Merle Johnson:

I remember the names of our gun crew: William L. Morris, first loader, left gun; Charles A. Broussard, hot shellman, left gun; Chester C. Flint, gun captain, left gun; me, Merle L. Johnson, powder man, left gun; LaPointe, fuse setter; Calvin Clore, pointer; Walter T. Lafevere, trainer; and Larry R. Delewski, mount captain (Broussard, Flint, LaPointe, and Clore were killed.)

I was only 18 years old and called Gabby "Pappy." It seems to me that he was 38. (Frank Gebhart, Gunner's Mate 3/c, was nicknamed Gebby or Gabby)

On that day in April 1945, I was a member of Mount 3. We were at G.Q. and I heard the pom-pom of the 20mm on the fantail. I got awful busy loading Ole Betsy -- that was our gun's name. There was an explosion and I was blown out of the mount.

I woke up on the portside hatch to the head. Someone was spraying me with salt water because I was on fire.

They took me up to the midship passageway and laid me there. Burnt all over, I lay in front of a blower from the engine room. The warm air felt soothing on my burns.

I looked to the left side and saw a Jap plane headed straight for me. I remember wishing for some spot of rust that I could crawl under [for protection]. Out of the blue came a Corsair and shot the Jap down.

I was treated by [ship's doctor] Mathew Darnell, and transferred to the hospital ship Hope and taken to the hospital on Saipan or Guam, I can't remember.

I love the Laffey and its crew.