A PACIFIC HISTORIC PARKS PUBLICATION
AN EMOTIONAL GIFT FROM A
FALL 2021
WWII Hero
CONTENTS
4
FALL 2021
7
3
President’s Message
4
An American Hero Celebrates
His 100th Birthday
7
Here Come the Rosies
8
Civilian Witness to History Turns 100
10
Island Down Time in the World War II Years
12
Guam Casualties on War’s First Day
13
Prayer for the Dead
14
You Make It Happen!
8 MISSION STATEMENT To support the USS Arizona Memorial and other Pacific historic locations through education and interpretive programs, research, preservation, and restoration, to perpetuate the memory of events and honor the people involved in these sites. Remembrance is published four times a year as a benefit to Friends of Pacific Historic Parks.
10 President & CEO Aileen Utterdyke
98-211 Pali Momi Street #200-A Aiea, Hawaii 96701 www.pacifichistoricparks.org (888) 485-1941
2
REMEMBRANCE FALL 2021
Board of Directors Alan Mattson, Chairman Jeff Bell, Vice Chairman Cliff Purkiser, Treasurer James M. Boersema Noel W. Bragg Alma M. Grocki Patricia A. Lucas Edward J. Lynch
Board of Directors (cont.) Mark Y. Matsunaga Dr. Ed Noh Michael Olson Theodore Peck Alby L. Saunders Mathew Sgan Agnes T. Tauyan Directors Emeritus Neil A. Sheehan Geoffrey M. White Joachim P. Cox, Legal Advisor
Publication Advisers Aileen Utterdyke Edean Saito Editor Jim McCoy Layout & Design Chase Nuuhiwa
PRESIDENT & CEO MESSAGE This issue focuses on some very special events in the lives of men and women who served our country during World War II. A young Marine fighter pilot had the honor of accepting the 1942 pilot wings that belonged to a great uncle, who happens to be USS Arizona survivor Lou Conter. The pinning ceremony happened in California during events surrounding Conter’s 100th birthday September 13. Fellow USS Arizona survivor Ken Potts reached that milestone on April 15 in Utah. We featured his birthday party in a prior issue of Remembrance. Lou Conter and Ken Potts are the two remaining living survivors of the Arizona. Sadly, medical reasons are keeping both from returning to the 80th National Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration this December 7. We also note other special birthdays being celebrated by veterans who are well known at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Civilian witness to history Robert Lee, known to family and friends as Uncle Bob, turned 100 on October 1. The U.S. Navy veteran celebrated with family at his Kailua home. His compelling story is in this issue. Another longtime fixture at the park is the lone Hawaii resident who is a Pearl Harbor survivor. Sterling Cale turns 100 on Nov. 29. Uncle Sterling is best known for his signature “ready, aim, fire” command when he takes pictures with visitors at the park.
And let’s make sure we remember the ladies! The 80th Commemoration will feature two 95-year-old original Rosie the Riveters. Mae Krier was a riveter in the Boeing plant in Seattle while fellow Rosie Marian Wynn worked as a welder in Richmond, California. Their life stories are inspirational. Both will attend Pearl Harbor events and do a series of History Talks webinars with PHP. This issue has the tragic account of twelve young Chamorro sailors from Guam who were killed in the December 7, 1941 attack. Six were based on the USS Arizona. Their names are inscribed on the Shrine Wall of the USS Arizona Memorial. Finally, we have a story on how Island residents spent their limited down time during the difficult and challenging war years. A reminder to check www.pacifichistoricparks.org and the special 80th website on the upcoming Commemoration events. We will post additional updates as they become available. Thank you for being a member of Pacific Historic Parks. Your donations are vital to meet our mission to never forget Pearl Harbor. We will always Remember, Honor and Understand World War II in the Pacific.
