Walter Bud Gafford was born in April 1920. He joined the United States Navy in March 1941 so that he could see the world. He was inducted in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] and sent to boot camp in San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California]. Some of the instructors were tough on the trainees. After completing boot training, he was sent to Bremerton, Washington in June 1941 where he became a crewman aboard the USS Maryland (BB-46). The battleship was in dry dock. After completion of the work, it sailed to San Francisco [Annotator's Note: San Francisco, California] and then made its way on to Hawaii. In Hawaii, the ships would maneuver during the week and return to port [Annotator's Note: at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii] on the weekend. That was why the ships were in port during the attack [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941].

Walter Bud Gafford was present on the morning of 7 December 1941 when the Japanese attacked [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. All the ships made loud noises during the time. Gafford was at his battle station in the turret. The Oklahoma [Annotator's Note: USS Oklahoma (BB-37)] was hit by eight torpedoes and capsized. She was outboard of Gafford's ship [Annotator's Note: USS Maryland (BB-46)] when it happened. The California [Annotator's Note: USS California (BB-44)] was forward of the Maryland. The West Virginia [Annotator's Note: USS West Virginia (BB-48)], the Tennessee [Annotator's Note: USS Tennessee (BB-43)] and the Arizona [Annotator's Note: USS Arizona (BB-39)] were aft of the Maryland. The California had Admiral Pye [Annotator's Note: US Navy Vice Admiral William S. Pye] aboard. He had to be evacuated to the submarine base aboard the Admiral's gig [Annotator's Note: a small boat used on ships as the commanding officer's water taxi]. Gafford witnessed men on fire with terrible injuries. The gig was used to transport various individuals to different places. The enemy planes departed soon after the attack started so as not to expend all of their fuel. The Maryland suffered two bomb and one torpedo hit. The Oklahoma being outboard provided protection for the Maryland. Gafford was in Turret Three during the attack. That was where he was stationed along with 15 other crewmen. He lived there other than to go through the chow line or grab a shower. Gafford fired the 16-inch gun [Annotator's Note: 16 inch, 50 caliber naval gun] and kept it and the surroundings clean. The Japanese attack on 7 December was a complete surprise. Gafford joined his officer of the deck aboard the gig when the officer asked for volunteers. He could see the planes flying overhead bombing and strafing. Ford Island activity could be seen. Planes were on fire there. Everyone was frightened during the attack. The small boat kept busy shuttling people back and forth. After a few weeks, the Maryland was patched enough to sail to the United States and get repaired. Gafford saw men seriously injured and burned during the attack. The Arizona had leaked significant amounts of oil. One side of the Oklahoma was on fire. It caused injuries to men in the water. The Arizona was hit when Gafford was in the turret. Oil still leaks from that ship.

Walter Bud Gafford [Annotator's Note: while serving aboard the USS Maryland (BB-46)] witnessed combat off Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan] where kamikazes attacked. He was part of the offshore bombardment fleet at Tarawa [Annotator's Note: Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, Republic of Kiribati] where the Marine casualties were very heavy. He was working in the turret at the time. He lived in the turret which was like a four-story building. There was the magazine, the shell deck, and the gun room. Ordnance was transported up using chain hoists. At Kwajalein [Annotator's Note: Kwajalein Atoll] in the Marshall Islands, an LST [Annotator's Note: Landing Ship, Tank] loaded with ammunition was destroyed by a Japanese bomb. Gafford was at Saipan [Annotator's Note: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands] when an enemy plane launched a torpedo at the Maryland. He was in the turret as the noise of the explosion occurred. It made a large hole in the side of the ship. The repairs on the ship had to be done in Washington [Annotator's Note: at the Navy Yard Puget Sound, now the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, in Bremerton, Washington]. The first kamikaze hit the Maryland in Leyte Gulf in the Philippines killing 22 people. It did not bother Gafford too much because he had gotten used to war. Dead crewmen were dropped overboard with expended shell casings tied to them. In Leyte Gulf, Marines fired on mines in the water. Okinawa was bombarded by the Maryland standing offshore. Suicide planes attacked them. All the ships firing looked like a huge raging fire. Many were killed during that time. Gafford knew a 17-man crew of a 20mm gun [Annotator's Note: Oerlikon 20mm antiaircraft automatic cannon] mount on top of his number three turret. Of that crew, 16 were killed by the kamikaze. The ship had to return to the United States for repair. Gafford watched the kamikaze approach his turret but then went inside for protection. The plane hit right on top of his turret, close to his position inside. He felt jarred from the hit. The attacking planes were nerve racking. There were 1,300 ships in the invasion. Gafford felt his ship was vulnerable to enemy attack. He learned to take the incidents of danger as they came.

Walter Bud Gafford feels many young people do not know about Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Seven days after the Oklahoma [Annotator's Note: USS Oklahoma (BB-37)] capsized, men were still knocking from the inside. It must have been horrible being trapped like that. The battleship was eventually raised, and the bodies were removed. Gafford stayed in the war from the beginning to the end because it was his duty. He had to take things as they came because he could not have done otherwise. He was glad he did it. It was a great experience. He would do it again if he was still young. He was a Gunner's Mate 2nd class. He was glad he did not die in the process.