World War II veterans recall their service during D-Day celebration

RIVERSIDE, Calif (KABC) -- Joseph Ballister's memories of World War II have faded over the years, but an event at the Southern California World War II Aviation Museum marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day brought some of them back.

"A buddy and I signed up," said the 99-year-old Navy veteran. "I wasn't old enough so I had get my mother to sign the paper."

Ballister was just 17-years-old and on his way to fight a war onboard the USS Improve, a mine sweeping ship.

He would experience the next three years of the war from the deck of the ship in the Atlantic and later in the Pacific.

"My time in the service I traveled where ever they needed mines swept... clear all the bays and the shores before they had an invasion. We'd go in and clear the area that the ships were going to come in," said Ballister.

Ballister was the youngest of three World War II veterans who attended a D-Day celebration at the museum operated by the Commemorative Air Force Inland Empire Wing.

Marine Sgt. Harold Kramer and Army Air Corp Pilot Donald Brower were the other two veterans at 100-years-old, but they too were barely out of high school when they joined up.

"Pearl Harbor was bombed when I was 17, so the following year I joined," said Kramer.

Kramer spent war in the Marines as an instrument mechanic.

"We're just babies. So, we didn't understand what we got into until we got there," he said.

Kramer said he didn't see much action during the war, but there was one memorable night he recalls on guard duty while station in Okinawa.

"The harbor lit up, start shooting their guns and oh my god I thought they were coming back to invade the island," said Kramer.

It wasn't an attack. He later learned the noise and gunfire was in celebration to the end of World War II.

"That was Mac Arthur signing the peace treat with the Japanese. So, that was were I was," he recalled.

Donald Brower was 17-years-old when he enlisted and then qualified as Army Corp pilot.

He flew over planes delivering them where they were needed during the war during one flight he said smoke filling the cockpit over the Mediterranean.

"I think usually when something went wrong I tried to correct it. Didn't have time to be scared," said Brower.

For all three veterans their memories of World War II have faded, but history will remember how their service and sacrifice helped secure freedom for future generations to enjoy.

"You do the best that you can do and we did alright," said Kramer.