. Lost him a year ago at age 95. Saw every battle in the Pacific and was at the peace treaty signing in Tokyo Bay. Fascinating to hear him speak of his days in the Navy and his precise recollection of the battles he was in.

[@acommonspat5253]

@@gregstewart3641 Sorry for your loss. I lost my dad in 2010 he was 89. There's a good chance they may have known one another. My dad served on her all the way from the Atlantic before the war and all the way through the Pacific until he was injured at Okinawa. His best story was that he and three other sailors where selected for a night on the town in San Francisco with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Becall, but of course they were all great stories.

[@cecilhiggins9907]

Men like you from my family and my community is why I joined the Marine Corp. Not because it was expected but because I felt I owed every one that had gone before me and that I wanted to keep my family’s way of life preserved.

[@olwe1000]

I work at a grocery store here in Florida. There was an older guy with a USS Massachusetts cap on, similar to what this veteran is wearing. I asked him if he was on the USS Massachusetts and he said that he was. Since I was working I could only talk to him for a few moments. I asked him some questions about the time he served on the ship. I knew a little bit about the USS Massachusetts and what battles she had been in. The questions I asked were answered correctly. He enlisted after Pearl Harbor into the Navy. His assignment as a gunner was on the USS Massachusetts after it was set out to sea. He travelled to North Africa first and back to the states and made it out to the Pacific. He was in several battles. I asked him if he had any pictures and he said he did but he left them in Chicago. He was staying in Florida for the winter months. I saw him a few more times but only briefly spoke to him. I wanted more information and perhaps interview him, somewhat like this video. I said goodbye in the spring and told him I will see him in the fall and to bring his photos. He said he would. I never saw him again.

[@matrox]

He forgot to mention the USS New Jersey is the most decorated battle ship in US Navel history.

[@stark20ful]

Can you imagine these guys looking at what our country is becoming and saying what the hell did I fight for

[@rockymountainlifeprospecti4423]

My grandfather told me about them putting up a wall of lead by the end of the war, but at the cost of many sailors lifes.. bless them all.. thank you for sharing this story and keeping history alive!!

[@roberthendricks1453]

What a Patriot! Thank you sir for what you did to save this country.

[@ecleveland1]

Those men and women that served our country during times of war will never be thanked enough and certainly never forgotten.

[@hankdetroit2076]

A real American, last of a dying breed, God bless you brother.

[@bobk2314]

The best generation of men ever

[@madmanmechanic8847]

I love and respect these guys so much ! I have such a soft spot and also admiration for them all. I bet when they came home and the hustle bustle and all the adrenaline rush's came to a stop they went nuts.

[@loboheeler]

The stress was so great that many veterans would later not speak about their experiences, especially those who were in the South Pacific in all services. The USN was not immune to some of the horrors.

[@madmanmechanic8847]

@@loboheeler I never said they were. I watched a video on a Navy Vet that drove the LST"S up on Omaha beach as soon as the ramp went down bullets started flying through and hitting soldiers and killing them before they even got out off the ramp. They died right before his eyes . Later after the invasion was done on the beach and it was secure he had to go in on the Beach and pick up every one of those dead bodies and pile them into the LST bring them back to ship and they put them all on the upper deck . He remembered the count it was like 367 bodies some blown to bits because he went through 367 body bags. When he got done he sat down on the deck of the ship looking at the stars and was from head to toe in blood . They had chow ready down in the mess hall but he didnt feel like eating . A C.O. came up on deck wanted to know if he wanted to come down for chow and was shocked at his appearance, And he replied no I will just stay up here didnt want to go down in the mess hall looking like this anyway . After the war he still sees all those dead bodies on the beach ,367 was the count and he said something that was very profound. He said you leave the war but the war never leaves you. I thought wow ! Nothing but respect and honor for this man what he went through and the sacrifices they all made.

