William Royal Elder, Jr. (Junior) - U.S. Marines 1943-46

William Royal Elder, Jr., (Junior Elder) served proudly in the U.S. Marine Corps, from 1943-46. His wartime assignment was on board the USS New York Battleship. The USS New York is the sister-ship to the USS Arizona which was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor. On the USS New York, Elder provided strategic support in the critical battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

Elder remembers being constantly on guard for the hundreds of suicide bomber planes,"Kamikazes" attacking his ship. Many planes crashed next to the ship. Elder stated that, "One suicide bomber crashed into the side of the ship with the planes wings ending up on the deck of the ship."