Willis Milton Guyer

Machinist Mate Second Class

Willis, called Milton by his family, worked for the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Hospital, in the Physics department. He was instrumental in the design and development of specialized medical supplies, including surgical instruments. Prior to working at UT, he had worked for many years as a machinist for the railroad.

Note from the webmaster: He was my uncle. It was as a tribute to him that these pages were created.

Submission about the battle:

I am the husband of Beverly Hearn Cook, niece of Willis Milton Guyer. Beverly and I took care of Uncle Milton the last year of his life. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and required constant attention. Before his physical health and emotional stability deteriorated to an unmanageable level, he was able to take short trips in and around Houston with me. One of his favorite past times was to go and see the different ships that frequented the Houston port. One afternoon, I took him to the Battleship TEXAS. We had been on the ship for about 30 minuets when his mood changed and he became very quiet. We were on the fantail and he was looking at the big guns when he said "We sure could have used these that night." I didn't want to upset him, but I sensed he was wanting to get something out that he had been holding back for a long time. So I asked " What night was that?" He said : "The night all hell broke loose." He turned and looked off into the distance. It was as if he was reliving the events of that night.

“I was on the AARON WARD. We were on picket patrol off Okinawa. It was late in the evening and was going into lights out. I was in the engineering section when general quarters was sounded.  I was so scared. I wanted to be topside so I could at least see what was coming at us. To have something to shoot back with."

"We had been under attack, for I don't know how long, when we were hit on the port side. We were knocked flat. A big lathe machine on the port side was thrown across the compartment and hit the starboard bulkhead. This made a hole big enough for us to squeeze through and get topside to the deck. It was a mess."

He stopped and looked at me as though I were a stranger. I asked: "Was there a duty station left after that hit?"

He said: "No. The section was dark and in a mess. We had to get out, that's why I can't be in a small room with a lot of people. Then we were topside and saw a plane coming in--straight at us. I said: ‘Come on lets take cover. But he just stood there."Uncle Milton stopped talking, lowered his head and shook it slowly..

"I tried to get him to come with me. But he wouldn't move. He just watched the plane come in right at him." He stopped again and sighed.

"I took cover and never saw him again."

Uncle Milton never told me who "he" was. I only hoped it was the right words when I said "It was his time. You had other things to do for the ship."

He nodded and looked off again and said what I thought was "Good-by." He turned and started for the gang plank.

He never talked about that night again. It seemed he was able to put something to rest that afternoon.

We have no way of knowing how reliable this memory is, he had maintained through the years that he had no idea how he escaped from the engine room that night, and he had never spoken of the battle to either of us in quite this way before. During this time, his memory came and went suddenly, often leaving him confused about the year, the place, et cetera.

If however, this was a flash back of true memory, it may at last shed light on HOW some members of his Black Gang managed to escape.

We pass this on, and leave it for you gentlemen, his shipmates, to decide.

Respectfully submitted by Lanny Cook