23 years ago today, I was back home on my baby, the Battleship Missouri. We were at Pearl Harbor to take place in ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of December 7th and as a plank owner on the recomissioning crew, I was fortunate to be able to make the trip from Long Beach to Pearl, the last time a battleship would be underway on her own power in any navy anywhere in the world. As a student then (and now) of the naval war in the Pacific, it was a special honor for me to be able to take part in the ceremonies that day. At approximately 0750 a whistle sounded from the Navy shipyard, marking the time the first bombs fell. Shortly thereafter, a formation of Hawaii Air National Guard F-15 Eagles flew down battleship row. At the last moment, as the formation approached USS Arizona, one plane peeled off, leaving the three to form the ‘missing man’ formation President Bush spoke from the Arizona Memorial. These words really hit home: “This unity of purpose continues to inspire us in the cause of peace among nations. In their own way, amidst the bedlam and the anguish of that awful day, the men of Pearl Harbor served that noble cause, honored it. They knew the things worth living for but also worth dying for: Principle, decency, fidelity, honor. And so, look behind you at battleship row -- behind me, the gun turret still visible, and the flag flying proudly from a truly blessed shrine. Look into your hearts and minds: You will see boys who this day became men and men who became heroes. Look at the water here, clear and quiet, bidding us to sum up and remember. One day, in what now seems another lifetime, it wrapped its arms around the finest sons any nation could ever have, and it carried them to a better world. May God bless them. And may God bless America, the most wondrous land on Earth.” Watching from the Missouri’s admin office, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. I was able to see the President, SECDEF, CJCS, commanders of the American Legion and VFW, etc. But the best moments were speaking to the survivors. One stands out: I met a man who was sitting in a wheelchair by Turret 3. On oxygen, it was clear that his best days were behind him. He was a crewman on a harbor tug on December 7th, and he told me stories about them trying to help USS Nevada get underway. He said “here I am on a tug, every gd Jap plane shooting at us and I am armed with nothing more than a fire hose”! He was an original commissioning crewman on the Missouri in 1944. Visiting with him (and the other survivors) was the highlight of my 23 naval career. Today, the flag of our country is at half-staff at the stately squid manor for Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. But most importantly, in honor of my fellow battleship brothers still at their stations onboard USS Arizona. This battleship sailor will never forget.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 04:02:36 +0000
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