April 1, 1945: A day of rememberance

Every year since 1946, as April Fool's Day approaches I shift in reverse to April 1945. Why? It was the D-Day invasion of Okinawa during World War II and fell on Easter Sunday. Firmly entrenched in my memory, our ship U.S.S. LST 582, was part of the biggest invasion fleet ever assembled, far larger than that engaged in the Normandy invasion.
It was the day of feared Kamikazes (the Japanese suicide planes). Our ship was carrying about 450 U.S. battle hardened Marines, some with five D-Day invasions under their belts. We arrived in the harbor at dawn's early light and H-Hour, as cruisers and battleships shelled the island. The cacophony of their gunfire was ear deafening and earth shaking.
As the bright sun pierced the cloud covered sky, I saw at least 100 of our carrier fighter planes swarm overhead, obliterating the sun. Normally my job was working in the main propulsion or auxiliary power generating rooms, but under general quarters battle conditions, I was stationed on a 20 mm antiaircraft gun. My shipmates in the engine rooms missed the topside action of gunfire and suicide planes.
Close calls
A too close for comfort incident occurred when a Japanese plane jettisoned his bombs between our ship and the battleship West Virginia and then crashed into the sea. Another close shave was the Japanese plane that shot directly over my gun station. No higher than a telephone pole. I firmly believe my faith pulled me through that great war.
Looking through some historical newspaper headlines of April 1, 1945, I don't see any mention of the Okinawa invasion. There was a slogan at the time, "Loose lips sink ships" and our country was practicing secrecy at its best. Today the smallest wartime blips make headline news, in newspapers, radio, TV and Internet.
Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retiree and a member of the Ohio Senior Citizen Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.