Topic: Remembering the anniversary of Pearl Harbor

[oldcoastie6468]

Saturday, December 7, is Pearl Harbor Day. Take time for remembrance of those who lost their lives in the cowardly attack on the Pacific Fleet in 1941.

We must never, ever forget. Our nation requires this of its patriots. 

[rustybayonet]

72 years ago today - Pearl Harbor


Arizona Memorial


List of those lost within the Memorial


Bullet holes remaining in hanger door on Ford Island


The Punch Bowl National Cemetary in Hawaii

                                                                                  

RIP Soldiers both Army and Marines - Sailors both USN and USCG

[oldcoastie6468]

We patriots will NOT forget. 


http://itsaboutliberty.com/index.php?topic=9914.0

[OldSailor]

A friend of mine on another site posted this link.  I highly recommend it.

http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/271443/the-arizona-revisited

 

[OldSailor]

I was stationed on Oahu from late 1972 until late 1980, spending 1 year of that time working at Pearl Harbor.  Back then, and even today you can still see some of the damage from the December 7 attack besides the two ships still laying on the harbor bottom, Arizona and Utah.  As Rusty's original post shows there are still damaged buildings on Ford Island, bullet pocked barracks buildings on Wheeler Field and Schofield Barracks.  In a small field adjacent to Pearl itself and Waipahu Town is still stored some of the wreckage cut from Arizona's superstructure but not dumped at sea or salvaged.  The field is fenced and only a few special visitors gain access (I was not one.)

There was a 2nd disaster at Pearl Harbor later in the war, the pressure to move men and material on to support the invasions in the western Pacific resulted in safety measures being ignored or followed only half heartedly.  In West Loch several LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) were being loaded with ammo and other explosives. 

The explosions destroyed several ships and killed I have no idea how many.  In shots of the area posted to Google Earth you can see a couple of the LSTs still there, half or mostly sunk.  Most of the wreckage was quietly salvaged from the bottom and dumped beyond the 100 fathom curve.  Interestingly, mixed in with that wreckage is one of the midget submarines the Japanese used on December 7.  The mess from the chain reaction explosions was so great no one recognized it for what it was.  IIRC both torpedos appear to have been fired unlike the midget USS Ward had sunk. 

Needless to say, I recommend that if you ever get to Hawaii visit the USS Arizona Memorial and Punchbowl and pay your respects to the men who fell on 12/7/41.

[Glock32]

RIP to all those who died that day. 


They say the Arizona still bubbles up oil to the surface even after so many years.  Can't really imagine what it must have been like to be alive when that happened. For a while I thought 9/11 must have been what it was like, but in the years since 9/11 the American Left quickly reasserted its constant battle against American identity, confidence, and sense of purpose with its navel-gazing, revisionism, cultural relativism and general "it's all our fault" answer to everything.  At least after Pearl Harbor we still had a country proud of itself and unapologetic about asserting its right to kick the hell out of the people who did that to us. The same aforementioned American Left will no doubt make a point of claiming Hiroshima and Nagasaki were war crimes...that's how they will "celebrate" America's forced entry into WWII. The Japs and the Germans were easily identifiable external enemies. The ones we're dealing with now are much more sinister.

I need to find some of the things my granddad brought back from the Pacific. He brought back an Arisaka rifle, which I have, and my aunt has his other stuff. I remember as a kid him showing us a bayonet so long it was almost a sword, a book on how to communicate with natives in New Guinea, anti-aircraft gunner's goggles, and a Japanese battle flag. He was US Navy and spent the war piloting landing craft in engagements all over the Pacific theater.

[rustybayonet]

RIP to all those who died that day. 


They say the Arizona still bubbles up oil to the surface even after so many years. 

True about the oil slick... last time there 3 years ago and still leaking oil.  [ There is a 'rumor' that when the last survivor dies, the oil will stop.  May be a far fetched rumor, time will tell and that time clock is fast approaching when all WWII veterans are gone].

[AlanS]

 

[Libertas]

Sailed into Pearl on three different occasions...manning-the-rail in our dress whites seemed a qaint tradition to me, but even the most jaded of latter-day sailors would feel something different going into Pearl...as if thousands of ghosts were watching our every move...that graveyard feeling multiplied by ten.

Much thanks for the awesome pics Rusty!  Stepping onto the ferry and motoring out to the Memorial I could envision myself a young seaman stepping into a UB and being motored out to my battleship...stepping onto the Memorial and feeling your heart feel like it is stuck in your throat, you truely know you are at a hollowed site...

It's bittersweet, a Memorial on water in such a beautiful place...that such horror occured at such an enchanted spot...it is the perfect memorial for this place...the contrast is what I think sets it apart from any other.  If people ever get the chance, they have to pay a visit.

Here is a link with good historical pics - http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/12/06/2529973/images-from-pearl-harbor-120712.html

This link has a story about Ewalt Schatz, 90 who was bumped from his Untied flight to participate in the anneversary...somebody found out about it and he was greated at the airport when his alternate flight landed by over 70 people -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520108/Pearl-Harbor-survivor-bumped-flight-remembrance-ceremony-memorial.html

He is also pictured in the middle of the first picture at this link - http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/us/article/Pearl-Harbor-ceremony-marks-bombing-anniversary-5043638.php

Although I am not aware of an official count, I think there are fewer than 1,000 Pearl Harbor veterans still with us...their website is here - http://www.pearlharborsurvivorsonline.org/Index%20Page%20.htm

My father was in the Air Force as an MP attached to the 509th, he recalls being at Schofield Barracks and still seeing bullet holes...while stationed on Guam during the Korean War it was not unusual to hear old US or Japanese ordnance "cooking off" on hot days...a not too unusual occurance on many Pacific islands.

