The Fighting Lady (1944) is a documentary/propaganda film produced by the U.S. Navy and narrated by Lt. Robert Taylor USNR. Produced and owned by 20th Century Fox.
My grandfather who is today 93 fought upon the USS Yorktown all the way to Tokyo Bay. The Yorktown was not able to join the other carries during the signing of the treaty, due extreme battle damage so, it sat near the bay until it could be safely towed to a harbor. My grandfather George is actually the barber loading the shells into a A.A gun in the film. He opened his own barber shop in Cleveland Ohio right after the war, then moved to Florida in the 70's, where he opened two more. He worked in his shops until 87, when he had a stroke and is now confined to a wheel chair. His son now owns them. His job during battle was a 20mm gunner, the last line of defense for these ships. He was also the main barber for the officers.
In battle, he told me, his closet call to death was when a Zero was heading right towards his position and he was letting all hell rain down on it. He hit it at the last minute causing it to veer 10 feet over his head. Unfortunately it missed him and slid across the deck killing a fellow sailor on the other side of the ship.
The men of this era, are like no other and we owe everything to them. They sacrificed everything, many lost their lives, many suffered from lack of resources...we owe a great deal to these brave men.
Thanks to all who have followed in my Grandfathers footsteps and carried the burden of war in the call of freedom.
