Pacific Lst 791

On the evening of March 31, 1945, hours before the invasion of Okinawa, Max Stripe, Billy Thornhill, and five other crewmen manned the forward twin 40 mm mount of LST 791. Riley was stationed up in the Conn, tracking enemy planes from bogey reports that came in over the radio. An increase in air attacks could be expected at sunset and dawn becausefor a brief timeaircraft could see the ships clearly, but it was difficult for the ships to see the planes. Suddenly, a group of transports astern of t