Pearl Harbor

From the Dec. 7, 2008 Boston Globe.

Only one Pearl Harbor survivor was expected to make it out onto the fantail of the World War II destroyer USS Cassin Young, to throw a wreath into Boston harbor to commemorate the attack. He is Don Tabbut, 85, a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors and Friends from Massachusetts which has 14 members left. He was a Marine at Kanoehe Naval Air Station at the time of the attack.

The New England and New York District PHSA probably held their last meeting earlier this year. The membership is just getting old. There are an estimated 5,800 survivors still living.

William Keith, 86, was a naval corpsman and almost died on the USS West Virginia. As the attack began, he was ordered to his duty station, three decks below the main deck. A Japanese torpedo ripped a hole in the side of the ship and there did not appear to be any chance to escape the sinking ship. But then a sailor opened a hatch above and he was able clamber to safety. He dived overboard and swam to safety.

The Greatest Generation.