AILEEN UTTERDYKE
President & CEO
A copy of the latest financial report, registration filed by this organization, and a description of our programs and activities may be obtained by contacting us at: 94-1187 Ka Uka Blvd., Waipahu, HI 96797, (808) 954-8777. Pacific Historic Parks was formed in Hawaii. If you are a resident of one of the following states, you may obtain financial information directly from the state agency: Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352 (800-HELP-FLA), OR VISITING www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Florida Registration #CH17306 Georgia: A full and fair description of our programs and our financial statement summary is available upon request at our office and phone number indicated above. Maryland: For the cost of copies and postage, from the Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401. Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of Pacific Historic Parks may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of State does not imply endorsement. Nevada: Contributions may be tax deductible pursuant to the provisions of sec. 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. ¤170(c). New Jersey: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 504-6215 AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. New York: Upon request, from the Attorney General Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 1-919-814-5400. The license is not an endorsement by the state. Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial information of Pacific Historic Parks may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Virginia: From the State Office of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218. Washington: From the Secretary of State at 1-800-332-4483 or http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/ West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Wisconsin: A financial statement of the charitable organization disclosing assets, liabilities, fund balances, revenue and expenses for the preceding fiscal year will be provided to any person upon request. REGISTRATION WITH A STATE AGENCY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THAT STATE. More information about charity state disclosures and charitable solicitation registrations.
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
3
AN AMERICAN HERO
Celebrates His 100th Birthday By Jim McCoy, Pacific Historic Parks
“It was quite a celebration, and I was overwhelmed.” That was how retired Lt. Cmdr. and USS Arizona survivor Lou Conter summed up his 100th birthday celebration near his Northern California home. And then he added “It was once in a lifetime” followed by a hearty laugh. Members of the California Highway Patrol proudly escorted him to the venue. There was a flyover. A five-year-old girl sang the National Anthem. Local community leaders paid tribute. He signed copies of his book “From USS Arizona Survivor to Unsung American Hero: The Lou Conter Story.” Guests added their signatures to banners signed by his friends in Hawaii from the National Park Service and Pacific Historic Parks. And then there was the moment Conter was presented with a photo that went viral. On the day before his party, he pinned the pilot wings he earned nearly 80 years ago to the chest of his great nephew, Marine Captain Ray Daniel Hower. "I got those wings on November 15, 1942, and I'm so glad he's got them now,” Conter said in a phone interview from his home a week after the celebration. “He said he’s going to protect them the rest of his life, and I’m glad he’s got them.” Louann Daley, Conter’s daughter, said the pinning ceremony was a proud and powerful moment filled with emotions. “I thought back to when my dad was pinned in 1942 and how he must have felt,” she said. “This was something my dad and mom started talking about 10 years ago to pin my dad’s wings on Daniel and before she passed a few years ago she made him promise to pin his wings on Daniel. With family surrounding them both it was a beautiful moment to witness. They both looked so handsome in their uniforms.”
4
REMEMBRANCE FALL 2021
The Captain’s Story AN INCREDIBLE HONOR Marine Captain Ray “Radar” Daniel Hower is a member of a family steeped in military tradition, service, and sacrifice. He is a third generation Marine Corps Jet Pilot. His grandfather, Lt. Col. Ray Hower, flew A-4s in Vietnam and died in service to his country. His father, Col. Ray Hower, flew F/A 18s. All three earned their degrees from the University of Kansas. Both his grandfathers passed away before he was born so Uncle Lou Conter stepped in as his sole grandfather. Please describe your reaction when this special pinning event happened? This was an incredibly special moment for my family and I. Due to COVID, my family was denied the right to pin my Wings of Gold on me after 4 years of flight school. It was very crushing knowing my Uncle Lou and my father were losing that incredibly special moment. It, at the time, lessened my achievement because that was not just for me, it