Marion Trimmer remembers how nice the Japanese people were when he served in the Navy during and after World War II.

"I was very surprised at the Japanese people," he said. "They would come up and sit next to you on the train and ask how to say words correctly in English. I remember walking around and seeing the destruction of the atom bombs. There was nothing left. Everything was just cleaned out."

Trimmer, 82, was just 17 when he quit high school, left his home in Ohio and joined the Navy.

"What most people don't realize is that's who died at Okinawa - a bunch of young men," he said, holding a flag that families placed outside of their homes when someone was in the military. "Those who had family members die in service had a gold star in the middle of the flag. I was a dumb 17-year-old who wanted to die so my mom could have a gold star."

Trimmer served on a YF-718 supply ship and rose to the rank of sergeant but smiled when he thought about his duty as a the ship's mailman when he was a petty officer.

"For the most part, it was good times," he said. "I remember one time a fellow got a notification that his grandma who raised him died. There were also the Dear Johns."

He was on the ship when the surrender came and remembers a lot of celebration. What sticks out most, however, were the days before the bombs dropped.

"We had heard the U.S. developed a new weapon far bigger than anything else, but that's all we knew," he said. "We then heard they dropped bombs and there was a lot of devastation. I think the unconditional surrender came then because of the emperor."

When Trimmer returned to Ohio, he completed high school and attended Bowling Green State University.

"I'm glad I served because of that G.I. Bill," he said. "We got our first home under the G.I. Bill, and that was great for a poor boy who never expected to get much out of life."

Trimmer was working as a bill collector when he first met his wife, Bonnie, who at first didn't give him any attention. He sent cards and stopped by her house several times.

"One day he convinced me to go out that night so I could get to know him," she said. "I agreed to go, even though I was seeing someone else. My mom wasn't too happy about that."

That was Aug. 12, 1950. A year later, they got married. Just a few days ago, they celebrated their 49th anniversary in Lula.

Trimmer worked for the Radio Corporation of America and programmed computers as they first came into existence. Though it's been years since he's served in the military, current warfare politics still touch him deeply.

"There's that camaraderie in your heart, and you can't separate it," he said.

"But I think it's important that even when there is an enemy, there should still be a relationship with your enemy. You don't keep your enemies forever, and I admired the Japanese people. They were really nice."