Unforgettable Photos From The Attack On Pearl Harbor, 73 Years Ago Today

businessinsider.com ^ | Dec. 7, 2014 | Amanda Macias

[luvie]

Yes....that one and

Victory At Sea!

And I LOVED the soundtrack for this one!

[Uncle Lonny]

Thanks for the details on the California. I had heard from the family lore that he survived the attack at Pearl Harbor and worked with cutting torches to try to free other trapped sailors below so I assumed that it rolled over.

[BCW]

I still think we should have keep at least 5 battleships active — despite all the technical weapons we have now...nothing sounds off like a “ass whipping” right off an enemies coast...they are a sight to see up close...

[headstamp 2]

I knew a plumber that was there on that fateful day. Was serving in the Navy at the time.

While he was running for cover from an explosion, he glanced over at the guy running near him. The man was basically decapitated from some shrapnel at that instant and went down.

He said he could never get that image out of his head.

He hated the 4th of July for the rest of his life.(fireworks and explosions) He’s gone about 15 years now.

[mvpel]

You can still see the bullet holes in the windows, and there's so many ghosts there you can feel it even during the daytime...

[pfflier]

California was moored in front of Oklahoma. It is entirely possible that your uncle was part of one of several rescue parties trying to free sailor from Oklahoma. The first rescue attempts were with cutting torches. That part meshes. Everybody pitched in and the lines blur over time and the retelling.

[John S Mosby]

Two submarines on picket duty in the 2 carrier force returning to Pearl on Dec. 7 early AM. They were delayed, the whole force. My Dad was on one of the subs.. and took/heard the warnings from COMSUBPAC of the day— “do not enter the ways to Pearl... under attack. This is no drill” They were 6 hours out of Pearl. His memories as they came in— having been attacked by the USS Ward (thinking they were a Jap mini-sub) after they opened the sub nets to the harbor— burning bodies floating, Arizona still on fire, Oklahoma flipped over and the rescue people beginning to open the keel plates to the sound of hammers on the hull... AND... the japs did NOT bomb the fuel tank farm at the sub base. Big mistake— that and the luck of not getting two possible carriers in their task force. The planes delivered to Midway— destroyed by the Jap invasion of Midway on the same day. BTW- Dad said they left in October 41, and they had orders with live torp loads— weapons free to fire on “hostile Japanese” ships. He knew.. all his life that this was “NO surprise.. it was engineered”, since we had not declared war on the Japs in October (wink, wink). He hated FDR and all of the democrap liars who “got out” of the Depression by forcing America into a war. And he was a true liberal (an old style Coolidge conservative farmer). Such is the re-written history of the Cabots, the Lodges and the Harrimans (and, for him.. the Bushes too! All what he called “argyle sock” fake cowboys-—Warren Buffett in boots LOL). Loved and miss him- died at 96. Twice Silver Star in combat action South China Sea covert ops.

[ColdOne]

What is that photo of? Is the place still standing?

[ColdOne]

Thanks for posting.

[ops33]

One of my Uncles was in the US Army prior to WW2. I have several documents of his from his war service, including a promotion to Temporary Sergeant, dated 6 Dec 1941, at Fort Kamahameha, HT. He went on to serve in North Africa and in Europe after D Day. He never talked about it, now I wished I had asked him about his experiences.

[GOPJ]

...Oklahoma flipped over and the rescue people beginning to open the keel plates to the sound of hammers on the hull... AND... the japs did NOT bomb the fuel tank farm at the sub base. Big mistake — that and the luck of not getting two possible carriers in their task force.

Interesting historical perspective John - I'm glad the USS Ward missed the sub your Dad was on. Winning WWII wasn't a foregone conclusion like so many wars now... it could have gone the other way.

[no-s]

Was your Uncle Tom McGrath? You may appreciate this original document of some of his war experiences; Apologies if you are already aware of it. Found along with other photos and remembrances of the Pompano.

[MacMattico]

Ping

[Uncle Lonny]

Wow! Thanks for the links! Yep, he is my uncle.

I had seen a photocopy of his war diary before at my dads place before he passed on 9 years ago. Good to read it again. And that pic of him in uniform with my mother on his right when he was at the Naval Academy is another treasure!

Another part of the family lore is when asked why such a big man as he would put in for submarine service considering how cramped the quarters are Tom replied, “ I just want to get first crack at the bastards!”

I never got to know him. His sub was lost exactly 3 years before I was born.

