The Fleet That Came to Stay (1945)

[Music] [Music] on the island of Okinawa 5,000 mi from San Francisco the Earth shook from a fearful pounding by our ships and planes [Music] [Music] to the South our British allies were hurling their Naval might at the bypassed Fortress of fosa they were raking sakashima with shell and bomb England's greatest battleships and newest carriers were there screening us on the south paying off with pleasure and old debt to nepan on the Northern plank Admiral Mark a mitcher tireless task force 58 stepped up its two weeks old aerial assault on kushu and the enemy home Island [Music] it was the 4th of July in reverse on Japanese shipping Harbors airfields [Music] factories there's a jab carrier in trouble oh [Music] [Music] men of the Navy 400,000 men called it love day elsewhere in the world it was Easter Sunday 1945 at 8:30 that morning the Marines and the Army went in 100,000 Yanks were rattling the luck on Japan's front door they were plowing sacred soil with American boots tractors tanks [Music] the first seven days were battling mysteriously quiet a Shore Army and Marines pushed steadily forward looking for an enemy which had vanished on the 1400 ships supporting The Invasion men waited at their Battle Stations and waited we knew the blow would come but how and when [Music] it's they call it kamakazi meaning the Divine Tempest we call them suicide planes Man by pilots wearing the ceremonial red sa of the kamakazi core they specialize in one-way trips their destination the deck or Hull of any American ship under which planes bombs burning gasoline and red SED pilot can crash Japan's secret weapon was no secret to our Gunners or our Flyers who for months had been tinting the far Pacific with those same red sashes but now to meet our latest challenge our deepest rust There Rose every plane that could fly New or Old from the very heart of Japan itself 16y olds still in a ation schools were given their wings a sash and a mission it was a maniacal allout effort to smash our sea power isolate our troops on Okinawa it was desperation it was suicide but it would be the pattern from now on to the very finish a struggle between men who want to die and men who fight to live oh oh [Music] right [Music] [Music] by night it went on hundreds of landbased planes streak low Over the Sea at our Carri [Music] they Dove out of the door [Music] again the old battleships were there and new ships of the line there was no retreat this was the fleet that came to stay that had to stay [Applause] had to stay because the men that the Navy landed needed tons of steel from navy guns even as we beat off fresh waves of [ __ ] Plains overhead the big guns of the fleet smashed enemy strongholds miles away had to say because our men advancing through the rice patties and over the steep ridges had to have close air support from the baby flattops in the air control room aboard the command ship strike upon strike was [Music] ordered then the Navy and Marine Flyers laid down precise deadly rocket fire to help make the next 50 yards of advance less costly [Music] this was the fleet that had to stay because always the stream of supplies to those troops Must Be steady and huge a bridge of ships was thrown across the Pacific to bring our men more food more medicine more ammunition and waiting at the end of the longest Supply route in any War were the [Music] kamakazi this was a fleet fighting like infantry punching away at the enemy only there are no foxholes in the ocean [Music] March 18th to the 21st 556 Japanese planes destroyed [Music] men fought without sleep some fought with guns some with axes torches some with fire smothering foam [Music] it was fixed and fight at the same [Music] [Music] time many fell at their Battle Stations and some were B [Music] don't give up the ship became more than a schoolbook legend it became a fact of [Music] life April 13 brought more planes and shocking news between attacks weary men a float and a Shore paid honor to the Beloved figure in the blue navy cloak said farewell to the father of the modern American [Music] Navy then they turned and met the next assault during three fabulous months thousands of aircraft were hurled against our ships but only 10% ever slipped through our Air Patrol yet the Siege by air went on April 6th 277 enemy plane shot down April 12th 100 planes May 3rd 97 in the early gray hours of the morning watch on May 9th the great news came the E day in Europe it came first to the Lookouts to The Men Who stand guard while the others sleep men were glad and grateful home seemed a little nearer but for now V day was simply the one 1, 247th day of our Pacific War from the Rolling decks of our carriers the fighters Rose once again we let the enemy on the Cruisers and destroyers and battleships our heavy batteries once more leveled against the [ __ ] studded Hills of Okinawa The Barking 20s and 40s sent streams of fiery lead into the world's last 8 in Sky May 12th 164 [ __ ] aircraft down June 3rd 45 June 6th 67 June 8th 30 [Music] for week after vicious week the most devastating airca Battle of all time wore off the Japanese paid with their Air Force with their newest ships 4,200 32 [Applause] planes the fleet that came to stay paid a price too but our men our ships our PLS took everything the land could throw at the sea and handed it back double the question could a fleet stand up against the mass Fury of landbased planes got an impa IC answer from the men who fight to live from the fleet that came to stay he a