85-year old E.L. Tolbert served as a gunner on the USS Gunston Hall
Six World War II veterans from Nashville are part of a new book of portraits titled, “The Last Good War.”
Most of the 150 veterans are photographed with a souvenir from their service. 85-year old E.L. Tolbert is wearing his – a white sailor’s cap.
Tolbert joined the Navy in 1944. Within a few weeks, he was put on the U.S.S. Gunston Hall bound for the South Pacific.
“Oh, you know, when you’re 18 years you think you can do anything, so I thought, ‘I’ll go out there and win the war.’”
Tolbert served as a gunner on the ship. His job was to shoot down Japanese planes.
“From Iwo Jima and Okinawa, I guess we had some 150 Kamikaze air raids. Kamikazes were pretty close to us. You don’t have any idea until you see a Kamikaze coming what they can do to you, they can drop their bombs on you or suicide into you.”
Tolbert left the Navy after the war was over, and settled in Nashville.
A total of six veterans from Nashville are in the book. One has passed away since publication. Tolbert and the others will be on hand Monday night at 5:00 p.m. at Davis Kidd signing copies along with the authors.
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