DEAR MR.BATTEN.... i,too, was with your granpa on Nov 13, 1942 during the grat battle of guadalcanal and like mr. batten was cast into the sea for 18 hours wounded, covered with oil,and blood, hoping to be rescued and to survive like him.My battle station was number one gun forward manned by 17 men from the ready room up to my station as first loader. Osuna was gun captain.We attacked the Japanese super battleship Hiesii and launched our torpedos so close their big guns could not depress on us until we pulled away from them and finding us in range thet us below the ready room killing many of my comrades manning the gun. i could hear the captain yelling "abandon ship!" and jumped into the fairly warm Pacific ocean. I am happy he and I survived.Many did not, God bless them. chris holloway RM1/c. I was third class then.