>> HERE IN HOT SPRINGS, ALONG WORLD FAMOUS BATH HOUSE ROW, AFTER YOU HAVE TAKEN YOUR WORLD CLASS BATH YOU CAN GO ACROSS THE STREET AND TAKE A RIDE IN THIS, AN ACTUAL WORLD WAR II AM FIB BY JUST VEHICLE.

THE DUCK VEHICLES WERE AN INSTANT SUCCESS FROM THE GET-GO AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTING TROOPS AND CARGO OVER LAND AND WATER.

IN 1942, THEY WERE CLASSIFIED AS STANDARD MILITARY EQUIPMENT.

DURING A THREE-YEAR PERIOD, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION BUILT MORE THAN 21,000 OF THESE THINGS.

SPELLED DUKW, THE D MEANT FIRST-YEAR OF PRODUCTION, 1942, THE U WAS FOR BODY STYLE, UTILITY AND AM FIB BY USE, THE K STOOD FOR FRONT WHEEL DRIVE, GMC STILL USES THAT TODAY, AND THE W WAS FOR TWO REAR-DRIVING WHEELS.

DUCKIES PARTICIPATED IN MANY OF THE MAJOR BATTLES OF WORLD WAR II, INCLUDING D-DAY INVASION OF NORMANDY, FRANCE, DURING WHICH MORE THAN 2,000 CARRIED TROOPS AND SUPPLIESONSHORE.

TODAY THEY CARRY TOURISTS.

>> I'LL BE YOUR TOUR GUIDE ON THIS LITTLE EX-KURTION.

WE'RE GOING TO GO TO LAKE HAMILTON AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF FUN ON THE WAY OUT THERE, I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL ENJOY YOURSELF.

I'LL BE TELLING YOU ABOUT THINGS TO SEE AND DO HERE IN HOT SPRINGS AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY.

>> WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED A STANDARD MILITARY VEHICLE WOULD LATER BECOME A TOURIST ATTRACTION RIDE?

>> THE TRANSFORMATION FROM THE MILITARY DUCK TO THE TOURIST DUCK IS A FOUR-TO FIVE-MONTH PROCESS COSTING ABOUT $100,000.

>> IT'S QUITE A CHANGE.

THIS IS AN OLD DUCK THAT WAS BUILT BACK IN THE MID-1940s AND AS YOU CAN TELL FROM LOOKING AT IT, THE CONDITION IS NOT REALLY GOOD BUT WE DON'T REALLY CARE BECAUSE WE GO THROUGH AND REMOVE ALL THE METALS AND THERE'S A SMALL AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL METAL LEFT IN THE DUCK BUT MOST OF IT IS REPLACED WITH ALL-NEW METAL AT THE SAME SPECIFICATIONS THEY USED WHEN THEY BUILT THEM ORIGINALLY BACK IN THE 1940s.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN HERE NOW, WE TAKE OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ARM RIGHT HERE WAS THE ONLY ACTUAL PROTECTION THEY HAD ON THE DUCK, WASN'T A REAL GREAT FIGHTING MACHINE BECAUSE THEY HAD ONE 50-CALIBER MACHINE GRUN AND IT SAT 0 THE TRIPOD ON A BIG RING AND THEY COULD LITERALLY DO A 3-60 IF HE DIDN'T MIND HANGING OUT OVER THE WATER.

WE TAKE ALL THAT 0 OUT AND CHANGE OUT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AND WE USE A LOT OF LEVERS AND THEY STILL LOOK ORIGINAL BUT THE ENGINE TRANSMISSIONS ARE VERY DURABLE OLD VEHICLES.

WE ARE PROBABLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL VEHICLE EVER USED BY THE MILITARY.

THEY ARE VERY VERSATILE IN WHAT THEY CAN DO, THEY THEIR MANEUVER RA BUILT ON THE WATER IS NOT THAT GREAT, THE COAST GUARD CONSIDERS THEM RESTRICTED BY THE DRAFT WHICH MEANS THEY DON'T TURN VERY EASILY BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF MANHOURS TO GO FROM THIS STAGE TO WHAT YOU SAW DOWNTOWN ON THE NEW DUCK THAT WE BUILT THIS PAST WINTER.

PLUS IT TAKES A LOT OF DOLLARS TO GET BETWEEN THOSE TWO.