Thankfully my Dad survived Guadalcanal with the Ist Marine Air Wing and married my mom who he met on a train years earlier going to the West Coast to ship out.

I have only recently grown appreciative of my family history. Dad never talked about his war experiences until I became his caregiver in the last 5 years of his life.

[stockpirate]

There was one battle in the war where US battleships fired about 250 rounds from their 16 inch guns at enemy ships in only 15 minutes, that must have been a sight to behold.

[John S Mosby]

Thank you for posting, and for all the FReepers who have posted articles in Remembrance of Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7th, 1941
which began at 12:55 PM EST (7:55AM on Sunday at Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Army Air Force and Marine, Coast Guard Bases).

Many FReepers have posted they had family there, in Theater at the Bases under attack, or the attacks/bombardment of Midway Naval Base ( and hours later on the other side of the Date Line, on the 8th December at 12:40 PM aerial attack on Clark Field, Philippines and thus the beginning of the land invasion of the Philippines).

For the Remembrance of all those who were there, at Pearl, or the Philippines, and Midway-— who fought bravely— Prayers for their family members, and Blessing the Memory of these great Patriots.

Our family member was there, 6 hours out of Pearl, coming in from war patrol with ‘weapons free against hostile Japanese shipping’ (Tautog and the Thresher stood out to sea Oct. 21, 1941 under sealed orders, to begin a 45-day, full-time, simulated war patrol, the sealed orders allowed them to fire on— and they carried live torpedoes— any Japanese shipping during the patrol). The Thresher arrived after Tautog, and was the picket lookout for the returning carrier USS Enterprise. Both Enterprise and Thresher received messages— “under attack, this is NO drill” and both returned to patrol and sea duty with rapid turnaround, refuel and re-armed.

Blessings to all whose family was there, and salute to their service.

[John S Mosby]

Sure is one dumb washed out waste of time and air— hitlery.
My earlier post reply to PROCON, on this thread covers the USS Enterprise— which was at sea about 6 hours steam time from Pearl on early AM 7 Dec. 1941. Family was on a submarine serving as picket duty for Enterprise, and both received “under attack” messages. The yahoo answer pinpoints all our carriers— there were 3 that were stationed at Pearl- Enterprise, Saratoga and the “Lady Lex” Lexington (the Lexington was 500 nautical miles from Midway on 7 December and was called back to Pearl, cancelled mission delivering aircraft to Midway. The “Lady Lex” didn’t live too much longer- she was sunk by Jap aviation in the Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942).

Family’s memory of coming into port after the attack—”everything still burning, burning surface of the water from bunker fuel oil, and burning bodies still un-recovered, floating as we came into Pearl”. They did not speak much of it— but never forgot it.

[John S Mosby]

This song brings the memory back for our family— which has been Navy and US Marine Corps all the way back in US history from the Revolutionary War (and the creation of the Marines)—
they respected the Japanese armed forces— but detested the culture behind them, and they also lost friends at Jap POW camps (the chop for escaping)— something British, NZ and Aussie vets can address, those that still survive— the cruelty.

From a friend, successful songwriter Larry Cordle (doing his own song)-— “Daddy Was a Navy Man”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAoVlrnltNs

I don’t know why he liked the water he’d never seen the ocean before
But he was young and thirsty for
adventure and our country was at war
The poster in the window promised a chance to see the
world and he figured that he had a
score to settle for the boys that died at Pearl

Cho: he’s proud and so am i
that he went and did his part
and i love to hear the stories
that he tells of typhoons, tattoos, geisha girls
and battles he’s been in
Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Saipan
and for the longest time
he wouldn’t drive a car made in
japan Daddy was a navy man

Says it was just his duty
That’s why he volunteered
and when you’re seventeen years old
You’re just too dumb to be scared
And there’s a friend he talks
about he says he’ll see again someday
‘Cause you know old sailors never die
They just sail away

CHO:

“Oh, My Daddy was a Navy Man!”

Deo Vindice.

[GOPJ]

I remember the news of the attack. I was 11 yrs old and we sat around the radio and tried to gather as much info as we could. Two of my older brothers were on ships heading to the south pacific at the time. One was in the Navy and the other the Marines.

Interesting...

[GOPJ]

Family’s memory of coming into port after the attack—”everything still burning, burning surface of the water from bunker fuel oil, and burning bodies still un-recovered, floating as we came into Pearl”. They did not speak much of it— but never forgot...

Thanks for sharing John...