Donald H. "Don" Bee was born in September 1925 in Commodore, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Greensville, Pennsylvania in September 1942. He completed high school in Greensville. He heard about Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941] at his grandparent's home when his family was there for their normal weekend visit. Bee's father broke the news to his son and daughter very gently. The news of war disturbed Bee considerably. He was 17 years of age at the time. He was 18 years old in September 1943 when he took the test to become a Naval officer. He had always been enamored with Navy aviation. He had seen aircraft landings on the small decks of converted ships [Annotator's Note: the first four American aircraft carriers were modifications of hulls of other type ships]. When taking the examinations for the Navy, Bee committed to do whatever was necessary as long as it did not involve service on a submarine. He was uncomfortable with the confined conditions onboard. The officer in charge agreed and that set Bee in the direction of serving on the Intrepid [Annotator's Note: he served as Aviation Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (ABM2c) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11)].

Donald H. "Don" Bee was sent from Great Lakes Training Center [Annotator's Note: Naval Station Great Lakes in Lake County, Illinois] to Shoemaker, California where he saw very swift Navy boxers. He knew he did not want to tangle with them. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to San Francisco [Annotator's Note: San Francisco, California] and the Intrepid [Annotator's Note: USS Intrepid (CV-11)] at Hunter's Point. For Bee, it was amazing that a ship that large could float. He felt he would be safe on the carrier. He helped load the ship which was hard work. He met a Chief Petty Officer named White [Annotator's Note: no given name provided; unable to identify]. They liked each other. Bee was in the Navy for two years. The tenure made a great impression on him for the rest of his life. The ship had a crew of about 4,000 with Bee entering the ship as a Seaman 1st class. He rose to Aviation Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class. He was prepared to go to war. The ship was like a little city. Bee's job was to maneuver the aircraft from the hanger deck to the elevators and up to the flight deck and vice versa. It had to be a fast process. The elevator on the aft center of the ship was impractical. Another existed in the center with a third one up forward. There were catapults on the hanger deck for launching planes from the sides. Those devices were eventually taken out of the carrier. The center of the hanger deck was the area where Bee performed most of his work. It was close to the center elevator. There were four crews like Bee's some were not as good as his. The crews learned to work together. Aircraft movements had to be as fast as possible to take the tail in first and get the aircraft to the back of the hanger. Pilots sometimes stayed aboard until the wheels were chocked but got out quickly after that. They did not like being in the hanger. From Pearl Harbor [Annotator’s Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii], Intrepid went to Ulithi [Annotator's Note: Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands] and a small island there called Mog Mog. The atomic bomb was later dropped there and Mog Mog no longer exists. While in Honolulu [Annotator's Note: Honolulu, Hawaii], he saw the Pineapple Tower made in Greensville [Annotator's Note: his prewar hometown was Greensville, Pennsylvania]. The Tower was gone and Bee wished he had saved a piece of it while there. He saw an enlisted man sighting an F4U's [Annotator's Note: Grumman F4U Corsair fighter aircraft] six guns [Annotator's Note: Browning ANM2 .50 caliber machine gun] after the ship docked at Ford Island [Annotator's Note: the major island inside of Pearl Harbor]. The enlisted man had a apparatus he attached to the gun barrel of each of the guns to bring the machine gun to bear on a target down range. After doing his work, he would take-off in the plane, and fly it even though he was not an officer. It was his job. [Annotator's Note: Bee smiles.] Everyone did what they had to do. The ship's plank owners [Annotator's Note: slang for the original crew of a ship] brought the ship from the East Coast for ship trials through the Panama Canal [Annotator's Note: manmade canal in the country of Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in between North and South America] and made their way to Truk Island where they were hit by a torpedo launched at night from an old aircraft. The rudder was bent. It weighed 29 tons and presented a problem getting the ship back to Hawaii. Aircraft had to be placed forward on the deck and the propellers used to guide the ship. Additionally, a canvas sail was placed forward. Until then, the ship was going in a circle which the Captain said would lead them to Tokyo [Annotator's Note: Tokyo, Japan]. They were in no condition to go there after the torpedo hit.

