Guy Nasuti: “On the Verge of Breaking Down Completely:” Surviving the Kamikaze off Okinawa, 1945

Okinawa was a pivotal and costly chapter of the war for the U.S. Navy. Explore this battle and its legacy. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers’ Tent.

The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest chapter of World War II for the United States Navy. Over 5,000 U.S. Sailors were lost to Japanese Kamikaze attacks alone during the fight. One of them, Seaman 1st Class Joseph Coradetti, was killed on the USS Terror and is buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery today. Join Guy Nasuti from the Naval History and Heritage Command to explore the harrowing story of the U.S. Navy at Okinawa in 1945.

Guy Joseph Nasuti joined Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) as a historian in 2014. He is the author of the book, “On the Verge of Breaking Down Completely”: Surviving the Kamikaze off Okinawa, 1945, which explores the deadly toll exacted on American sailors by the Imperial Japanese Special Attack Corps in the final months of the war. As a member of the Naval Historical Analysis section, Guy continues work regarding the U.S. Navy in World War II, including the creation, development, and actions of early naval special warfare units that preceded the SEAL teams. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Guy served onboard amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA-4) during Operation Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom.