PEARL HARBOR

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

Today, every newspaper in this country and every news source should be reminding us of Dec 7, 1941. There are only five survivors of the USS Arizona left alive. 400 plus WWII veterans die each and every day. We have produced a generation of youth that know little or nothing of our history other than some perceived wrong doing.

Visiting Pearl Harbor was always on my bucket list. During Viet Nam, a ship that I was on made a very brief stop there. I was so looking forward to going ashore and visiting all the historic sites. For days I planned all the places that I would see. As things so often work out in life, duty called and I was forced to work the entire port visit.

In 2003 on my twilight tour of duty in the Navy, I was ordered to the Pacific Fleet Headquarters of the Seabees at Pearl Harbor. I spent most of my tour travelling to other areas but still had ample opportunity to visit the Punch Bowl, the Silent Service museum, Ford Island, the battleships Missouri, Arizona and Utah. It was the remarkable end to a long career in uniform.

 

[chief38]

To all the GI Servicemen & Women who served = THANK YOU! To all the surviving WWll Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen = THANK YOU! Your Generation is and will be greatly missed!!

 

[loknload]

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MlwmhWiiD2I[/ame]

 

[loknload]

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-1kixqRwvK0[/ame]

Never Forget!

 

[old bear]

Chief, a personal thank you for your service. For an old guy ya look spiffy in the dress whites.

Now, a special thank you to everyone living or deceased who gave ALL to defend the American Dream.

Fred

 

[the ringo kid]

I saw a recent news photo of a Naval officer at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial--paying his respects. He was reading the names and, I was able to note the amount of Marine personnel on board-who were killed. If nothing brings that attack into perspective--I highly suggest that person reads the names. I forget the actual number (too high-period) that I counted of the ships--Marines that died, but I think it was about 100.

Ive sid it before--ill never forgive the Japanese for that--like ill never forgive the Germans--for the Malmedy Massacre--whose 72nd anniversary--is December 17th.

 

[16thVACav]

I had my flag up before 7:00 this morning!

 

[PALADIN85020]

I took this picture at Pearl Harbor a few years ago. On my arrival there, this beautiful rainbow arched over the Arizona Memorial and the U.S.S. Missouri. These two ships marked the Alpha and Omega of WWII for us.

Another anchor from the U.S.S. Arizona now rests in a park adjacent to the Arizona Capitol. Here's a picture of it:

This console radio, dating from 1939, was putting out the news on December 7, 1941. It's been in my family since it was bought new by my father.

According to my mother, the first they heard of it was when a neighbor came pounding on the door of our house in Tucson, exclaiming that the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor. My mom said she didn't even know what Pearl Harbor was, but my dad did and instantly ran to this very radio to get the news.

I was one month shy of 3 years old at the time, so I don't remember much except later during the war when "Remember Pearl Harbor" was posted in windows everywhere, and was emblazoned on a beanie I wore then.

I DO remember the incredible treachery and the many lives lost. My flag flies proudly today for the men and women who never lived beyond Dec. 7, 1941.

This man, one of the last Pearl Harbor survivors, was honored in our Veterans Day Parade this year in Phoenix. I remember when there were quite a few more, but the years have since claimed them.

John

 

[rwsmith]

I just watched......

I just watched the end of the televised memorial on Oahu. The benediction of the Chaplain, the warbirds, the 21 gun salute, the special guests and 'echo' taps played with two buglers.

This turned me from 'It's Pearl Harbor Day' to 'It's a REAL Pearl Harbor day. I'm really glad I watched that. It's the top of the page on CBSnews.

 

[Bunkybayonet24]

While stationed in Hawaii, I was approved by the local command to Re enlist on the Arizona Memorial. What an honor!

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

Great post! I'm to "young" to (73) remember Pearl Harbor, but I remember Pearl Harbor Day every year without having to be reminded. God bless our remaining WWII Veterans and all our Veterans. I believe truly that they were the greatest generation.

God Bless the USA

Leon

 

[les.b]

As some of you know, my uncle Gene died when his submarine, the Scamp was sunk in December of 1944 off of Tokyo Harbor. But previous to this he left his personal log here in the States when he was in San Francisco on leave, getting married, while one of his previous subs was being refitted after damages from depth charges.

Here are his entries (he was a LTjg, and the subs Gunner) from December 7th (the 8th for him) while his sub was in Manila Bay:



I grew up in a Gold Star home, and although my mothers other two brothers survived the war, and stayed in the Navy to become career sailors, we never forgot uncle Gene.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Jessie]

I've been watching about it all day today, lest I forget.
( that's not going to happen)

 

[Jessie]

As some of you know, my uncle Gene died when his submarine, the Scamp was sunk in December of 1944 off of Tokyo Harbor. But previous to this he left his personal log here in the States when he was in San Francisco on leave, getting married, while one of his previous subs was being refitted after damages from depth charges.

Here are his entries (he was a LTjg, and the subs Gunner) from December 7th (the 8th for him) while his sub was in Manila Bay:




I grew up in a Gold Star home, and although my mothers other two brothers survived the war, and stayed in the Navy to become career sailors, we never forgot uncle Gene.

Best Regards, Les

That log is priceless! I bet you can hear the metal creak at times when you read it.
Forgive me for forgetting to add;
Thank you Lt. Gene! You all did it. RIP

 

[Jessie]

The more I learn of that day, the more I'm convinced that Admiral Kimmel got a raw deal and was railroaded.
Were mistakes made? Yes, but the largest mistakes were omissions of info and intelligence not made available to him.
What's the saying?" I don't know what I don't know"

 

[shouldazagged]

I was a month past my fourth birthday when Pearl was attacked, and I was critically ill, so I don't recall it at all. But I do have memories of later events in what was my father's and my uncles' war, and 7 December 1941 looms very large for me. The war that people my age still simply call "the war" was a huge fact in my growing up, as was the Korean "police action".

