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Elwood
Kees (back left) , Clarence Sanders (back center), and Ray Fenimore (front right) all served together on the LCI (G) 396 from
San Diego... to... Hawaii... to... Guadalcanal... to... Peleliu and until the Japanese mine blast on January 18, 1945.
Ray,
Elwood, and Clarence (three country boys) were once assigned to paint the inside of the 396's water tank and ballast tanks
with a substance called "Gilside". It was a liquid epoxy-like material. The Navy did not provide any health & safety equipment.
Before long, all three boys were getting pretty "woozy" in those tanks. Sanders decided it was time for all of them to get
out of there. The boys stopped work, left the tanks, and it probably prevented any serious injury or death.
Elwood,
after the war, got a college degree from Louisiana Polytechnic, went back into service in the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant
pilot, served two tours as a pilot in Korea, served as a pilot in Vietnam (totaled 300 missions in Korea & Vietnam), had a
very distinguished Air Force career, and retired as a US Air Force Brigadier General.
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'396
Reno Reunion In June 2001.
From Left to Right...
Elwood & Akiko Kees;
Clarence "Panama" Sanders
& Wilda Sanders
(with Nancy);
Ray & Francis Fenimore
(with Ana & Dana).
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