George Vincent Ross was born in September 1926 in Albany, New York. He grew up there. He had one brother, Edward, and one sister, Mildred. The siblings were named after their parents. Ross's father was drafted on his 42nd birthday. He had tried to enlist during World War 1 but was not successful because he was too young. After his father served for about a year following his draft, he was discharged because he was over 38 years old and considered a defense worker since he worked for the railroad moving supplies and troops. Ross's mother was a waitress. She raised her children herself. His parents were divorced. Ross's father worked for the WPA [Annotator's Note: the Works Progress Administration] and that allowed the family to get food from the program. After the Depression [Annotator's Note: the Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939], his parents divorced. It was the late 1930s or early 1940s. His father was a heavy drinker and Ross's mother could not accept his behavior. The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], Ross's brother enlisted in the Marine Corps. In September 1943, Ross entered the Marine Corps. Ross's military pay largely went to his mother despite his brother not making any allotment out for his mother. Ross had little out of pocket expenses because he was not stateside for very long after enlistment.

In boot camp, George Vincent Ross was initially treated as a low-life by the DI [Annotator's Note: drill instructor]. Upon completing the training, the DI became highly complementary of his trainees. [Annotator's Note: Ross laughs.] The DI even said he wished he would be going with the men but Ross doubts the veracity of that statement. From boot camp, Ross was ordered to Camp Lejeune [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina] out of Parris Island [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Port Royal, South Carolina] where he was assigned to pealing potatoes in the mess hall. That was not his idea of why he joined the Marine Corps. He kept requesting overseas duty until he was finally assigned to a replacement outfit. He ended up on Guam [Annotator's Note: Guam, Mariana Islands] with the 61st Replacement. He had a couple of weeks in Hawaii on the way. His age precluded him from having an alcoholic beverage even though he had battle stars for Guam and Iwo Jima. He went to the 9th Marines [Annotator's Note: 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division] on Guam as a replacement.

During George Vincent Ross's first night there [Annotator's Note: on Guam, mariana Islands], Marines were killed despite the island being declared secure. It was decided to comb the island for any other Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese]. Ross killed the first enemy soldier after almost stepping on him. He emptied the 20 round magazine of his BAR [Annotator's Note: M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle; also known as the BAR] in the man. Captain Crawford [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Captain William Crawford] told him not to expend so much ammunition, but it was better to see the enemy soldier in the condition he was in. Crawford was a great leader who was always up front with his men. He was killed on Iwo Jima [Annotator's Note: Iwo Jima, Japan]. Crawford told them to take no prisoners and save your last round for yourself rather than be taken prisoner. [Annotator's Note: Ross laughs.] The Japs had faked surrender and then machine gunned the people coming out to take them prisoner. The Jap dead bodies could even be booby trapped. Crawford was a good guy. He died young. Ross's platoon sergeant had been wounded on one cheek at Bougainville and the opposite cheek at Guam. He assumed he would catch a round in between during his next campaign. Instead, the sergeant was shot in the leg and died of shock on Iwo Jima. That was sad and very bad. Ross stayed on Guam as his home base until the assault on Iwo Jima. The regiment [Annotator's Note: 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division] returned there after Iwo. The next campaign was to be the invasion of Japan. After Captain Crawford was killed on Iwo Jima, a new company commander with no combat experience was put in charge. Ross was reluctant to go into action with the new commander. He began to have eating problems due to nerves. His kidneys were also an issue. He turned himself into medical to get away from the new commander. He was sent to Fleet Hospital 111 and then to Hawaii. He was then sent to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] to a hospital. Afterward, he went to the recruit depot [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in San Diego, California] and was subsequently discharged based on all his diseases and maladies. He received discharge and 50 percent disability. His discharge does not indicate a medical reason for his discharge even though he had a nervous stomach. The amount received was insignificant compared the amount allotted today. He cracked up and could not take the pressure in Iwo Jima. He cried under the stress. He was a PFC [Annotator's Note: Private First Class] at separation from the Marine Corps. He may have stayed in the Corps. He tried to reenlist later but the 50 percent disability prevented him from doing so. If it was ten percent, it might have been acceptable.

George Vincent Ross used the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment] to learn to become an automobile mechanic. He worked for a garage but the owner had to close. The second garage he worked for did not teach him automobile mechanics. He quit the job and turned in the owner for not teaching him properly as required by the G.I. Bill. Ross worked 27 years in the dairy business after that. Working for various businesses, he retired early at 55 years of age. His pension is significantly reduced because of his early retirement instead of waiting until he was at least 65 years of age. His most memorable experience during the war, was when he saw the flag raising on Mount Suribachi [Annotator’s Note: during the battle of Iwo Jima, Japan]. It is difficult remembering his friends being blown apart. He does not like to remember those experiences. Corpsmen had to put up with that all the time. Ross did not expect to see those kind of things. His outfit [Annotator's Note: 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division] was not supposed to go into Iwo Jima. It was slated to take Chichijima, but battlefield casualties on Iwo Jima required a change in plan. Chichijima never was invaded as a result. That assault could not have been too important. Men would have been lost there for nothing. A lot of men were lost on Iwo Jima. Ross is proud to be a Marine and that he enlisted. Most of his friends went into the Navy. The sailors were on a nice ship with warm chow compared to him being in a rougher situation during the battles. It made him question the route he took. That attitude changed after his discharge. Once a Marine always a Marine, the proud and the few. The war made him easier to upset, anger and want to fight. He still remembers how they killed his friends. World War 2 was supposed to end all wars, but that was not the case. The Great Generation [Annotator's Note: the term The Greatest Generation refers to the generation in the United States that came of age during the Great Depression and later fought in World War 2 and is derived from the book The Greatest Generation by American network television journalist and author Tom Brokaw] did not have that many people avoiding service. There were more volunteers than draftees. Ross is proud to have been a part for the little bit he did. He filled a spot that someone else would have occupied. War is not good for anybody. Ross is against war and fighting other people's conflicts. We should not enter combat if we cannot tell who the enemy is. That was the case in Korea and Vietnam. The population all looked the same. Captain Crawford [Annotator’s Note: US Marine Corps Captain William Crawford] would say to kill them all. Even the civilians cannot be trusted. Trump [Annotator's Note: Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States] wants to send more men into Afghanistan. We should withdraw and let them fight it out amongst themselves.