One of the most moving stories in the battle of Leyte Gulf involes the men of the small US Naval force known as "Taffy 3", which consisted of only a few destroyer escorts and smaller carriers that were left to protect the landing forces after Admiral Halsey was lured away in pursuit of another target. I watched this story reenacted on the History channel yesterday, and it actually brought tears of pride to my eyes... This tiny group of American vessels engaged in a "Davy and Goliath" battle with a much larger and superior Japanese Battle group which had large battleships with 18 inch guns against the 5 inch guns and torpedoes of the destroyer escorts. Initially it looked as if the American ships would have to run for it, until one brave US Navy commander, acting on his own, turned his destroyer 180 degrees and attacked the larger enemy fleet! Soon the rest of the Americans followed suit, sacrificing themselves to save the men who had invaded the beaches. There's alot more to this story then I am going to mention here, but if you're looking for a Veteran's Day story to research (or just to feel good about) you might consider the battle of Leyte Gulf. To me it's one of many cases in WWII where Americans in small groups took the initiative and ended up winning the day and sending the enemy home with his tail between his legs! 
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Jim 