[@timstone3441]

He is talking about the Marianas turkey shoot knocking out the 400 planes. My dad a fighter pilot was there. Brave men…

[@Fresh-tw7ev]

We stand on the shoulders of giant patriots 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Our country is hurting mightily right now because too many men like this have passed to their Great Reward.

[@estebanmiguel6019]

Nice. Tough times seem to make tough men. Maybe we’ve had it too good for too long.

[@edwelndiobel1567]

Somebody needs to go interview all the surviving WW2 vets before its too late.

[@williamgibb5557]

To ALL who have served or are serving, thank you for my FREEDOM! My wife's uncle served on The New Jersey. Great stories he had. Speak softly and have big battleship. Works everytime.

[@ramal5708]

One of my relatives served on USS Guam, the Large cruiser in April 1945, they said the whole TF58 ships are in constant condition one at one point for 24/7, because Admirals Spruance and Mitscher couldn't risk any Japanese aircraft approaching the Task Force. Most men slept, ate and stood at their battlestations for the whole day in their battle gear.

[@lt.petemaverickmitchell7113]

It was TRULY an honor to listen to you sir. THANK YOU for the sacrifices you made in a place in time we can’t imagine.

[@dalehood1846]

Amazing first-hand account of history. GOD bless ALL of our veterans! David Hood US Navy 1962-1970 RIP.

[@DarylW426]

Thank you PO Qwens for your service. My Father was a WWII Navy Veteran on a Destroyer tender. Every time I think of what this generation did for the world I am in awe and so thankful and appreciative. A big thank you to Americans Veterans Center for recording their stories for future generations.

[@navret1707]

I went aboard the New Jersey when she was in Norfolk heading to Nam. She is a beautiful, powerful ship! Very impressive piece of ship work.

[@parrot849]

These interviews are priceless. My father was in a tank battalion in the 3rd Infantry Division from 1942 to 1945. He started the war in North Africa and finished it in Bavaria, Germany. Unfortunately he passed away at 47 years old from war related wounds when I was only 14 years old in 1966. I now think of all the questions that went unanswered and all the things he and I could’ve talked about had he lived and had I grown to manhood with him along with me during those years. Still miss him.

[@marysullivan3326]

I'm very sorry for your loss. i miss my parents as well....life is like walking a tight rope....very fragile

[@parrot849]

@@marysullivan3326 Thank you Mary

[@BlueWaterSTAX]

Thank God for the Greatest generation

[@DairyAirGunners]

I salute you sir. I was at sea and saw the NJ getting underway for Vietnam in 1968.

[@jbman413]

We were in Misawa Japan maybe winter of 82/83 we had 6 aircraft as 3 were in the I/O, we went from 6 to 30 aircraft on station during the USS New Jersey prepreshake down cruise. (don’t know what else to call it) following her rehab in the pacific. We had P-3’s on top of her 24-7. One day on my ASDO watch we launched 6 ready ones for her. All crews were on 4 hour alerts. Ronald was not playing games....

[@anlerden4851]

very great American Hero for me.😊😇🥰😍🤗

[@salembeeman370]

Bravo Zulu. My Dad was machine gunner on an Avenger off the USS Bunkerhill. She eventually was hit by a Kamikaze. Great men made a great nation. Said to see our youth today.

[@mickmacy6161]

Another reluctant hero that gives credit to everyone else. God Bless this man and God Bless The USA!

[@sleepingninjaquiettime]

The navy used one of the best secret weapons of the war and the majority of the sailors weren't even aware of it it: the 90mm radio proximity fuse rounds. My grandfather was on a 20mm team and he said that in the beginning they would warp most the barrels because they were putting so many rounds down range. Good thing for tracer rounds and Kentucky windage.

