Legion celebrates 75-year membership of WWII vet
By Kelda J.L. Pharris Aberdeen News
Lester Clarke remembers how he had to sleep on the deck of a Navy ship during World War II because it was safer than in the ship’s belly if a bomb or torpedo hit.
He and those he served with slept above board, doused in shark repellent, armed with a sheath knife and life vest. His on-person identification was a pay record tucked in - he glances around the room before continuing, “I think you can handle this,” - a condom. It was the only waterproof item available. Clarke sets the scene so well listeners can almost feel the waves and hear the bombs.