Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 19, 2015, Page 4

Loren S. Elliot was born and raised in Mount Ayr. He volunteered for the US Navy in 1943, and served as a Petty Officer, electronics technician in the Pacific until his discharge six months after the end of the war.

He served on the USS Makassar which carried 18 fighter aircraft. One of Loren's most vivid stories of the war was the tremendous air and sea battle in and around the Island of Okinawa.

During the frantic air and sea campaign by the Japanese, they attacked and counter attacked American ships with suicide planes, flying suicide bombs and explosive laden ramming ships. The air and sea battle was so intense one Friday night that the Japanese even managed to land several troops behind American lines.

When the smoke cleared the troops were destroyed or pocketed and the Japanese had lost 15 suicide boats, 154 suicide planes and one suicide bombs. The American losses were five surface units.

After discharge from the Navy Loren attended Iowa State University; was married and had two sons. Loren and his wife currently reside at the Clearview Nursing Home.

  Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2015