[@F_Tim1961]

I doubt if more than one or two gunnery officers per ship knew the details of the so called VT (Variable time) shells. Other ammunition had to made a hit to have an effect but the VT shell could bring down an aircraft with a near miss blast to the wing/ailerons or rudder. There's an article on it in Wikipedia. They were not allowed to be used over land (the Pentagon fearing a dud shell in enemy hands would be reverse engineered ) until the time of the Ardennes offensive when things were so serious for the Americans that Eisenhower demanded their release them for use in ground burst mode against ground troops. Some of these Ardennes shells course did not explode but fortunately they were not taken back to Germany for examination.

[@mobilerepairsolutionsllc]

In war thunder the 5 inch US ships you can use the vt fuses against aircraft its works mint. I can only imagine in real life its devastatingly effective

[@ColoradoStreaming]

""The funny fuze won the Battle of the Bulge for us. I think that when all armies get this shell we will have to devise some new method of warfare." - General Patton

[@markceciljr1354]

GREATEST GENERATION BY FAR

[@McGovern1981]

Wow got to watch the ship being built that's crazy! Toured some of them and the amount of engineering and work put into that sort of thing is insane!

[@glenchapman3899]

Until the Saturn 5 rocket was built in the 60s , battleships were by far the most complex machines ever built by man.

[@chrismaggio7879]

This man and the men like him ARE history! They are the men who won the war, the men who did what we only saw in movies and read in books and heard about from history videos. He is one of the heroes we need to thank every day.

[@mikeh7153]

When men were MEN. Thank you Mr. Owen

[@jacobmccandles1767]

This was my Dad's GQ station during the war. His duty station was as a cook. He was also voluntold as part of a "prize crew" at least twice.

[@waynewilliams8554]

Thank you sir. My Dad was on the USS Biloxi in the Pacific, saw his share of battle. He never talked very much about his time in service with us kids, but he did instill us with the American dream of being whatever we wanted to be. Thank you Dad!!

[@sproutsisters5398]

Always enjoy these thank you for getting this history put onto film/youtube so we can all enjoy these hero's stories

[@tommychew6544]

I really liked this one from a Man who was in support role, without Men doing what he was doing along with the Cooks and everyone else aboard or our Naval ships we couldn't have done what we did. Everyone is a cog in the wheel that makes things work. I was a Marine field radio operator from 85 to 89 and never thumped my chest about it, I knew without support people the battles can't happen. This Man's story is one I wish was told more, it takes a Team to win a War!

[@la_old_salt2241]

Tommy, he was a gunners mate, that's not support. He was at the tip of the spear.

[@tommychew6544]

@@la_old_salt2241 I know what you mean, I was just commenting on his comments of not wanting to be a ground force during the War. I was trying to back up all the other men who didn't want to be there on the ground either. Those sailors on the Naval ships went through their own kind of hell! Thanks for your reply and I hope you understand that I understand.

[@la_old_salt2241]

@@tommychew6544 I'm tracking with you bud, take care. God bless, Rob, USNR 1987-1995

[@estebanmiguel6019]

Nice comment my friend. I spent years in the navy as an electricians mate. Always wish I’d of done something more substantial in the service. “Cogs in a wheel”, well said.

[@marcuscicero9587]

thrilling to hear about history from a guy that lived it. thanks brother for your service

[@kevdadd1976]

Great story! I loved every single minute.

[@marcatteberry1361]

Fantastic Story telling! Loved it! Thank you sir!

[@xvsj5833]

Thank You for sharing your story, service, courage and sacrifice for freedom Sir. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@garymckee448]

Outstanding interview. Thanks 👍

[@frankobrien1371]

60-20 mil guns, 80- 40 mil guns, 20- 5” guns and 9- 16” guns. Holy crap, firepower??

[@rtrobinson88321]

Thank you Mr. Owen for your service. God bless you

[@bloodandguts6586]

80 40mm guns hurling lead, I'm surprised anyone was even brave enough to get a close call. Let's put it in perspective for anti-aircraft fire, the Yamato was hurling 27,780 lbs per minute, the New Jersey was hurling 44,409 lbs per minute. I can't imagine what must have gone on inside the heads of Japanese pilots when they got eyes on the New Jersey after thinking Pearl Harbor wiped out our Navy pretty good. "Where did you get that ship?" "Oh this, just something we wiped up for the occasion, you guys do still want to play, right?"