BUT WE HAVE OUR OWN MANUFACTURING SHOP HERE AND WE CAN BEND THE METAL, ROLL IT AND DO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO IT AT THIS POINT.

DUCKS WERE USED ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL THE MID-1960s.

>> WHEN THEY FINALLY DECOMMISSIONED THEM, THEY PULLED THE BODY PARTS OFF AND PUT HER IN HER AND SET HER OUT INTO THE WATER AND LET HER TRAVEL ON OUT AND SCUTTLE HERSELF.

TERRIBLE WASTE OF A GREAT MACHINE.

YOU SEE WHEN THIS WAS BUILT, IT WAS BUILT WITH AN INTENDED SIX-MONTH SERVICE LIFE.

IT'S BEEN OVER 65 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST ONES WERE PRODUCED AND WE'RE STILL DRIVING THEM ON THE ROAD TODAY.

I WILL BRAG ON THE LADIES A LITTLE BIT, YOU SEE ALL THE MEN WERE BEFORE US SO MOST OF THE DUCKS WERE BUILT BY THE LADIES.

LADIES, YOU CAN GIVE YOURSELF A PRETTY GOOD HAND AND A PAT ON THE BACK FOR THAT.

>> THE B-17 FLYING FOR TREES WAS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS PLANES EVER BUILT.

IT SERVED IN VIRTUALLY EVERY WORLD WAR II COMBAT ZONE AND IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR ITS DAYLIGHT STRATEGIC BOMBING OF GERMAN INDUSTRIAL TARGETS.

PRODUCTION WAS ALMOST 13,000.

TODAY ONLY ABOUT A DOZEN ARE LEFT AIR WORTHY.

ONE OF THOSE FEW B SFAENS BASED IN OSHKOSH WISCONSIN TOWERS THE COUNTRY, BRINGING WORLD WAR II HISTORY UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.

IN EVERY TOWN AND CITY IT FLIES INTO, THE MEN WHO FLEW THE PLANES DURING THE WAR EVENTUALLY GATHER TO LOOK, REMINISCE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TO TELL THEIR STORIES.

>> YOU HAD BATTLE DAMAGE, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU NEVER HAD ANYTHING SERIOUS UNTIL THEY GOT IN THE 17ES AND IT WAS 1944 AND WE FLEW A MISSION TO GERMANY.

WE GOT SHOT UP BAD, WE LOST TWO ENGINES OVER THE TARGET.

WE TRIED TO STAY WITH THE GROUP AS MUCH AS WE COULD BECAUSE THE FIGHTERS WERE IN THE AREA AND TRYING TO STAY WITH THEM AND THEN WE OVERHEATED THE OTHER TWO ENGINES.

NUMBER ONE AND NO.

2 ENGINE ON THE LEFT WING WAS STILL OPERATING TILL THEY STARTED CUTTING OUT.

AND WE JUST CUT IN, CUT OUT, CUT IN, CUT OUT, COULDN'T GET THEMCOOLED DOWN, BUT WE TOOK A DEBATE WHETHER TO ABANDON OR STAY WITH THE PLANE.

WE STAYED WITH IT AND SET A COURSE FORBRUSSELS AND THEY WERE LIBERATED FOR TEN DAYS, WE SET IT DOWN IN THE TARGET FIELD.

IT WAS GOING TO LAND ON A STRIP.

WE LOWERED THE GEAR BUT WE GOT TO THE AIR FIELD AND THE FIGHTERS WERE TAKING OFF AND THE C-47ES AND WE COULDN'T LAND IT, WE COULDN'T GO AROUND WE WERE LOSING ALTITUDE WE HAD TO SET IT DOWN IN A FIELD WITH THE WHEELS DOWN.

EVERYBODY GOT OUT IN GOOD SHAPE.

>> IT WAS A PRETTY TOUGH OLD PLANE THEN.

>> TOUGH PLANE.

WE HAD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PLANE WAS JUST DEMOLISHED, THE RADIO OPERATOR GOT HIT BUT HE HAD HIS FLAK SUIT ON AND HE WAS DOWN ON HIS KNEES THROWING OUT WHAT THEY CALLCHAFF, LONG STRIPS YOU PUT OUT IN THE AIR TO GIVE THE RADAR ON THE GROUND A FALLS READING AND HE WAS THROWING THAT CHAFF OUT BUT HE HAD HIS FLAK SUIT OUT AND WAS KNEELED ON IT AND THE SHRAPNEL COME UP THROUGH THE FLOOR OR UP THROUGH THE FLAK SUIT AND HIT HIM ON THE KNEE BUT IT WAS PRETTY WELL SPENT AFTER GOING THROUGH THE FLAK SUIT AND THE PLANE WAS TORE UP.

