Iwo Jima, the USS Wisconsin, and my dad

Check out my post at the Washington Examiner about the battle for Iwo Jima that took place sixty-six years ago this month. My dad, a World War II veteran, now deceased, played a role in that battle. From my post:

My father, now deceased, was a 20-year-old seaman manning the big 16" guns on the USS Wisconsin, affectionately known as the Gray Lady. It was part of the 5th Fleet of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater that supported landing operations for those fighting on Iwo Jima. The Wisconsin used adverse weather conditions to achieve complete surprise in the days leading up to Iwo Jima. Preparing for the battle, it attacked the Japanese capital as a strategic cover for the invasion of Iwo Jima and disrupted its air force and destroyed industrial plants. It remained a forceful part of the battle through March and earned a Battle Star, its third, for the operations. An old water-damaged framed print of the USS Wisconsin that belonged to my dad, complete with stars and combat record, hangs in my living room as a reminder of my own military hero.

Please ... thank a World War II veteran before it's too late.