Red (Leman) Ingalls joined the U.S. Navy in August, 1944 – even though he was too young. At 17, his mother had to sign his enlistment papers. Sailors earned $17 a month, but with WWII at its height, pay was hardly the reason Red joined up! He served on the air craft carrier USS Bunker Hill as it took part in some of the hottest action in the Pacific.
On May 11, 1945, two Kamikaze planes hit the Bunker Hill – although through efforts of Ingalls and other anti-aircraft gunners aboard, a third plane was shot down into the Pacific instead of hitting their ship. In the hours and days immediately following the attack, Red carried out duties necessary to deal with the damage and loss of life aboard ship. Having survived the attack, the Bunker Hill returned to Washington for repairs, and shipped back out to sea. This time, the job was bringing troops home from stations in the Pacific: the war had ended.