was for my family and the legacy they had created. If it was not for my family, especially my mother, I would not be a Marine Corps Strike Pilot today. They molded me into the man I am today, and I am far from perfect, but they set incredibly high standards that I try to uphold every day. My Uncle Lou and father, though, were kind enough to mail me their wings but I refused to wear them until I could receive them the way it was meant to be. I put them in a drawer waiting for the day they could pass them onto me. We are incredibly blessed that Uncle Lou has stayed healthy and was able to wait a year and a half to present them to me. Having a man, that was aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor and then went on to become a Naval Aviator receiving one of the highest decoration a pilot can receive, feel that you deserve to wear the wings he wore is an incredible honor. I can’t really put it into words. Very few men walked the earth accomplishing what he accomplished and very few men are given the honor to carry their legacy on. I can’t wear those wings, or my father’s wings, while I fly but I do
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
5
carry a piece of him and my father with me every flight. Uncle Lou gave me the pen I fly with, and my father gave me the towel I fly with. It may not seem like much but as a single seat attack pilot I know that I am never alone. They are always with me. I only wish I had something of my grandfathers to fly with. How cool was it that Lou wore his dress whites during the ceremony? We found it very cool. He brings honor to the uniform, so I think it is a great expression of the history of the Navy and what that uniform stands for. Men and women of his generation are what make us proud to wear the uniform today. It is only fitting that he reminds us of that on this special occasion. I imagine there's immense pride in your immediate family over having Lou as your great uncle. My family, from my immediate family extended all the way out to my cousins, aunts and uncles, are incredibly proud of this man. His military accomplishments are only part of it though. Being around this man and his incredible impact he has had on people is truly incredible. He stepped up into the spotlight casted on him and made the world a better place. Every time I am around my Uncle Lou I am meeting someone new that has been impacted by his legacy and life lessons. I believe it is safe to save that my family is beyond proud of my Uncle Lou. In my immediate family we have LT Jake “Firkle” Nease, a Navy HT instructor and SH-60 pilot, my grandfather, Lt. Col Ray Hower, a Marine A-4 Attack Pilot, my father, Col Ray “Racer” Hower, a Marine Top Gun F-4 RIO and F/A18 Pilot, myself, Capt Ray “Radar” Daniel Hower, a AV-8B Attack Pilot, LCDR Lou Conter. We are a proud group of pilots with Uncle Lou being the cherry on top.
6
REMEMBRANCE FALL 2021
Why is it important that Americans including the young and those yet to be born never forget the Greatest Generation? The Greatest Generation was full of honest and hardworking men and women that did what their nation needed them to do and took pride in doing it. The incredible stories we hear from men like my Uncle Lou to CWO4 Hershel “Woody” Williams, a Marine that received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on Iwo Jima, sends chills down my spine. As I joined the Marine Corps and learned about these incredible men and women it motivated me to push myself to be the best man and Marine I could be. I began to take a deep look at myself in the mirror and wonder if I had what it took to be like these men if and when my country called on me. Would I have what it takes to go into the teeth of the enemy like them? Do I have what it takes to wear U.S. Marines on my chest the way CWO4 Williams did? That drove me to bettering myself in all ways of life. I also began to realize that it all comes back to pride. These men and women acted in a way that would make future generations proud. They had pride in their work. Their actions were to such standards they were proud to put their name on it. Service member or not, we forget we all are Americans, and we get the honor to carry their legacy with us everywhere we go; and we get to do it with pride. Every morning when I put on my flight suit I put on a patch that says “USMC”. I carry with me GySgt John Basilone, CWO4 Woody Williams, Lt. Gen Chesty Puller, Cpl Kyle Carpenter, and all other Marines that have gone before me. On that same patch it says “Hower”. I carry with me my grandfather, Lt. Col Ray Hower and father, Col Ray Hower. I am proud that both of those names mean something and they mean something because those men and women were proud of it too. It’s important for our current, younger, and future generations to understand the pride they felt and that it’s an honor for them to call themselves Americans, Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Coastguardsmen. Be proud and use that pride to continue to put your best foot forward.
