Harry Isabel, Jr. was 16 years old when when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, By mid-1944, he was trained and on a ship to fight in the Pacific theater of World War II. He did not know it at the time, but Isabel and his unit, the "Fighting 69th," were on their way to the Battle of Saipan.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Isabel walks us through the many challenges of the amphibious landing on Saipan and what he saw when he finally got to the beach. He also describes an early close encounter with a Japanese soldier and how he responded. And Isabel explains what he saw and did following a vicious mortar attack against his position - actions that would result in him receiving the Bronze Star.