Master Chief, it's sad but true that the youth today aren't aware of the significance of Pearl Harbor because the young people teaching them and the middle-aged people who wrote their textbooks aren't aware of its enormous importance.

It has always been that way. To high school kids today, Desert Storm is ancient history and Vietnam might have been in the Dark Ages. Their teachers may be great-grandchildren of WWII or Korean War vets who never heard their forebears' stories.

We need to do a better job of teaching history, much better. But only a most exceptional teacher, like the one who taught me in college and finally gave me a love of the subject that I have never lost, can make it live for kids who laugh at the archaic music and fashions of the 1990's.

I don't personally remember Pearl Harbor, but I'll never forget what followed from it. And one day before long I'll die, and another set of memories will leave the pool of remembered experience. We are losing the people who served in World War II, and the Korean War, at a sad, sad rate, and that's also forever true. Contrary to what MacArthur famously intoned, old soldiers do die, and time moves on.

Master Chief, you looked pretty damn formidable even by master chief standards.

 

[Jessie]

Well said Shouldazagged. But don't worry, what they forget and are not taught, will be relearned....the hard way unfortunately for them.
Hasn't it always been that way?

 

[Backlighting]

I've visited Pearl Harbor 2x. Each time I went & stood overlooking the submerged Arizona, oil still bubbling to the surface. Sobering, to say the least.

 

[shouldazagged]

Well said Shouldazagged. But don't worry, what they forget and are not taught, will be relearned....the hard way unfortunately for them.
Hasn't it always been that way?

Yes, which is why i rhink we need ot be doing a far better job of teaching history.

 

[bullmack]

My dad enlisted in the Navy on September 25, 1942 and ended up in the South Pacific. He had achieved the rank of Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class when he was discharged in September 1945. I've attached the cover of a Log Album on which he wrote all of his schools, duty, stations, and islands he was at.

 

[the ringo kid]

I just watched the end of the televised memorial on Oahu. The benediction of the Chaplain, the warbirds, the 21 gun salute, the special guests and 'echo' taps played with two buglers.

This turned me from 'It's Pearl Harbor Day' to 'It's a REAL Pearl Harbor day. I'm really glad I watched that. It's the top of the page on CBSnews.

Speaking of Chapels--the very first service at NAS-Corpus Christi--was on Dec 7th 1941. We have two men from here who were killed at Pearl, both were on the U.S.S. Arizona.
1) W. J. Sherrill-who was a Chaplains Assistant and who was setting up for Church services when they attacked. He was killed fulfilling his duty to the Lord, and to us. We have a park here named after him.
2) W.J. Brownlee. He's only remembered by a street named after him.

William Joseph Sherrill:

William J. Brownlee:

 

[zzzippper]

There was discussion in this or another thread that was about which ships were permanently sunk or damaged. I hope this link works because it lists the 13 of 16 ships that were put back in service.
These 13 U.S. Navy Ships Rose from the Dead After Pearl Harbor

One of my hobbies is philately (it means stamp collecting you perverts!). One of my themes is stamps from ships that were in Pearl that day. I have one from every ships as large or larger than a destroyer and some of the smaller auxiliaries.

 

[the ringo kid]

We are getting a new memorial--which will be placed at Sherrill Park. This one is the upper hull to the recently retired submarine-the U.S.S. Corpus Christi. I wish they'd have managed to get it whole but--at least were getting part of it back.

 

[bluetopper]

Japan had things going their way up until 12-7-41. I still don't know why they felt they needed to bomb Pearl Harbor and stir up the U. S. Was just simple conquest the reason?

 

[sheepdawg]

Japan wanted the oil in the East Dutch Indies and the United States was the big dog in the Pacific.

 

[lrrifleman]

Sheepdawg is correct. The attack on Pearl Harbor was designed to reduce our ability to militarily re-enforce our economic sanctions against the imperialistic adventures of Japan in the Pacific. Disney is as much to fault as our misdirected educational system for the diluted lessons our children are learning about WWII.

 

[Murphy's Law]

One of the main highlights of my 22 year Naval career was the honor while pulling into Pearl aboard ship and have the opportunity (all hands manning the rails) to salute the USS Arizona. Trust me when I say, not a dry eye in the group for our falling shipmates.

 

[16thVACav]

As bad as 12/7/41 was, it would have been catastrophic if the Pacific carriers were in port at the time.

 

[PALADIN85020]

As bad as 12/7/41 was, it would have been catastrophic if the Pacific carriers were in port at the time.

Another stroke of luck for us was that the Japanese did not bomb the fuel dumps on Oahu. We thus had fuel for our remaining ships, including the carriers they did not get. There was to be a third wave attack, but Yamamoto called it off, figuring they had done enough damage, and a third wave might be more costly to them, since we would be on full alert. Had he launched a third attack, the fuel dumps would have been the likely targets. This was a major tactical blunder.

John

 

[tlawler]

One of the main highlights of my 22 year Naval career was the honor while pulling into Pearl aboard ship and have the opportunity (all hands manning the rails) to salute the USS Arizona. Trust me when I say, not a dry eye in the group for our falling shipmates.

I fondly remember doing that also. We would render honors to the Arizona whenever we deployed or returned. Where ever you were in the ship, even below decks, you would stop what you were doing and stand facing in the direction of the memorial.