This_shall_shiver_your_timbers

That sounds interesting. Depending on where his work being undertaken,
at any particular point during the war, this marine could not only have
been assigned to preserve your father's life against those who might
wish to kill him, but could also display undertones that there was no
way that your parent would be taken alive by the enemy, either. In a
"I'll save one round for you" sort of way.

(Don't know which group in the eclectically cross-posted distribution is
your nominal 'home port', but AFP is mine, so I've set Followup-To to
there accordingly (and added AFP-local subject tagging) in case you want
to reply.)