IT'S A TOUGH PLANE, IT WOULD FLY, I'VE SEEN THEM COME BACK WITH TWO ENGINES AND WE WOULD HAVE GOT HOME HAD THEY NOT OVERHEATED BUT YOU HEAR ALL KINDS OF STORIES ABOUT THEM AND HOW THEY MANAGED TO GET BACK ACROSS THE CHANNEL AND HOW THE FIGHTER PLANES WOULD ESCORT THEM BACK WHEN THEY WERE IN TROUBLE.

BUT IT WAS A WELL-DESIGNED AIRPLANE.

>> WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT NOW?

>> WHEN THAT PLANE COME IN A WHILE AGO, I WALKED UP GETTING READY TO LAND AND THE THOUGHT WENT THROUGH MY MIND WAS WATCHING THEM COME BACK OFF A MISSION, IT ALWAYS, WHEN IT CIRCLED THE FIELD BEFORE THE LANDING YOU'D ALWAYS START COUNTING TO SEE IF THEY ALL GOT BACK.

SOMETIMES, YOU THINK, WELL, WE'VE LOST THREE PLANES AND THEY'D COME IN AND LAND AND THEN IN A SHORT WHILE, MAYBE 15 MINUTES HERE WOULD COME ANOTHER ONE STRAING LING IN WITH BATTLE DAMAGE, ALWAYS COME IN IF THEY HAD AN ENGINE ON BOARD, THEY'D ALWAYS COME IN FIRING A RED FLARE.

IF THEY WERE IN THE GROUP WHEN THEY COME IN, THEY HAD TO LAND FIRST BUT WHEN THEY STRAINGLE LIKE THAT AND COME IN LAST, OF COURSE THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT TO COME IN TO MEET THEM, AS SOON AS THEY GOT THE PLANE STOPPED.

BUT WE ALWAYS LOVED WHEN THEY COME IN AND SEE IF ANYBODY FIRED A RED FLARE, THAT ENGINE, WONDER IF THAT WAS SOME OF THE -- SOME OF YOUR SQUADRON, PRETTY WELL KNEW EVERYBODY IN YOUR SQUADRON BUT AS A GROUP, YOU KNOW, AND A WHOLE YOU DIDN'T KNOW EVERYBODY, YOU NEW SOME BUT YOU HOBBY NOBODYED WITH YOUR SQUADRON.

>> I FLEW QUITE A FEW HOURS IN IT, JUST A GOOD OLD AIRPLANE, I WAS A RADIO OPERATOR AND IT WOULD GET YOU BACK.

SOME OF THOSE FELLOWS THAT FLEW IN IT DURING WORLD WAR II, SO I GUESS.

>> THEY DIDN'T CALL IT THE FLYING FORTRESS FOR NOTHING.

>> NO, THE B-29 WAS CALLED THE SUPER FORTRESS, THE OLD B-29, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OF THOSE STILL FLYING AROUND OR NOT.

PROBABLY SOME OF THOSE CLOSER TO THIS BUT THIS WAS A GOOD OLD AIRPLANE, LOT OF TIMES WE'D BE OUT OR SOMETHING AND ONE OF THE ENGINES WOULD GO OUT, SO WE'D RUN BACK ON THREE PRETTY GOOD, YOU COULD PROBABLY COME BACK ON TWO IF YOU HAD TO.

>> TOM DAVIS WAS A GUNNER UNDERNEATH THE B-17.

MY PART OF THE ROLE WAS TO FINISH AND THE LUFTWAFFE WAS PRACTICALLY DEFEATED.

WE SAW A FEW OTHER AIRCRAFT BUT MOSTLY WE WERE CONCERNED WITH ANY AIRCRAFT FIRE AND WE LOST A FEW PLANES BUT NOTHING LIKE THEY DID IN THE FIRST PART OF THE WAR.

WELL, WAS IT -- I UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES THAT YOU'D BE IN THERE FOR, LIKE, HOURS ON END, SEVEN OR EIGHT HOURS.

>> YEAH.

