B.C. Mills -

The Marine fighter veered off the seond plane since it was too low. It came up and over, hitting just in front of the No. 1 smoke stack... I grabbed an empty 5-inch powser canister with a lock type ring, went forward portside, crawled up on the port bow with the help of lifelines and dropped off the port side. I was holding the powder canister by the ring. When I hit the water, suction from the sinking ship caught me and I went down, way down. I rember the hull of the ship with the barnacles on her side dragging against me. I turned and put my feet under me, and gave one shove against her side. Thank God, I came up.