Monday, December 8, 2008

Pearl Harbor Again

I am trying to gather as many names and stories of the survivors as I can before it is too late.

The Dec. 8th Metro West Daily News of Massachusetts reported that 18-year-old Norman Hartnett was at the former Gorman Theatre on Dec. 7, 1941, and was walking across Kendall Street when he learned of it.

He begged his mother to enlist but she wouldn't let "Gabby" (named after the Cubs catcher) do it for a year. When he was finally able, the Navy overlooked his weight, 114, which was three pounds too little.

He became a radioman on the attack transport USS Frederick Funston and took part in five invasions: Sicily and Salerno in Italy, and in the Pacific: Saipan, Guam, and the Philippines.

"I was a 19-year-old kid and so frightened. I thought the ship would be attacked. It was chaotic. The British were in charge of all aircraft in Sicily and were dropping bombs around our ship during the invasion where they shouldn't have."

The Dec. 8th Oneida (NY) Daily Dispatch reported that Pearl harbor Survivor Ford Hitt died December 7, 2007, at almost the same instand as the attack. He was always very involved with the remembrance of the attack and his family attended this year's in his place.

Another survivor, Ralph Osterhout said he was just out of high school and a fellow worker was complaining about the "raw deal" Adolph Hitler was getting. This so maddened him that he enlisted.

He was at Hickam Field on Dec. 7th, and preparing to relieve another man on the portable radio when he heard someone saying Japanese planes were approaching. Minutes later, they saw them coming in three at a time in V formation with their red circles. They dropped something and then there were explosions.

A badly wounded man ran in, bleeding and yelling for help. They drove him to a hospital in a jeep and when they returned, found the back of the jeep riddled with bullets.

The oldest member of their PHSA chapter is now 89. At the first ceremony at the Legion, there were 35 survivors in attendance, but that number has been dwindling.

The Greatest generation.

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