quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
Here's a 3-part series by Drachinifel (youtube) on the salvage operations at Pearl Harbor:

part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB-V9cCSC8o

part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLCe1WNaIE

part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eibt2gYuFD4

He only finished the 3 part a few days ago and while I knew some of what took place, this series was really good and makes me want to find the books that he referenced.

This is an excellent presentation of the tremendous efforts made to salvage battleships after the air attack on Pearl. I too follow the history with much interest. It seems that most readily available material focuses on the war efforts and battles which immediately followed the attack. This video series focuses on the efforts to get the damaged battleships back into the fight.

My sister's father-in-law, a Navy officer at the time, lead the initial efforts to rescue crew members trapped inside the capsized Oklahoma by cutting into the bottom of the ship's hull. He received a citation and recognition for having saved the lives of 38 trapped crew members. His assignment immediately following the salvage was a command to lead efforts at Hunters Point in San Francisco to refurbish and retrofit all the damaged ships. He retired as a Rear Admiral after a distinguished career in the Navy following the war and continued humanitarian efforts on many major construction projects in the Pacific Rim. Rear Admiral Edgar P. Kranzfelder passed in the early 1990's.

I met him briefly in 60's and cherish our brief discussion. Even as a teenager, I had a strong interest in the events at Pearl Harbor and although he didn't volunteer details, he responded to questions with first hand knowledge and heart wrenching details of the event and the aftermath at Pearl. I only wish that, now as a more mature adult, I could further that conversation with him.

Thoughts and prayers on this solemn day to all those who gave at Pearl Harbor.

One of my colleagues at work’s father was a young 19 year old seaman on the USS Phelps, DD 360. During the attack, he climbed up as far as he could in the mast area with a Springfield and shot at the Japanese’s planes. My friend tells me that his dad told him he didn’t know if he hit anything, but he felt like he had to do something and that was all he could do at the time.


Years ago, my youngest brother was posted to Hawaii as a doctor and he bought me this bullet at a museum gift shop. The story is that National Geographic and the Navy Dept. did some underwater dredging looking for bullets fired at Japanese planes during the attack. To find the areas to look, they took the known mooring areas of the ships, the known locations of any machine guns on the ships, the ballistics of the guns and the known attack routes of the planes. They then computed where the bullets would have landed in the ocean if they hadn’t hit a plane and went looking. Now, nobody can say this was actually fired at a Japanese plane for certain during the the attack on Pearl Harbor, but shooting a 30 caliber weapon inside the harbor had to be rather rare. The new bullet is one I put in display case to show the difference between the two rounds.

I had the great honor of standing Officer of the Deck watches twice on the USS Arizona in the early 1970s when it was still carried as an active ship by the Navy. My name is in her official logbook twice.

I had the privilege to meet two Pearl Harbor vets. One was Lt Jim Downing. He was stationed on the West Virginia, but was ashore when the attack happened. He was amazing, and wrote a great book: "The Other Side of Infamy." After the attack, he helped raise the Wee Vee and he served after the war (when he was promoted to Lt).

The other was Donald Stratton, who was on the Arizona 'that day.' He was badly burned, medically discharged, and sent home. When he found out all his friends from school had left for the war (he was from a Podunk town in Oklahoma), he re-joined and served the rest of the war on a destroyer. He wrote "All the Gallant Young Men." It is an amazing read, and they've been talking about making a movie out of it for years. I'm almost afraid they will some day (and insert the typical hollywood BS in it. . .).


Both men were incredibly humble. Mr Stratton told me (after I told him how much I admired him) "I was just doing my job." I replied, "I read your book - you did WAY more than that.

Sadly, they are both gone. They named bridges after each of them here in Colorado Springs.

I’ve had the honor to visit the Arizona memorial twice in my life. Truly unforgettable experience.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
I’ve had the honor to visit the Arizona memorial twice in my life. Truly unforgettable experience.. .

I am holding a US flag flown at the USS Arizona Memorial, Aug 10, 1998, at 13:52 hours.

Thank you recoatlift for starting this thread. Thank you for everyone who has posted.

May God bless all those men.

My grandfather was on the USS Portland, a heavy cruiser that had left Pearl December 5 with the Lexington carrier group. They returns to Pearl on December 13. He still saw action the rest of the war on that ship. He died when I was 15 and never told me any stories.

16 years after war's end I was stationed in northern Japan. Talking to a young, Base Exchange (PX) clerk I queried how she felt about the Americans stationed in her country. Her reply: " if you were not here someone else would be." Also asked how she felt about Hiroshima. Her reply with a dead serious look: "We had Pearl Harbor." I'll never forget those words and that look.

quote:

Originally posted by navyshooter:

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
Here's a 3-part series by Drachinifel (youtube) on the salvage operations at Pearl Harbor:

part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB-V9cCSC8o

part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLCe1WNaIE

part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eibt2gYuFD4

He only finished the 3 part a few days ago and while I knew some of what took place, this series was really good and makes me want to find the books that he referenced.

I read this one a few years back by Edward C. Raymer a Navy Diver who was there . I recommend it.
Descent Into Darkness Pearl Harbor, 1941: a Navy Diver's Memoir

That was a great series! Such a huge undertaking. Thanks for posting.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:

quote:

Originally posted by recoatlift:
Those of a mind, please say a prayer for those poor souls that gave their life so we might have what we do in our great country.

Ever since I was a kid (73 now) December 7th has never left me.

I'll be 73 on the 20th of this month and this day is a reminder of the impact the attack had on my parents. My father and 2 uncles served in the Army Aircorps and my mother worked at a military communication center in San Francisco. Their lives would never be the same going forward from that day. Huge impact for sure.

Jim

I'll be 83 one say after you're 73. I was just 2 weeks shy of 4 years old the day the Japs attacked, so don't remember very much about the occasion. I did have several uncles serve in WWII, one in the Navy and I even saw him in uniform a couple of times (in California). My dad didn't serve, but worked in war industries. He was working in the Alameda Naval Yards during the end of the war; earlier he had helped build B-24 bombers at the Willow Run plant south of Detroit.

flashguy

My Father was on Ford Island firing at attacking planes before swimming to pull people to shore. We forget that not that many could swim back then. Very proud to be his son.

I've gone there twice in the last three years. Damned if my allergies don't hit me every time.

quote:

Originally posted by Lunasee:
I've gone there twice in the last three years. Damned if my allergies don't hit me every time.

Your allergies must be contagious.

There are probably a few of us on this forum who remember that day.

I was five weeks short of my fifth birthday. Of course, I did not understand what was happening, but I remember the family listening to the big floor-standing console radio. It was evident, watching my family, that something very serious was happening.

That day is the last clear memory I have of my father; he died three months later.

Before my time but I was greatly influenced as child by a family friend. He was a B17 crewman stationed in Pearl Harbor during the attack and definitely a part of the greatest generation.

Michael

God bless them all.

We owe them, FOREVER!

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
There are probably a few of us on this forum who remember that day.

Not I, but my father remembers as he was there. 11 year old Japanese-American, living on Oahu. He actually said most of the day people acted normally, doing what they would usually do on a Sunday, since no-one really knew yet what was happening.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo Jones:
Amen.

Truly "The Greatest Generation"

+1