I was born after the war, but the Pearl Harbor attack was discussed a lot at my house when I was growing up. My mother's youngest brother was there on the Curtiss, a seaplane tender that took several bombs and missed by a mini-sub's torpedo.
DO YOU REMEMBER 12/7/1941?
- Thread starter crazyphil
- Start date
tndrfttom
Member
I’m too young but my dad had enlisted in the Army Air Corps in October, 1941 and was in training in Texas. He and some of his buddies had gone into town to try to see a movie on the afternoon of December 7th. While they were walking through town to find the theater they were told that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. They all went back to the bus stop and grabbed the first ride back to the base.
Last year, on December 7, 2019, a family friend passed away. (He always proudly displayed a “Pearl Harbor Survivor” license plate on his truck). He was on the Cruiser USS Phoenix which was moored away from Ford Island and the ship was undamaged. He said the Phoenix and two other seaworthy cruisers and a couple of destroyers sailed that afternoon in hopes of locating the Japanese fleet but no luck.
As an aside…. After the war the Phoenix was sold to Argentina and renamed the General Belgrano. It was sunk during the 1982 Falklands war by a British submarine.
Last year, on December 7, 2019, a family friend passed away. (He always proudly displayed a “Pearl Harbor Survivor” license plate on his truck). He was on the Cruiser USS Phoenix which was moored away from Ford Island and the ship was undamaged. He said the Phoenix and two other seaworthy cruisers and a couple of destroyers sailed that afternoon in hopes of locating the Japanese fleet but no luck.
As an aside…. After the war the Phoenix was sold to Argentina and renamed the General Belgrano. It was sunk during the 1982 Falklands war by a British submarine.
I was born in '61, so before my time. My best friend in elementary school had a grandfather who was killed on the Arizona. Still remember the portrait of him the family kept over the fireplace, along with his posthumous purple heart.
BLACKHAWKNJ
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Something of an off anniversary-like November 22 this year. My mother told me she and my old man were at a football game in New York when they heard the news.
My father was dodging bombs on Ford Island on 12/7/41. He was 30 years old and the oldest in his unit (everyone called him “pops”). He was married with children, so in ‘42 he was sent to Alemeda Naval Air Station, and I was born in San Fran in 1943.
My mother had ship passage booked for her and my older brothers for about 12/16/41 and those were, of course, cancelled. She never forgave the Japanese for keeping her from seeing Hawaii, but I have been to Pearl several times. Doesn’t seem that anyone cares about the anniversary any more.
My mother had ship passage booked for her and my older brothers for about 12/16/41 and those were, of course, cancelled. She never forgave the Japanese for keeping her from seeing Hawaii, but I have been to Pearl several times. Doesn’t seem that anyone cares about the anniversary any more.
I was born in 1931 so remember WW2 very well. We lived in the SF Bay area. Grandpa worked in ship yards {Kaiser], Mom drove ambulance there. Dad worked for the phone company & a year too old for the draft. I think I was in the 5th grade.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
My dad was in Florida at the Army basic trading for medics around the 40’s. Don’t know much more.
I believe I was reincarnated because that wwII bomber that tours the country the sound of those engines makes me go nuts. I get chills when I hear them. I think it’s a b17 or b24. I believe I died over Germany. I was fishing near where this bomber lands and gives rides. My back was away from the aircraft when it flew behind me. I knew what it was without looking. I know those engines by sound. It’s weird.
I believe I was reincarnated because that wwII bomber that tours the country the sound of those engines makes me go nuts. I get chills when I hear them. I think it’s a b17 or b24. I believe I died over Germany. I was fishing near where this bomber lands and gives rides. My back was away from the aircraft when it flew behind me. I knew what it was without looking. I know those engines by sound. It’s weird.
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OP
December 7, 1941, a date, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
said, "which will live in infamy". The mantra used to be
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR, but I don't hear that much any more.
Please remember, at least one day a year,
TODAY!
said, "which will live in infamy". The mantra used to be
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR, but I don't hear that much any more.
Please remember, at least one day a year,
TODAY!
Last edited:
BLACKHAWKNJ
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"It was worse than a crime, it was a blunder!" Talleyrand
OP
Santayana was right. So we had 9-11
Chubbo
Member
I remember
I was 10 years old, sitting in our little theater, in a small town in central Ohio, watching a 10 cent movie, When the movie stopped, and a news bulletin flashed across the the screen. "Japs bomb Pearl Harbor". More bits of information followed as notes were hastily hand written, and then shown on the screen. That ended the movies for the night, and everyone rushed out to spread the news. Seeing that news, flashed across that screen, and other folks hearing it from us, along with our government's instructions, created an intense hatred, of the 'Japs', as they were called by everyone at that time.
Chubbo
I was 10 years old, sitting in our little theater, in a small town in central Ohio, watching a 10 cent movie, When the movie stopped, and a news bulletin flashed across the the screen. "Japs bomb Pearl Harbor". More bits of information followed as notes were hastily hand written, and then shown on the screen. That ended the movies for the night, and everyone rushed out to spread the news. Seeing that news, flashed across that screen, and other folks hearing it from us, along with our government's instructions, created an intense hatred, of the 'Japs', as they were called by everyone at that time.
Chubbo
cmort666
Member
I wasn't born yet.
My father was a seasonal postal worker in the main Post Office in downtown Chicago that Christmas.
He spent a lot of his tenure stamping mail as undeliverable, recipient deceased.
My father was a seasonal postal worker in the main Post Office in downtown Chicago that Christmas.
He spent a lot of his tenure stamping mail as undeliverable, recipient deceased.
OP
I have told this story before, but this is a good day to repeat it. I was
watching an old episode of Dragnet. Sgt. Friday and his partner were
standing on the front porch conversing with a lady. Some fighter planes
flew over. The lady asked: Have you ever in your life heard such a
racket? Sgt. Friday said: Yes Mam at Pearl Harbor.
About that same time, folks here were complaining about the racket
the F15s were making out at Gowen Field. I sent the above story in
to the local newspaper as a letter to the editor, and reminded them
that it is the sound of freedom. They published it.
watching an old episode of Dragnet. Sgt. Friday and his partner were
standing on the front porch conversing with a lady. Some fighter planes
flew over. The lady asked: Have you ever in your life heard such a
racket? Sgt. Friday said: Yes Mam at Pearl Harbor.
About that same time, folks here were complaining about the racket
the F15s were making out at Gowen Field. I sent the above story in
to the local newspaper as a letter to the editor, and reminded them
that it is the sound of freedom. They published it.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
My last job was in the flight pattern of the big c5 transports sending supplies to the sand box for our troops. There was flight after flight leaving the US base in mass non stop.
