Made of precisely machined cast brass, PT-305's Mark 31 torpedo director was built by Bristol and Martin Inc. of New York City, prewar a manufacturer of vending machines and fruit juicers.

“It was too much death to contemplate, too much savagery and suffering; and in August 1945 no one was counting. For those who had seen the face of battle and been in the camps and under the bombs—and had lived—there was a sense of immense relief.”

Alone, the bell is a small gift. But in the context of a global, world-changing moment, it becomes invaluable.

In a global conflict of exploding bombs and shells—tens of millions of them on land, sea, and in the air—setting one off in Hitler's headquarters might seem like the simplest thing in the world. 

Glass and the crew of the USS Enterprise survived Guadalcanal to fight another day—barely.