Donald H. "Don" Bee saw his first action [Annotator's Note: as a crewman aboard the USS Intrepid (CV-11)], when a kamikaze hit the deck of his ship. It struck a gun tub manned by Black stewards who normally performed work for the officers of the ship. They had been trained on 20mm guns [Annotator's Note: Oerlikon 20mm antiaircraft automatic cannon] and had six assigned to them. Each gunner had one or two helpers assigned to him. The crashed plane created a huge fire as it skidded across the deck. Bee was in the hanger deck with all his planes off on mission. After that, he helped pass ammunition on a 40mm quad Bofors gun [Annotator's Note: Bofors 40mm antiaircraft automatic cannon]. His assistance with the ammunition helped speed the loading process and was better than just waiting for his planes to return. The single kamikaze did minimal damage to the ship itself. Bee saw the death of those men and knew it was not a game. They were bleeding red blood and were pink inside just like him. He had not grown up with prejudice and was cognizant of the losses. He went up from the hanger deck to attempt to aid the wounded. The kamikaze was hit by the ship's guns and was thought to be off course to strike the ship, but it did. Bee was so tired that night that he slept heavy with the sights of the day only bothering him later. Later in the war, he felt he was certain to die and would not return home. It made for listless nights in the bunk looking up at the bottom of the bunk above. He learned to pray a lot. He tried to write every day. There was air mail but censorship of letters existed. For his first deployment, Bee was not married. He married on leave after returning home. During that leave, he and his wife developed a code to be used in the mail. It resulted in his wife knowing a little bit about the events during the remainder of his service. As the war went on, the enemy would send up huge squadrons. The American fleet was enormous. It was in four sections with two battleships, four cruisers and about 20 destroyers. The units were spread 20 miles apart. The enemy once sent out 350 planes with the protective American destroyers around the perimeter being the heroes as they shot down a lot of the attackers. The cruisers next fired on them but the big guns on the battleships were no help at all. As ships returned to port during the war, they would have more 40mm and 20mm guns fitted to them. One battleship was not a favorite because it did not shoot enough to satisfy the Intrepid's crew [Annotator's Note: no mention is made of the name of the battleship]. The New Jersey [Annotator's Note: USS New Jersey (BB-62)] was different. It was right beside Intrepid. It was Halsey's [Annotator's Note: US Navy Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey] flagship and helped the carrier even though it was basically a big gun ship. Kamikazes flying low were difficult to shoot and avoid hitting friendly ships. When they came in high, there was a lot of lead going up against them. The carrier refueled at sea. The explosion potential was significant with the aviation and diesel fuels. It was tricky business in rough seas with the fuel ship alongside. After disconnecting, all pipes had to be evacuated to prevent fires. It had to be well planned out. Taking on ammunition was also a concern. The Intrepid had a lot of guns. It was always a concern that friendly ships were clear of the fire. It was like a frenzy while under attack. It was sometimes hard to stop when the enemy plane continued coming toward the ship.

Donald H. "Don" Bee saw a man who was captured after he got out of his airplane waving at the Americans [Annotator's Note: a kamikaze pilot survived his attack and ditched his plane next to Bee's ship, the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11)]. A destroyer picked up the enemy pilot and brought him to Bee's ship. When Bee later observed the injured man, he was full of hate and acting so radically that he had to be restrained with a straight-jacket. It revealed to Bee the feelings behind the man being a kamikaze. Another pilot did the same thing flying straight into the ship until the defensive gunners shot him and his plane to pieces. At the time, Bee thought it was fine, but now he feels it was not necessary. After the war at the Imperial Gardens in Japan, Bee and a buddy were confronted by a group of former kamikaze pilots who were angry that they were not able to give their lives for their Emperor. Bee's buddy told the American educated Japanese officer that he did not like those pilots. He next said that he and Bee would take on the 30 or so angry pilots. Bee thought Pat [Annotator’s Note: Bee's friend Pat Patterson] was out of his mind. When the men went into port in Japan, they were not armed in any way. They carried Lucky Strike cigarettes [Annotator's Note: American cigarettes were commonly used for trade or barter with the local population]. When they came upon a group of huge Japanese marines passing out turnips to a queue of citizens, they gave an old lady a pack of cigarettes. They also walked her to the front of the line and motioned to the marines to give her some turnips. They did so despite the Americans being much smaller than their counterparts were. [Annotator's Note: Bee laughs.] The desolation was shocking. The Japanese Navy offices were cleared and replaced with American Navy offices and a beer hall. When Bee went to a grade school, it reminded him of what he had seen in his hometown. The children and teachers were terrified of the Americans. When Bee got on his knees and put his hands out to a child, he was given a emblem that he has retained. Bee's encounters with the locals were very limited. He and Pat walked up a sidewalk to a two Japanese soldiers one of whom was quite large. The two former enemies stepped aside. When Bee saw some well-armed American soldiers, he was offered a .45 [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber M1911 semi-automatic pistol] for protection. Bee could not take it. The Americans were clearly combat veterans.

