On this day in 1944, the light carrier USS Princeton met her end off the coast of Luzon during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Around 9:38 a.m., a single Japanese dive bomber broke through the clouds and dropped one bomb—just one—that tore through her flight deck and set off catastrophic fires among the fueled and armed aircraft below. For six long hours, crews from nearby ships like USS Birmingham and USS Irwin fought to save her. Then, at 3:24 p.m., a massive explosion (captured here in film) ripped

WATCH: WWII veteran honored at his home by U.S. Navy service members singing “Anchors Aweigh” Ernest Thompson served on the USS Missouri, but can no longer visit naval ships, so they brought the experience to him. “It was one of the best days of his life!” http://abcn.ws/2bx6iEM | Good Morning America