Every time they showed a picture aboard the Essex, I was scared to death it would be one of mine. That's something I could never have lived down." On his wartime experiences: "As to what a fellow thinks when he's scared, I guess it's the same with anyone. You get fleeting glimpses in your mind of your home, your wife, the baby you want to see. You see so clearly all the mistakes you made. You want another chance to correct those mistakes. You wonder how you could have attached so much importance to ridiculous, meaningless things in your life. But before you get to thinking too much, you're off into action and everything else is forgotten.