[@mycowboyways915]

God Bless you Mr Owen. What an amazing story.

[@to8860]

What a great man!!!

[@bigp3006]

Utmost respect to this hero. My dad was in the Philippines 42-45, the Japanese were tough dedicated fighters that were no easy kills.

[@jackyandell2489]

My Dad also 2as in the Phillipines, 20 Oct.44 landed on Leyte. He was with the 6th.Army. I saw how the war affected him. He was a good man, father, husband. He died in 1976 at the age of 55.

[@bigp3006]

@@jackyandell2489 ugh way too young, mine was in the 43rd division, he passed 8 years ago trying to put a fire out at 89. He also has my highest respect 🇺🇸

[@vissitorsteve]

So much respect for him and heroes like him. We owe everything to them. Such a pleasure to watch your channel.

[@charleywalker2982]

Thanks for sharing your videos and keep them coming please.

[@lawrencemartin24]

My father was an Army Air Corps crew chief. He had been transferred stateside from England. He had been near a lightening strike and was injured. (Burned legs) They retrained him stateside to work on the B29. He had orders for Okinawa . Two weeks before he was to leave they dropped the A Bombs. His enlistment was for the duration and 1 year. He was discharged in Summer of 46. RIP Pop...1921-1991

[@josephaulisio9281]

So he missed the show.

[@jamestiscareno4387]

These guys are my heroes.

[@jamescole8049]

My generation could sure learn a thing or two from these men.

[@OverlordGrizzaka]

My great uncle was a bofors gunner. Got assigned to a surface ship 3 weeks before his sub was sunk. Out of all the nicknames I've ever had, my favorite will always be him calling me "gunner".

[@kbbacon]

Thank you for your service!! Thank you for the video.

[@kalgstol]

A generation of men that just can't be replaced.

[@ernestweaver9720]

My Dad was in Burma. He was one of Merril's Marauders. He would not talk about it much. The one thing that impressed me the most about him was he never held any contempt or ill will for the Japanese people. His brother however landed on the beaches of Normandy and absolutely despised the Germans.

[@dylanfgarrison]

My grandfather told me the same thing. I enlisted in the Navy because I wasn’t going into the Army or Marines! He’d rather take his chances on a ship than run onto a beach. Smart guys.

[@andyd9199]

priceless...........thanks for sharing these veterans stories.

[@traphouseadmin9751]

God-Bless all these old-timers...

[@bobbydickinson7901]

Thank you for your service, sir! 🇺🇸

[@jimseviltwin1]

I worked in the 70’s with a carpenter’s mate who was stationed on a battleship in the Orient; he shared the same stories-enemy planes never had a chance, they never remotely got close to his ship.

[@sunnybeach4837]

Thank you sir from the bottom of my heart for fighting for our country

[@jameswilkins5938]

My father was on the USS Astoria CL 90 in the same general area and time frame. I wish I had thought to question him more about his experiences. I was on the USS Andrew Jackson SSBN 619. In 1966 there was a draft and the same as this fellow I didn't want to get drafted so I followed in my father's footsteps. I remember him saying that you always had food and a dry place to sleep.

[@mattbulfin4220]

Thank you so much for this video. Truly the greatest generation, I shudder to think if that situation arose in present day. We need great men like this recorded to inspire future generations and so we NEVER forget what others gave so we can enjoy the lives we have.

[@robpelick7460]

Thank you, sir, for your bravery and your service

[@dongzilla1979]

What these Americans went through - the Depression, WW2, etc - were truly uniting experiences. Greatest generation. I pray for a return to these values despite our modern conveniences

[@markshaw3219]

So much respect for Mr. Owens and other persons like him!