OUR LONGEST MISSIONS WERE ABOUT TEN HOURS LONG, OF COURSE, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO STAY IN THE BALL ALL DURING THE MISSION, TAKE OFF AND RENDEZVOUS TIME YOU COULD BE UP IN THE PLANE BUT AS SOON AS YOU CROSSED THE CHANNEL AND GET INTO ENEMY TERRITORY, YOU ARE IN POSITION THEN, FOR WHATEVER COMES.

>> I GUESS YOU GET LIKE ANYTHING ELSE LOOKS LIKE IT'S PRETTY MUCH CRAMPED BUT I GUESS YOU GOT USED TO SITTING IN THERE.

>> OH, YEAH, A YOUNG MAN COULD SIT FOR HOURS LIKE THAT, HE WAS IN A FETUS POSITION WITH YOUR HANDS UP AND YOUR KNEES UP TO YOUR CHEST AND YOUR CONTROLS, IF YOU TURN ALL THE WAY AROUND N DOWN.

THAT WAS BOTH THE B-29 AND B-17 FLIGHT ENGINEER AND I FLU FLEW THE B-17ES THAT WERE RADIO-CONTROLLED AND FLEW THROUGH THE ATOMIC TESTS BACK IN THE LATE '40s AND SOME OF THAT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING FLYING, PARTICULARLY IF YOU WERE ON THE DRAW.

YOU GOT IN QUITE A FEW INTERESTING SITUATIONS AND FORTUNATELY YOU GOT OUT OF ALL OF THEM.

>> ONE OF THE CURRENT PILOTS IS A FORMER COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT WHO SAYS HE WOULDN'T TAKE ANYTHING TO GIVE UP THE OPPORTUNITY.

>> FLYING B 17 IS A PRETTY SPECIAL PRIVILEGE, A REAL UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY NOT MANY PEOPLE WILL GET THE CHANCE TO DO ANYMORE AND IT'S A REAL HONOR TO SHARE IT WITH THE PUBLIC.

THIS AIRPLANE MEANS SO MUCH TO SO MANY PEOPLE FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.

IT'S AN ICON OF OUR HISTORY, PEOPLE HAVE FAMILY TIES TO IT, THEY HAVE RELATIVES THAT WERE EITHER LOST IN THE WAR OR SERVED IN THE WAR AND THEN OF COURSE THE VETERANS THAT ARE STILL ALIVE THAT COME OUT AND LITERALLY GET TAERS IN THEIR EYES WHEN THEY SEETHE AIRPLANE.

IT'S SPECIAL TO BE PART OF THE CREW.

>> IT'S IMAGINE IT'S PRETTY MUCH YOU HAVE BEEN PILOTING IT NOW FOR FOUR YEARS, IT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME BEING A FLYING FORTRESS AND BEING TOUGH.

>> IT'S A GREAT AIRPLANE.

IT TAUGHT ME A LOT AND CONTINUES TO TEACH ALL OF US.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT WHEN YOU ARE REALLY GOOD AT IT AND DIALED IN, IT CAN MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD BUT IT CAN ALWAYS TURN AND HUMBLE YOU REAL QUICK.

>> I IMAGINE LIKE YOU SAID GOING OFF ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND DISPLAYING IT, KIND OF BEEN A SECOND EDUCATION FOR YOU AS FAR AS THE VETERANS THAT YOU MEET.

>> THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, IT REALLY IS THAT.

IT'S THE PEOPLE YOU MEET THAT MAKE IT THAT SPECIAL PART OF YOUR LIFE.

FLYING AN AIRPLANE IS WONDERFUL AND A REAL CHALLENGE AND EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT BUT THE PEOPLE YOU MEET, YOU JUST NEVER FORGET THE STORIES.

YOU CONTINUE TO GROW AND LEARN ABOUT ALL THESE AMAZING THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT SOMEHOW ARE ALL LINKED TOGETHER AND TIED TOGETHER THROUGH THIS PIECE OF HISTORY.

>> STILL YET ONE MORE STORY FROM RAY WALL WHO OPERATED ONE OF THE SIDE OR WAIST GUNS.

>> TWO UP THERE AND THEN THE TWO ON THE TOP AND THEN THE TWO ON THE BALL AND THEN THE TWO LEDGE AND TWO TAIL, THAT'S WHAT WE HAD AND WE WERE REGARDLESS OF WHICH WAY THAT THING FLEW IN, THAT'S THE WAY IT WOULD ALL DEPEND ON HOW MANY OF THEM WOULD FLY, SEE, SO WE HAD A BALL.

IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE WE WAS HAVING A BALL AT THE TIME, BECAUSE WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT THEM SHOOTING ONE OF THOSE, OWE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY -- SOME KIND OF A CANNON THE GERMANS HAD, WE WERE AFRAID WE'D GET TANGLED UP IF WE GOT SHOT WITH ONE OF THEM BUT WE NEVER GOT THAT MANY, WE HAD A FEW BUT USUALLY WHEN WE HAD SOMETHING, WE HIT THEM, YOU HAD SIX OR EIGHT GUNS ON THEM AT ONE TIME AND TRACERS THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TO TELL YOU WHICH WAY TO GO, WHICH WAY YOUR SHELLS WERE GOING AND I TELL YOU, IF YOU FIRE IN FRONT OF HIM, FRONT OF HIM, WITH A TRACER AND THEN HE WOULD TRY TO DUMP DOWN UNDER, SEE, AND THEN WE COULDN'T HIT HIM WITH THE MACHINE GUNS BUT WE GOT HIM ANYWAY.

>> GOT HIM ANYWAY.

YEAH, THEY GOT HIM ANYWAY, THIS GREATEST GENERATION, THEY GOT I AM ANYWAY FOR OUR FREEDOM.

LONGER THAN A FOOTBALL FIELD, THE US S.S. RAZOR BACK WAS NOT NAMED AFTER THE RAZORBACKS BUT THE FINBACK WHALE OFTEN CALLED THE RAZOR BACK BECAUSE OF THE RIDGES.

THE USS RAZORBACK WAS LAUNCHED ON JANUARY 27th, 1944.

IT WAS THE LARGEST SINGLE DAY LAUNCH OF U.S. SUBJECT MARINES EVER.

DURING WORLD WAR II, THE SUBMARINE CREW REST CRUDE NUMEROUS AMERICAN PILOTS SHOT DOWN.

AT THE END OF THE WHAT ARE THE RAZORBACK WAS ONE OF ONLY 12 SUBJECT MARINES SELECTED TO BE PRESENT IN TOKYO BAY WHEN THE JAPANESE SURRENDER WAS SIGNED.

WE MET UP WITH A CREW MEMBER JIM FRANKS WHO NOW LIVES IN HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE FOR A TOUR OF THE VESSEL HE NEW KNEW ALL TOO WELL.

>> WATCH YOUR STEP.

DOWN THE HATCH.

>> WE JUST CAME DOWN INTO THE TORPEDO ROOM AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THIS ROOM CAN CARRY 16 TORPEDOES AND YOU SEE THE TUBES BEHIND ME AND THEY'RE IN AN ARRAY OF THREE ON THE PORT AND THREE ON THE STARBOARD SIDE AND YOU SEE THESE RACKS.

WHEN WE LOAD THE TORE PEAD DOSE DOWN FROM THE LOADING HATCH, WE LOWER THEM DOWN ON TO THESE RACKS AND THEN YOU SLIDE THEM OVER TO LINE THEM UP WITH THE TUBES AND YOU HAND-HAUL THEM INTO THE TUBES.

SO WHEN YOU WERE GETTING READY TO GO ON PATROL, WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS YOU'D HAVE THE SIX IN THE TUBES AND YOU'D HAVE 10 IN THE RACKS OUT HERE.

SO YOU SEE THESE RACKS, THESE BUNKS NEXT TO THE TORPEDOES, THE SAILORS WOULD ACTUALLY BE SLEEPING NEXT TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'D BE HUGGING THE TORPEDOES SO IT'S KIND OF THE WAY OF LIFE HERE.

MANY TIMES THE FORWARD TORPEDO ROOM WOULD ALSO BE USED FOR SUNDAY MORNING SERVICES.

THE MAIN BUNK AREA COULD SLEEP 36.

ON SOME PATROLS THERE WERE MORE MEN THAN BUNKS WHICH MEANT SOME OF THE CREW HAD TO HOT BUNK OR HOT RACK, ONE MAN WOULD USE THE BUNK WHILE ANOTHER WAS ON DUTY.

THIS IS WHAT THE BED PAN WOULD LOOK LIKE THAT HOLDS ALL YOUR STUFF SO YOU WOULD FOLD UP ALL YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND PUT IT IN THERE AND THAT'S WHAT YOU -- THAT'S YOUR SPACE.

