Beating the Odds

There are many stories of those who beat the odds and returned from the war. These are just a few of those stories that occurred to alumni of Garfield High School.

Major Curran (center, standing) and his crew were shot down, but all lived — Major Curran (Center, standing) and his crew were shot down, but all lived

Staff Sergeant Alfonso Rodarte survived 60 missions in Germany — Staff Sergeant Alfonso Rodarte survived 60 missions over Germany

Grant Sessions survived the attack on his B-17 — Grant Sessions survived an attack on his B-17 and being shot -- 7 times

Risto Milosevich survived The Battle of The Bulge — Risto Milosevich survived the Battle of the Bulge, a POW camp and received the DSC

William Teru Fujioka, PFC, 442nd Regiment survived 16 months of combat

Walter Vincent survived the Battle of Coral Sea and the sinking of the USS Lexington

Herman Dietz survived the Bataan death march — Herman Dietz survived the Bataan Death March and 3 1/2 years in a Japanese POW camp

Sergeant Frank Briones (left) flew 60 missions in the pacific — Sergeant Frank Briones (left) flew over 60 missions in the Pacific, received the DFC and Air Medal

Melvin Jackson Survived when his aircraft was shot down — Melvin Jackson survived when his aircraft was shot down

Juette Kariya, Military Intelligence Service, Served in Alaska and Burma

William Jaquez, USMC survived Iwo Jima — William Jaquez, USMC, survived Iwo Jima and Mt. Suribachi

Celso Jaquez survived Okinawa — Celso Jaquez, USMC, survived the fighting on Okinawa

Frank Briones, Staff Sergeant, Gunner, B-24 and B-29, 5th Air Force, USAAF
Emmett Eugene Curran, Colonel, Squadron Commander, 554th Bomb Squadron, 386th Bombardment Group, USAAF
Herman Godfrey Dietz Jr, Watertender 2nd Class (Chief Petty Officer), USN
William Fujioka, PFC, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, USA
Melvin Jackson, Staff Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner, B-17, 339th Bombardment Squadron, 96th Bombardment Group, USAAF
Celso Jaquez, Private, USMC
William Jaquez, Sergeant, USMC
Juette Kariya, Military Intelligence Service, 485th Regiment, USA
Alfonso Rodarte, Staff Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner, B-24, 453rd Bombardment Group, USAAF
Alma Grant Sessions, Staff Sergeant, Radio Operator, B-17, 99th Bombardment Group, USAAF
Walter K. Vincent, Electrician's Mate 1st Class, USS Lexington, USN
Risto Milosevich, Private, Intelligence and Reconaissance Platoon, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Division, USA

Risto Milosevich, Private, Intelligence and Reconaissance Platoon, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Division, USA (Interview, Digital Collections of the National WWII Museum)
Francisco Aguerrebere, Private, 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper (Voces Oral History Project, University of Texas at Austin)
John S Hernandez, Waist Gunner, B-26 (Voces Oral History Project, University of Texas at Austin)
Celso Jaquez, PVT, USMC (Interviews, Veterans History Project, Planes of Fame Air Museum) Interview 1 Interview 2 Interview 3 Interview 4 Interview 5 Interview 6 Interview 7 Interview 8