[@estebanmiguel6019]

Ships of steel…men of steel. In this photo of me, to my right is Ralph King. Ralph lives up the street from me and is 97 years old. He fought at the battle of Bastogne and later became one of the first green berets. God, country, family!

[@michaeldougfir9807]

Good report. Teamwork well represented. I come from a Navy family. We are proud of this sort of man. Please thank him.

[@mervinmoshenko5188]

From Canada,Thanx so much for what the military from your generation did so I can now be listening to these Amazing true stories.Thank you Sir!

[@Wadaryu1000]

Thank you for your service Sir. Respect.

[@bobfeller604]

Terrific interview!

[@victoriaman117]

I know I am blessed that I have never had to do these things, because men like him did. Thank you sir

[@markhirsch1782]

Thankyou For Your Service 😊

[@Wi11duhbea5t]

We are truly so blessed to hear these great stories of these men of the worl wars such an honor

[@stephenw3506]

Great story - and sounded just like my grandfather. Saw the training that the infantry had to go through and decided to join the Navy before he was conscripted back in 1939. Thanks to the AVC and everyone who has or does serve in the armed services. Its vital that we record these recollections from all of the military servicemen and women across all conflicts.

[@Lord_Ronin_The_Compassionate]

Conscripted in 1939? That sounds a bit odd but I’m not trying to be awkward about it, just pointing out the little mistake. When war was declared in September 1939, no one had any idea how bad it might be so all the combatants were all volunteers. The BEF started out as an all volunteer force when transferred to France As for America, the country was lead by a president that was incredibly prescient insofar as he tried to avoid having Americans join the war too soon, but he and his advisors realised that America couldn’t avoid the war indefinitely. I am still amazed that he set forth the “Selective Services Act”** which required all men between 18 and 45 to register for the draft - the amazing bit is it was done in November 1940, long before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Such forethought quite possibly had one of the most important effects on how the war would be fought. Imagine if the mobilisation of Americans hadn’t started when it did, but was left until the attack on Pearl Harbour? It’s quite likely that the allies would not have been able to mount the D-day invasion of Europe because Rommel was busy reinforcing the “Atlantic Wall” defences - they were quite formidable in June 1944, but if the Germans had been able to build their defence in depth due to the later arrival of America as would’ve been likely were it not for the draft in 1940, then the outcome would have been much harder to achieve. Thankfully, because of Roosevelt’s actions America was far better prepared by the time they joined in - thank you America.* Throughout my military career (1978-2008) as a British Royal Marine Commando & SBS (C Squadron), I’ve been fortunate to experience regular interactions between our tiny (compared to American version) Corps of Royal Marines and our younger brothers in the USMC, both in exercises, cross training, runs ashore (pub crawl) and every war/fight during that time, I’ve grown accustomed to their ways. Their sense of inappropriate, dark, gallows humour in the face of impending doom is something that we share. If I was to choose my “top team” of fighting units to fight alongside, I’d have the USMC on one flank and the British Parachute Regiment on the other - nothing, in this world or the next would stand a chance. I found them to be funny as feck, loyal to a degree that civilians will never understand, generous to a fault, and the best bunch of mates I’ve ever known. That’s not to say that I hold the other American military units in low esteem, quite the contrary, but if pushed to choose I’d go with the USMC every time. **edit to clarify (my apologies if I caused any offence to our American cousins); As World War II raged in Europe and Asia, Congress narrowly passed the Selective Training and Service Act, instituting the first peacetime draft in U.S. history. Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill into law on September 16, 1940, and all males of ages 21 to 36 were required to register with the resurrected Selective Service System-although, for the first time, provisions were officially made for conscientious objectors. Some 45 million men registered and more than 10 million were inducted through the Selective Service System between November 1940 and October 1946.

[@stephenwest6738]

Are you me? Or am I you?