AO2 Reef Kelly, U.S. Navy, WWII

Reef Kelly was in the mountains of Arizona getting a Christmas tree when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Before he finished high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He wanted to be a Naval aviator, but that dream was denied during training. Instead he became a tailgunner on a bomber crew. But Reef Kelly would be part of one of the most unique and unknown missions of World War II in the Pacific.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Kelly explains how after the two atomic bombings, his crew was assigned with flying along the Japanese coast and into Tokyo Bay to see if Japan was really surrendering. Kelly tells us how the quiet mission suddenly turned to combat and chaos and walks us through the actions that led to him receiving the Navy Cross.