Pearl Harbor

[Hiede]

Flew my son and daughter to Pearl Harbor on friday for the Memorial Services over the weekend.

One of the veterans here is 101 years old and was on the Oklahoma and was able to get to the Maryland after his ship was hit and before it capsized.

I think there are 30 veterans of the attack here, all in their 90's or older.I have been here before and met some of the veterans that have passed.Talon talked to them more because of the work he was doing for the CFS2 Pearl Harbor Project,he also met some of Japanese that were involved in the attack.

There has been rain everyday so far which makes it difficult to do everything but my son is really enjoying.It is December 6 and after 10 PM as I write this and tomorrow everything starts at 7:55 AM with the sounding of the bell that signals when the attack began.Weather forecast,more rain.

My son was in awe of the USS Missouri.He was here before but he was only 4 at the time so most is new to him.

I hope the rain stops before we head back to Maui,if it doesn't we stay until it does.It can be very dangerous during storms when you approach Maui because of winds coming off the Island.The winds are tough even without storms.I made a post about them years ago.

Hiede

[Rami]

Hiede,

I'm glad you were able to attend; it won't be long before the remaining veterans of Pearl Harbor are no longer with us, and will only be able to offer silent testimony, like those of the Doolittle Raiders. I hope that you have coped with the weather well out there, and that you won't return to any damaged property on Maui.

[Hiede]

Hiede,

I'm glad you were able to attend; it won't be long before the remaining veterans of Pearl Harbor are no longer with us, and will only be able to offer silent testimony, like those of the Doolittle Raiders. I hope that you have coped with the weather well out there, and that you won't return to any damaged property on Maui.

Well at least you show respect for these Veterans.I was going to talk about other activities of the 6 days we were there,which there were quite a few even with the rain,but with the responses in this thread I figured it would be just a waste of time and effort.The sad part is there are veterans in this forum but are quiet.You would think they might want to Honor those from the Greatest Generation.Looks like that was wrong.

Hiede

[oldmsgt]

Hiede

Thank you for taking the time to attend the ceremonies honoring the Pearl Harbor veterans. I have posted threads on Memorial Day, Veterans Day and other days in the past. They have, to be honest,received very little response from the members here at SOH. Being retired military I honor ALL veterans every day. Next week I'm going to an appointment at the VA Medical Center, I'll be fortunate to see even one WW2 vet. The greatest generation is almost lost today. I once spoke with a gentleman there who was a veteran of WW2, Korea and Vietnam. Wow! 3 wars - that's a hero to me! He said it was an honor to serve and he would do it again. I served during Vietnam and the Gulf War. So would I. I thought about replying to your post, but did not. I'm sorry now for not doing so. There are vets here that care!

Best Wishes for the Holiday Season

The Old Master Sergeant

[Fibber]

...I had passed through and had saw your post and thought it spoke for me and there was nothing I could add. I had previously visited PH many moons ago at one of the other big commemorations and still have the golf shirt I bought at the time. I too had gotten to talk with many of the fellows who were there that day and had bought to life for me the book “ At Dawn We Slept”.
The climax of our day was visiting the Arizona. Words cannot EVER describe the solemnity of that memorial.
I had relatives who served with Patton and other USMC relatives who fought at Tarawa and Saipan and Seabee relatives who were all over the islands. I also worked with many WW2 guys in my former LEO career and learned many things about life in those war theaters.
I had served also and think of that day and the citizens who endured that war often.
It was a brutal war on both sides and was a fight for survival. As the line in Victory at Sea concerning Okinawa said “ it was a fight for those who fought to die and those who fought to live.

[highpockets]

Heidi
I have never had the opportunity to visit Pearl Harbor or Normandy, but envy those who do get that opportuniy. Glad your son is open to learn about the Greatest Generation. I live with three of those here in my retirement community: A B-26(ETO) bombadier age 101, a medic, age 97, landed third wave in Normandy, a B-24 navigator (PTO) age 98. Get to see and talk to theses guys nearly everday--different breed for sure! Lost an uncle in Operation Nordwind in Europe in 1945.
I love these guys and we must never forget our armed services who stand in the gap for our freedom!
Thank for your post to remind us.

[Sarg Willy]

I can never forget , the service of WW II vetran,s , your post was most enjoyable ,
having spent the last , 45 years researching my fathers records , and photo,s ,
in search of the truth , to fit the short verbal clips , he talked of , that remained
obscured till this year ,
Produced a legacy that staggers the imagination ,
Things he spoke of when I was 8 - 10 years old and on , Fitting the puzzle pieces ,
, to arrange the story line , and finding 250 photo,s
, Un-named , and miss named , Yet each photo was encripted !
There will be many more to uncover , 1,000 + , If I live long enough ,
The astonishing fact , he never mentioned all the photo,s ,
It was --" A Need to Know "-- basis
He would have remained --
" The Unknown Soilder "

The short clips , the photo,s , the encription , the leagacy ,
the Truth , would have never been known ,


As a Canadian Tanker , you would think the archives of Canada were the sole source files ,
The source photo,s became international , USA , Great Britain , Germany , Italy ,
Austraila , New Zealand , Holland , Poland ,
Including different Regimental , source files , Great Britain and Canada ,

My first impression was poster boy , of a tank reg ,
The second was there were more photos than Audy Murphy ,
said in jest of course ,

To be honest , he recomended , I read his book , as one of the best
factual accounts , from WW-II , To Hell and Back ,

I did read it , and the parralels , of the two Irishmen ,
were so close as to be disturbing , Almost a mirror image ,
Then I knew why he said read it !

[Hiede]

Sarg Willy,

My late husband and brother in law father served in WW2. Going through my brother in law's ( Talon ) he found out that their father was part of Merrill's Mauraders,his Uncle served on Hornet during the Doolittle Raid until it was sunk,he served on another carrier later in the war.Another uncle served in the Royal Navy.Their mothers family was originally from Germany and still had distant relatives there.On served in the Merchant Navy and was on one of the supply ships for warships.

It's interesting to learn about family history.

Hiede

[Sarg Willy]

Two great moments in history , Thanks for sharing Hiede ,