Both John and his older brother Joseph (right) joined the Navy — John had back problems and needed to use family connections and appeal to the Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence in order to enlist — but otherwise their experiences could hardly be more dissimilar. John eventually served on an 80-foot, 56-ton torpedo boat in the Pacific, while Joseph became an aviator based in Britain.  Above: The two brothers in their naval uniforms, circa 1942