Cheers to the all Naval Reserve gun crew on USS Ward who fired the first official shots of WWII for America against Japan and sinking a midget submarine.
GO USNR!
One of that USS Ward gun crew was present when the mini-sub he helped sink was re-discovered a few years back, officially validating their claim. Pretty cool.
The USS Ward was subsequently converted to a high speed (APD) transport, and continued in combat service until it was hit by a kamikaze at Ormoc Bay in the Philippines, and had to be scuttled.
On...December 7, 1944.
Further irony...the commander of the USS O’Brien, which fired the shots that scuttled the stricken Ward, was none other than the same officer who had commanded the Ward at Pearl Harbor.