THIS RACK HERE IS THE ONE I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.

THIS IS MY RACK AND THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE ONE THAT IF YOU LOOK ON HERE YOU'LL SEE IT'S STILL AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO HOT RACK WITH THIS BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WOULD GET IN HERE.

NOBODY ELSE WANTED TO GET IN WITH THE OIL BUT I ACTUALLY GOT TO USE THIS BUNK ALL TO MYSELF.

>> YOU CAN'T JUMP OUT OF HERE TOO QUICK, KNOCK YOURSELF OUT.

>> IF YOU LOOK, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF ROOM!

>> JIM EXPLAINED TO US THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HAVING A SUB LIKE THE RAZORBACK IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

>> WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT AS TRUE TO ITS FORM AS WE POSSIBLY CAN SO WHAT WE WANT IS THAT VISITORS EXPERIENCE, TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE HERE DURING WORLD WAR II AND OTHER THAN THE SNORKEL, THE SHIP LOOKS INSIDE VERY MUCH LIKE IT WOULD AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PASS THAT ALONG.

IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT FOR ME AS WELL BECAUSE AS YOU MIGHT TELL FROM MY ACCENT, I'M NOT A NATIVE ARKANSAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAPPENED TO COME HERE BECAUSE I FOUND A NICE PLACE TO LIVE AND IT WAS FUN TO LIVE HERE AND ALSO MY ONLY ROOTS WAS THAT MY MOTHER HAPPENED TO BE MARRIED OR HAPPENED TO BE BORN IN PARAGOULD SO I ENDED UP HERE IN FWHAEN NEAT AND IN 2002 IS WHEN WE FOUND OUT THE RAZORBACK WAS GOING OUT OF COMMISSION IN TURKEY AND SO I GOT TOGETHER WITH SOME OF THE OTHER GUYS THAT WERE VERY INSTRUMENTLE IN BRINGING THE BOAT HERE AND SO WE BROUGHT THE RAZORBACK, MY FIRST SUBMARINE, TO MY RETIREMENT PLACE BECAUSE I'M RETIRED HERE AND I'M GONNA BE HERE FOR THE DURATION AND SO IS THE RAZORBACK.

>> WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN YOU FIRST SAW IT IN HOW MANY YEARS FOR THE FIRST TIME?

>> YEAH, IT WAS PRETTY SPECIAL, YOU KNOW.

IT'S -- IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN BECAUSE IT WAS SO LONG AGO, IT WAS LIKE 45 YEARS SINCE I HAVE SEEN THE BOAT AND IT KIND OF COMES BACK TO YOU WHAT LIFE IS LIKE AND WHEN YOU DROP DOWN THE BATTERY HATCH AND SMELL THE DIESEL FUEL AND I GOT TO GO BY MY RACK AND SEE WHERE THAT FUEL SOUNDING PACK IS STILL LEAKING OIL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE OLD HOME WEEK AND IT'S KIND OF FUNNY BECAUSE I HAD -- THIS WAS ONE OF SIX SHIPS I SERVED IN.

BUT THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE FIRST ONE.

KIND OF LIKE YOUR FIRST LOVE.

>> SUBMARINE SERVICE HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE SILENT SERVICE, RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP, AS ONE MOVIE WAS CALLED, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A PRICE TO BE PAID FOR VICTORY.

DURING WORLD WAR II, 52 U.S. SUBJECT MARINES NEVER RETURNED HOME, DISAPPEARING WITHOUT A TRACE.

MORE THAN 33,5 MEN LIE ENTOLD ON THE OCEAN FLOOR.

THE RAZORBACK STAYS DOCKED HERE IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK AS A PROUD MEMORIAL TO ALL THOSE MEN STILL ON PATROL.

>> IN THE WORDS OF FORMER NBC NEWS ANCHORMAN TOM BROKAW IT WAS THE GREATEST GENERATION ANY SOCIETY HAS EVER PRODUCED.

THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED DURING WORLD WAR II AND GAVE US THE WORLD WE HAVE TODAY.

FOR MORE ON THE USS RAZORBACK, B-17 AND THE DUCKS, VISIT OUR WEB SITE, AETN.ORG/EXPLORING ARKANSAS WHERE YOU CAN ALSO ORDER A COPY OF ANY EPISODES.

AND WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN THE NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EXCITING ADVENTURE ON "EXPLORING ARKANSAS" AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

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