December seventh. Pearl Harbor day. It hits home to me more than others my age as I lived in Hawaii in military housing on Pearl Peninsula. We could see Ford Island where they had an airfield at that time. Now it is too small for today’s aircraft but some of the buildings from that time were still standing complete with bullet holes in them. Its been 30 years since I was there so I imaging they are gone by now. And for the two battleships on their sides alongside the island I don’t know. I didn’t know when we would go fishing there that there was a Medal of Honor winner entombed in one of them. Instead of abandoning ship as was ordered he stood his post and manned the pumps that pump water to balance out the ship And keep the boilers from overturning and creating a huge inferno. Him doing this bought valuable time to allow his shipmates to reach freedom and not be caught up in flames as the doomed ship fought to stay afloat. I knew about the nearly one thousand men entombed on the Arizona. With it’s memorial sitting above her as she lays on the bottom. I didn’t know about the USS Utah.
One more recent memory that comes to mind is a visit to a Burger King some several years ago and talking to an elderly lady who was working there cleaning tables and refilling drinks. When she offered to refill my drink for me I declined but instead asked her a question. I asked her “what were you doing on Pearl Harbor day”? It was then I saw a sparkle in her eyes as she relived that day for me. She told me of going to church that morning and upon returning home her brothers were outside playing. Her mother was in the kitchen frying chicken for dinner that day.
We are fast loosing our living history. If you ever have the chance talk to these older Americans they still have a lot to share with us. I was thrilled to listen to her remembering even the smallest details about a day so long ago. And I like to think she was excited that someone was interested enough to ask.