don straon's battle stion was the sight of an ti-aircraft gun high above the deck. seral bos hithe ip, th biggest struck the staoard causing an explosion in a munitioncache. "it blew 110 foot of the bow of thathiclean f clear back to the base the number o turret." badly bd, he and his llow shipmates members r to abandon ship. seaman on board named of joe gege, we found outer, he w us aeavingine antied the heavy end line on it and we pued it acro, tied it f on the arizond we preded to go hand over hand across the line." that sailor was boastwainsate fit clasjoe george -- a me stratn didn't len until decadeter.he and his s have rying to get george recognition ever since. "we went through joel heey, we went throughon barber, we went through rear admiral beebe, we've ne, wee contacted dickheney's offi. handed him allhe material." joe gege died nely 20 years ago, buttratton says many servicememrsave ived recognn stmously. "the captain and the admiral botheceived e medal ofond the captain on the vtal received t medalf ho posthu. , i don't understa thvyas csiently declined