Yorktown survivor describes epic battle
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) — For 87-year-old John Hancock, the memories of the Battle of Midway fought 70 years ago are as vivid today as at the time.
Hancock was a machine gunner aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown that sank after getting hit by two torpedoes at Midway, the turning point of World War II in the Pacific.
He described the battle fought 70 years ago Monday aboard the Yorktown’s namesake in Charleston Harbor. He floated at sea several hours before being rescued on June 4, 1942.
Hancock is from Athens, Ga. He says in the years after the war, servicemen didn’t discuss their experiences much. Now, he says, he speaks whenever he gets a chance.
Hancock says America is the greatest nation in the world and America’s youngsters need to know that.