And Rusty...I would really love to see that oil slick legend become true!  That would be pretty neat.

Here is what manning-the-rail looks like -

[rustybayonet]

Libertas so would I about the oil slick.  Now a shocking picture - the remberance thread you posted, the one with the suvivors and one of them taking a picture.  Well the man in the lower left in the green and white shirt - he is a member of survivors at Pearl that give tours and answer questions.  Just so happens he was one on the two gentlemen I talked with the last time there.

Photo from your post


The two survivors I met [both seated] - notice patch on right sleeve or some have it on their hat.

[oldcoastie6468]

I'll never see this. Hawaii holds no interest for either one of us.

[LadyVirginia]

Sailed into Pearl on three different occasions...manning-the-rail in our dress whites seemed a qaint tradition to me, but even the most jaded of latter-day sailors would feel something different going into Pearl...as if thousands of ghosts were watching our every move...that graveyard feeling multiplied by ten.

I've visited twice and both times I felt the same. Almost like the victims were just a arm's reach away. That oil slick ties the present to the past as if it's not really over.

[Libertas]

Sailed into Pearl on three different occasions...manning-the-rail in our dress whites seemed a qaint tradition to me, but even the most jaded of latter-day sailors would feel something different going into Pearl...as if thousands of ghosts were watching our every move...that graveyard feeling multiplied by ten.

I've visited twice and both times I felt the same. Almost like the victims were just a arm's reach away. That oil slick ties the present to the past as if it's not really over.

It's a palpable and almost indescribable feeling, one I have felt so very very rarely.  I could only visit the Memorial once, the last thing I did was gaze over every name on the wall...the choking feeling I felt, imagining the screams and fire and panicked cries for help as compartments flooded and lungs filled with oil-slicked water...it's like I felt their panic and fear...I couldn't take that feeling again and I never went there again.  But every time we passed I couldn't help but stare off at it...and then that feeling would start to grip my throat and gut again.  As is typical with me I swallow unpleasant feelings and replace them with anger and vow to destroy anybody who tries to pull that stuff on me and mine!

9-11 elicited similar feelings, and a seething anger fueled me for quite a long while.  I never cared much for Muzzies before then...I care not a whit since.

[Libertas]

Libertas so would I about the oil slick.  Now a shocking picture - the remberance thread you posted, the one with the suvivors and one of them tqaking a picture.  Well the man in the lower left in the green and white shirt - he is a member of survivors at Pearl that give tours and answer questions.  Just so happens he was one on the two gentlemen I talked with the last time there.

Photo from your post


The two surivors I met [both seated] - notice patch on right sleeve or some have it on their hat.

Heh, look at those characters!  They still look feisty enough to take some on!  Bless their hearts!   

I had a thought this morning too, thinking about whatever as I drive into the office since the blather on news radio is so boring, about the dwindling survivors pool...most of those that are left are of the youngest in the ranks at the time of the attack...those 17-18 year old polywogs on their first assignments at the time of the attack are now 89-90 years old.  It had to be shocking for anyone but kids fresh out of high school and right off the family farm?!

I hope they hang on some more...it'll be a sad day when they are gone.   

[rustybayonet]

Libertas - I definitely understand the feeling in the pit of the stomach.  I had the same feeling when I went there last time.  Day one went to Arizona Memorial, then 3 days later went on tour of all areas connected to Dec. 7, 1941 raid.  Tour started at Pearl Harbor - I didn't go out to Memorial again, just walked around the museum and that's when I met the two gentlemen pictured.  Plus met the author of a book "Pearl Harbor" a complete illustrated history. [Now have autographed copy, used it to look up - man in picture is Al Rodrigues - the other on the right is Bob Kinzler, both were at Schofield Barracks].  Talking to them was an unbelievable experience.  The two that I had the pleasure to meet are part of the seven that lived in the area and volunteer their time in the Pacific Visitor Center, both say, one reason they do it is to honor the memory of their lost comrades.
A man I know at church flew Liberators in WWII and recommended two books, one was "Captured" about a Liberator crew member that crashed and was captured by the Japanese.  After reading that book and talking to these two - it is very understandable why those fighting in the Pacific carried with them their hatred of the Japanese as they have.  The sadist treatment handed out by the Japanese to POW's was mind baffling.

[Libertas]

"...reason they do it is to honor the memory of their lost comrades..."   

Innocence ended that morning...the bond these guys have will never be broken.

"Pearl Harbor" a complete illustrated history...I believe I have that!   

And yes, the treatment of our boys by the Japs was horrific...ask the survivors of the Bataan Death March and any held captive.  It is one reason why (along with massive propaganda) the Jap's feared capture by us...and why women chose to jump off cliffs rather than be captured by American devils...those that were captured were shocked at how well they were treated!

[Glock32]

Every time I have occasion to be in Wilmington, NC I try to tour the battleship North Carolina. I've toured it I don't know how many times, but it's fascinating every time. They converted the state room of the ship into a little museum about the war in general, and the walls are lined with plaques of everyone from NC killed in the war. When you just see name after name like that it hits in a profound way. You wonder how many kids and grandkids would that man have had?

If you ever have a chance to tour a WWII battleship do yourself the favor. They just don't make such big, heavy vessels anymore. The 16" guns on that ship could sling a 2,000 pound shell over 20 miles. Must have been a sight to behold.

[Libertas]

That reminds me of the monumentally stupid decision the libiots in Duluth made a number of years back...they had the option of building a ugly-ass aquarium or acquire a retired warship (old destroyer IIRC) and they chose to go with the ugly-ass aquarium.  Idiots!  Nobody goes to the aquarium, costly to maintain and they charge too much!  A warship would have been a fabulous addition to the city and a certain draw for visitors.

Libiots...they can turn a smile upside down faster than you can say don't be a dumbass!