Donald H. "Don" Bee had an explosive, right-hand man named Patterson [Annotator's Note: no given name provided]. Bee and Pat [Annotator's Note: Patterson] fought a fire in the forward elevator pit that was generated by a failed kamikaze attack. The enemy plane had been shot up and downed, but its wing and landing gear separated and went across the open hanger deck where the catapult system formerly was installed [Annotator's Note: aboard the USS Intrepid (CV-11)]. The elevator pit in the area contained lumber which ignited. The flames had to be extinguished by Bee and Patterson who were closest to the conflagration. After successfully doing so, they crossed paths with the repair party on its way to put out the already extinguished flames. There was no thanks or recognition of the work done by Bee and his friend. The main danger that existed was that the fire was directly below fueled and armed fighters on the 400-ton elevator. The incident is described in a book by Ray Stone entitled "My Ship." Stone was the main radar operator on the ship and witnessed the flames coming up around the elevator. It was a dangerous situation. During another incident, the Intrepid was hit by two kamikazes in six minutes. The two-inch-thick wood deck could not stop the 400 mile an hour enemy plane's fuselage from penetrating it but it did shear the wings off. When a bomb was dropped, 89 people in the middle of the ship were killed. One man's head was cut off. The fire burned for three and a half hours. F4U [Annotator's Note: Grumman F4U Corsair fighter aircraft] fighters were burning with the melting aluminum making precise circles the size of silver dollars that cooled in the three inches of water on the deck. They would have made good souvenirs, but Bee was too busy to consider that at the time. He wore non-skid shoes that provided stability for him in his job performance on the slick decks. He and others were pushing planes over the sides and taking care of wounded. Everyone was trying to help the injured when the second attacker hit. Bee realizes he was fortunate to survive the intense fire and explosive forces and shrapnel. Fire was the greatest worry because of its intensity. Bee observed a charred body hanging on a handrail. He had to break the dead man's fingers to remove him to the open hanger deck. Bee was shaken by the event. He went to the flight deck where proceedings were relatively calm compared to below. It was all a matter of where you happened to be at the time of attack.

Donald H. "Don" Bee served two years in the Navy. He heard about the atomic bombs [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945] but could imagine their force. It was a shock. The ship's [Annotator's Note: USS Intrepid (CV-11)] aircraft flew over the surrender proceedings [Annotator's Note: a huge flight of Allied aircraft flew over Tokyo Bay, Japan at the conclusion of the surrender ceremony on 2 September 1945]. He was very happy. He had been preparing for the invasion of Japan. Kamikazes had slowed down. The bombs were a total surprise. The ship and much of the fleet joined in the festivities [Annotator's Note: during Japan's surrender in Tokyo Bay]. Concerned about it being a trap, two battleships, a cruiser and the Intrepid sortied out and circled around. Sampans came out to look at them. The Americans ordered them to go away for fear of treachery. No chances were to be taken. The Intrepid was anchored at the time but soon got underway. Bee is pleased with his service and those that served with him. Only one man, Eldridge [Annotator's Note: no given name provided], was not dependable. Bee confronted him and the man took the message seriously and improved immediately. He was fine after that. Bee did his job the best that he could. He knew who he was and needed no complements to feel satisfaction. He grew close to a relative in Hawaii who offered him a lucrative postwar job there. Refusing the offer, Bee returned home. While in Hawaii, he did encounter President Franklin Delano Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States] in a shiny car on a long, narrow dock at Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]. After the two bombs [Annotator's Note: Intrepid was struck by two bombs off Okinawa during April 1945], the ship reached Ulithi [Annotator's Note: Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands] with its severe damages but no airplanes. Bee went up on deck and saw Admirals Halsey [Annotator's Note: US Navy Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey and McCain [Annotator's Note: US Navy Admiral John McCain, Senior]. McCain's grandson [Annotator's Note: US Navy Captain John McCain, III was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War; American Congressman, Senator, and Presidential candidate] was on the Intrepid later. So, Bee had the opportunity to salute both President Roosevelt and Admirals Halsey and McCain.