he fought at the battle of anzio.ied soldiers to enter rome and liberate it from the nazis. he's here today with one of his 11 children, the former mayor of alito, illinois, mayor lee celski. when casey came home from world war ii, like a lot of the genuine heroes of war, he didn't have much to say. he left the war on the battlefield. 40 years later his family coaxed the stories out of him. and 50 years after his return from world war ii, casey and lee traveled back to europe, back to the places where he'd fought, to visit the towns that the force had liberated. near the anzio beach head an italian man realized finally who they were. the man dropped to his knees crying and thanked casey celski. then he pointed to a plaque written in italian and english trying to explain what this was all about to his own son. this is one of the soldiers, he said, who saved our village. it was 50 years after the war had ended. casey celski turned to his son lee and said, all these years i wondered what i was doing here. now i know why

he fought at the battle of anzio. lee celski. when casey came home from world war ii like a lot of the genuine heroes of war he didn't have much to say. he left the war on the battlefield. 40 years later his family coaxed the stories out of him. and 50 years after his return from world war ii, casey and lee traveled back to europe, back to the places where he'd fought to visit the towns that the force had liberated. near the anzio beach head an italian man realized finally who they were. the man dropped to his knees crying and thanked casey celski. then he pointed to a plaque written in italian and english trying to explain what this was all about to his own son. this is one of the soldiers, he said, who saved our village. it was 50 years after the war had ended. casey celski turned to his son lee and said all these years i wondered what i was doing here. now i know why we fought. the 1st special service force -- yes. [ applause ] the 1st special service force were all volunteered. the a-a stonishing fact is not how m

taking a convoy in support of the anzio landings in italy. then i went to a new destroyer in time for iwo jima and okinawa. on april 6, 1945. we caught a torpedo through the bow. we know it was a torpedo. it did not detonate. we found the propeller inside the ship. we were very lucky because it would've blown the bow off the ship. we tried to reach our squadron commander to tell them, we were on picket station 15 nearest japan. north of iwo jima. the task force commander, kelly turner, came on. he said, don't wait to be relieved. proceed at best possible speed to base. there were 800 planes coming in. the biggest attack of the pacific war. >> the invasion of iwo jima. >> the ship that relieved us got clobbered. we were doubly lucky. >> bob had to watch one by one all of his men. he was executive officer. -- drown. he gave his life jacket away. but he had to watch them go down into the sea. that to me is courage. >> why did they go down and not you? >> i was a better swimmer, i think. >> the book is called "timeless: love, morgenthau, and me."