WW II veteran James Evans' home is packed with over 25,000 stories of Pearl harbor as written by the men who were there when they applied for membership in the Pearl Harbor Survivor's Association. Mr. Evans is the National Secretary of the organization and has inherited them.
At its peak, the association numbered more than 25,000, today, the rolls are down to 5000 with an average age of 86.
He was stationed at NAS Kaneohe Bay that day in December and 17 years old. He joined the Marines in 1940 after growing up in Chicago. One reason he joined was the depression.
HIS BATTLE
He remembers being in the barracks and looking at the mirror in his locker before 8 am duty at the field gate when the attack began. Someone yelled to come see, but no one responded immediatelly as they were sleeping in late after partying the Saturday night.
"We heard the thump-thump sound. The station was still under construction, so we were used to that sound. But, it was Sunday, and you know the civil service doesn't work."
His station was attacked first. "You were wondering what the hell was going on. We weren't in a war. You don't know what these planes are doing up there. It could be a maneuver. In 1941, if you asked what was the insignia of the Japanese Navy, 99 out of 100 wouldn't know."
The Marines didn't fire at first. When they started, he climbed to the roof and saw a Japanese plane 50 yards away. "I saw the Japanese pilot grinning at me, and I was cursing him. I shot five rounds and stopped. I figured out I wasn't going to hit a plane going 200 mph, but I could see everything."
The Japanese knocked out 33 planes and set 2 hangers on fire.
He teaches a WW II Generation class at Palomar College where he invites vets to speak.
May 3rd San Diego Union Tribune
LET'S HOPE
Let's hope that something is done with these applications. It would be too bad if they were lost. A good spot for them would be the Pearl Harbor museum in Oahu.
Another Member of the Greatest Generation. --Old Coot
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