Mitch Weiss - The Heart of Hell: The Untold Story of Courage and Sacrifice in the Shadow of Iwo Jima

Lieutenant Willard Vincent Nash: The gunboats first skipper, Nash was in his early thirties when he left his thriving legal practice in Saginaw, Michigan, to enlist in the navy.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Rufus Geddie Herring: The Roseboro, North Carolina, native joined the navy after graduating Davidson College. Beloved by his crew, he was only twenty-three when he replaced Nash as the gunboats captain.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Byron Chew Yarbrough: A graduate of Auburn Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University), Yarbrough was a well-respected leader who took part in some of the bloodiest campaigns of the War in the Pacific.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Robert Duvall: The ships communications officer, the twenty-three-year-old Duvall was a newlywed who tried to write his wife every day.

Ensign Leo Bedell: The twenty-two-year-old Akron, Ohio, native was the youngest officer on the ship and a decisive leader.

Ensign William Corkins: The twenty-nine-year-old father of two enlisted in the navy because he didnt want to sit on the sidelines during the war.

Ensign Frederick Cooper: The son of a pastor, Cooper was a twenty-four-year-old high school teacher when he enlisted. He told his wife he couldnt stay home when so many of his students were being drafted.

Ensign Donald Cromer: After enlisting in the navy, he trained with Corkins and Cooper. The three officers joined the gunboat the same day in September 1944.

Pharmacists Mate First Class Henry Beuckman: The men called Beuckman Grandpa because he was the oldest man on the gunboat. But the thirty-seven-year-old from East Saint Louis, Illinois, had one of the most important jobs: He was the ships only medic.

Stewards Mate Ralphal Johnson: The only African-American on the ship, his job was to serve white officers. But after discovering Johnson was a crack shot, the officers made him a gunner on the 20mm starboard gun.

Seaman First Class Junior Hollowell: A scrappy kid from rural Oklahoma, he enlisted when he turned eighteen. At the height of segregation, the white ammo loader became good friends with his African-American gunner from Decatur, Texas: Ralphal Johnson.

Seaman First Class Clifford Lemke: The teenager wanted to join the navy after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, but his father refused to let him. A few months after his eighteenth birthday, Lemke enlisted, leaving behind his pregnant wife.

Seaman First Class John Overchuk: The Cleveland, Ohio, native joined the navy to make his father proud. He was outgoing and an excellent dancer, and the crew gravitated to Overchuk, who took the quiet Lemke under his wing.

Seaman First Class Lawrence Bozarth: A devout Christian, he asked to be an ammo loader to avoid firing weapons and killing enemy soldiers. The sailors would often seek out the eighteen-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma, native to pray.

Boatswains Mate Second Class Frank Robert Blow: A natural-born leader who everyone on the gunboat affectionately called Joe Blow, the twenty-one-year-old impressed his shipmates by staying calm under fire.

Motor Machinists Mate Third Class James Casaletto: A mechanic who could fix anything, he enlisted to escape a bad marriage.

Radioman Max Ball: A fishermans son from Gloucester, Massachusetts, he was taking part in a U.S. Merchant Marine training program when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Ships Cook Second Class Clarence Kepner: One of the most respected men on the gunboat, hed prepare special meals the night before combat.

Fireman First Class Norman Holgate: A shy eighteen-year-old, he enlisted to get away from his abusive father. At home, Holgate loved to tinker with cars and gadgets. On the 449, he worked in the engine room.

Seaman First Class Clarence Hoffman: A fun-loving street kid from Saint Louis, Missouri. When Hoffman tried to enlist early in the navy, he discovered a family secret that would haunt him.

Signalman Arthur Lewis: A twenty-year-old from Baltimore, Maryland, he was nicknamed Horizontal Lewis because he spent most of his off-hours sleeping.

Gunners Mate Third Class Charles Banko: A gun crew captain, Banko was always getting in trouble. After being kicked off another gunboat, the eighteen-year-old from East Selah, Washington, grew a bushy red beard in defiance.

Seaman First Class Bruce Hallett: A gunner from Wenatchee, Washington, whose father refused to let him enlist before his eighteenth birthday, Hallett joined the gunboat the same day as his best friend: Banko.