| USS MORRISON (May 4, 1945)
Sailing south-west of Okinawa, the Morrison was attacked by a force of twenty five Japanese planes. Three of the planes attempted suicide runs but failed. The fourth plane to attack crashed into the bridge knocking out all electric power and causing many casualties. As the destroyer began to list to starboard, the order to abandon ship was given. This was immediately followed by two internal explosions causing her bow to lift into the air before plunging into the depths. There was little time for the men below deck to escape, thus 152 of them died. Among the 179 officers and men who survived, 108 were wounded.
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On weald of Kent I watched once more
Again I heard that grumbling roar
Of fighter planes; yet none were near
And all around the sky was clear
Borne on the wind a whisper came
'Though men grow old, they stay the same'
And then I knew, unseen to eye
The ageless Few were sweeping by
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