Pap's War — Eugene Dutton and the SeaBees

Eugene "Pap" Dutton was born in 1915, the son of Leonard and Lelia Hash Dutton, farmers in Southwest Virginia. He first served in the U.S. Army from about 1938 to 1940, and was discharged before the war.

When World War II broke out, Eugene knew he'd be drafted — so he joined the Navy and became a SeaBee (CB). He served in the South Pacific and was among the thousands of servicemen scheduled to invade Japan — an operation with expected massive casualties.

He wrote a farewell letter to his wife Mary Elizabeth in case he didn't make it home. President Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs ended the war before the invasion, saving Pap's life. He always supported Truman's decision.

Eugene was always proud of his SeaBee heritage — far more than his earlier Army service. He wanted to be remembered as a SeaBee, and his family honors that wish. He passed away in 1995.

Without Truman's decision, his son Michael Leonard would never have been born — and neither would any of us.