Veteran finally lets himself remember Pearl Harbor

Los Angeles Times ^ | Dec 6, 2016 | David Montero

[Freeport]

HONOLULU -- He walked slowly, an entourage of help ensuring he didn't slip. People in the bar clapped as he moved past. Then Lauren Bruner gave up his cane and settled at a table against the wall where his picture had been hanging for years.

Dwight Lockwood, reed-thin in shorts and flip-flops, darted behind the bar and quickly popped the cap off a Kona Longboard beer. "It's his favorite," he said. The drink was on the house, of course.

Bruner took a swig. Around him, dozens of people waited to shake his hand, share a story or take a picture. The bar was a dive, barely more than the width of a long hallway. He looked around from the stool -- his stool -- and the decades began to melt away.

No longer was he 96, with a broken heart and a busted back. He was back in Smith's Union Bar, and it was in the exact same place it had been when he was stationed at Pearl Harbor all those years ago. In his mind, he was 21 again -- strong from swabbing decks and climbing steep ladders aboard the battleship Arizona.

Then came Dec. 7, 1941 -- the day of America's first 9/11, the day the U.S. got drawn into World War II in a hail of fire and fury. The day more than 2,400 men and women died in an attack by a country America wasn't even at war with. The day Bruner has spent most of his life not talking about.

That changed a few years ago, when he met Ed McGrath.

[Don Corleone]

While I wasn’t in Hawaii on Dec. 7th I do remember the day quite clearly as I was at a neighbors house that afternoon and we all gathered around the radio to listen to the news reports. I don’t recall anyone there knowing where Pearl Harbor was. There were blank stares. PS. I was only 9 yo.

[FamiliarFace]

Very nice! Thanks!

[DariusBane]

Thank you for posting this article.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Most of us are too young for Pearl Harbor, but yeah now that you mentioned it, I can see where it would rank right with JFK and 9/11 as one of those “Where were you?” moments.

[AppyPappy]

My dad tried to enlist the week after Pearl Harbor and they told him to come back later. Later turned into April. They just couldn’t handle the number of recruits.

[Sasparilla]

...one of those “Where were you?” moments....
My best friends father was on the “Vestal” a repair ship moored next to the Arizona on December 7th. He survived..

[PrairieLady2]

Deeply touching, thank you. The shadows of war reach far acrpds time.

[bus man]

Most of us are too young for Pearl Harbor, but yeah now that you mentioned it, I can see where it would rank right with JFK and 9/11 as one of those “Where were you?” moments.

My father was 16 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Not long before he passed away, when he was around 80 years old, I asked him if he remembered what he was doing when he heard about the attack. He remembered, alright, and described his recollections about hearing the news in exquisite detail.

Some things just stick with you, forever. For the people of his generation, "Remember Pearl Harbor" wasn't just a slogan; it was something that stuck with them for the rest of their lives.

[mulligan]

It is important - REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR.

[Bringbackthedraft]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkEc_qE05-U ........... The march was allegedly written 10 days after the attack. ???

[abigkahuna]

If one goes to archive.org and searches 1941 news under audio you will find all the live reports at the time. Fascinating. There was even thinking that somehow the Germans were involved in goading the Japanese.

KIRO in Seattle goes off th air at seven pm. Blackout on the west coast from Canada to Mexico that very night. Factories doing defense work were instructed via radio announcements to secure against sabatoge.

If you get a chance go listen. https://archive.org/details/1941RadioNews It will be well worth the listen.

There is a previously scheduled egghead round table discussion about American and Canadian cooperation when they learn of the attack. They make a small announcement and carry on with their discussion without realizing the enormity of the situation.

December 8 and congress. MBS let their microphone on so we have an hour of congress diliberating the war resolution before being discovered and being forced to turn off the liv mic..

Amazing stuff there. Check it out.

[Howie66]

Thank you for posting.

[gandalftb]

The China Marines were withdrawn from Shanghai in November 1941.

For four years the Marines were surrounded by and had close dealings with the occupying Japanese and were well regarded.

The China Marines were well aware of the rumors of a coming Japanese attacks and passed on the intel to Pearl Harbor.

My Dad was a Marine and the forward sentry on the USS Phoenix on the morning of December 7th, 1941.

Three days earlier he and the Marine Detachment onboard were ordered to fill all the ammunition boxes for the .50 caliber deck guns and padlock them. The Marine NCO’s were also issued sidearms and Thompson SMG’s. They knew what was coming.

My Dad saw the original recon flyover, shot the lock off the ammunition box and began firing the forward .50 cal. Browning. He said that he heard no other firing before he opened up.

The Phoenix was already making steam as they were to tow a target for gunnery practice that morning. The Japanese made their turns over the Phoenix allowing the Phoenix gunners to shoot down three aircraft. There were no Phoenix casualties and they made it out of the harbor safely.

We had plenty of warning.