KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A World War II veteran credited with saving lives during the war was celebrated for turning 100 years old on Saturday.
Bob Luttrell was off the coast of Japan during the war, the 19-year-old sailor from Knoxville was aboard a warship when it struck an enemy mine and started sinking fast. When Luttrell was 98, he sat down with WBIR to tell his story.
He recalled flames blanketing the ocean after the explosion and sharks circling just beneath the surface. He even recalled giving his life jacket to a fellow sailor who couldn’t swim and then jumping into the water…