Here comes
THE ROSIES By Jim McCoy, Pacific Historic Parks
T
wo original Rosie the Riveters are coming to Honolulu to attend the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Mae Krier and Marian Wynn are 95 years old and said they are really looking forward to their upcoming visit. Mae Krier was a riveter in the Boeing plant in Seattle. She lobbied for a Congressional Gold Medal that was awarded to all Rosies for their service. She also gained national attention last year for sewing red and white polka dot COVID masks. That was the color of the Rosie the Riveter bandannas that came to symbolize the contributions made by American women in the war. “Pearl Harbor was such a shock to us, coming out of the Great Depression, the stock market crash and then the war,” Kreir said. “When the men left for war, us girls one by one, many from small towns, came forward, now we had a job and we helped save the country. We will never forget Pearl Harbor.” Marian Wynn worked as a welder in Kaiser Shipyard #3 in Richmond, California. She too has garnered national attention. In 2019 she was greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Marian also visited her brother’s grave for the first time. He was killed in Normandy. “I feel these commemorations are a place I can go to show my respect to my brother and all those who died for our country,” Wynn said. “I want to be there to hear what happened and I want to be able to meet and visit with some of the survivors, to show my respect and thank them for their service.” She added: “I love Hawaii and, at 95, I would like to see it one more time.” The pair will be participating in events honoring Pearl Harbor throughout the first week of December. “Covid denied the Rosies from sharing their stories and attending commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII last year but the Rosies are fully vaccinated and ready to start sharing their stories again” organizer Tammy Brumley said in a Go Fund Me post to raise funds for the trip. Brumley is known as The Rosie Wrangler for the work she does at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California.
“The women who came forward to work for the War Effort on the Home Front became many things including Welders, Draftsmen, Electricians, Munitions Factory workers, Outfitters of tanks and jeeps, and of course, Riveters,” Brumley wrote. “These women became collectively known as “Rosie the Riveters.” Not only did their contributions to the war effort help bring “their boys” back home, but their time on the job front planted the seeds of the women and civil rights movements.” The two Rosies plan some special trips. Marian wants to see the USS Oklahoma Memorial as the brother of one of her best friends died on that ship. Mae is planning to drop a rose in Pearl Harbor in memory of a survivor of the attack, Alex Horanzy who died last year at the age of 98.
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
7
CIVILIAN WITNESS TO HISTORY
Turns 100
8
REMEMBRANCE FALL 2021
Robert Lee, better known to a legion of family and friends as Uncle Bob, was born Oct. 21, 1921 in Honolulu. His story is compelling. At the age of 20, he was living in Aiea with a view of Battleship Row. On that now infamous Sunday morning, he awoke to loud noises that turned out to be American anti-aircraft gunners fighting back after Japan launched a surprise attack on Oahu. He saw the USS Arizona explode and the USS Oklahoma overturn. He evacuated his grandfather to safety and fired his .22 caliber rifle at the Japanese warplanes. After the attack, he assisted his mother who was washing down sailors covered in oil. He recalls that the sailors were angry and anxious to get back to their ships. Later that day he assisted in moving the injured from Hickam Field. On December 8, he listened to President Roosevelt’s Infamy Day speech as he watched the USS Arizona burn. That same day he joined the Hawaii Territorial Guard and later the U.S. Navy. He served on Oahu, Maui and Michigan and after the war got married and began a career at Pan American World Airways.
A longtime volunteer for Pacific Historic Parks, Uncle Bob missed visiting his friends at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial during the COVID pandemic. A little over a week after turning 100, Uncle Bob visited the park for the first time since COVID hit. He greeted longtime friends from the National Park Service and PHP who had signed a special birthday banner. He welcomed visitors who learned his incredible story and sang him Happy Birthday. His friends and those he met for the first time thanked him for assisting those Americans in need on that Sunday morning 80 years ago. And they saluted him for his unwavering service to our country as a member of the Greatest Generation. Uncle Bob considered the visit to the park his best birthday present. Happy 100th Uncle Bob. And to many more!
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
9
A GLIMPSE OF ISLAND DOWN TIME IN THE WORLD WAR II YEARS By Scott Pawlowski, Curator, Pearl Harbor National Memorial The Black Cat Café, a favorite of the military viewed from the Army/Navy YMCA on Hotel and Richards Street, Honolulu T.H.
W
ith war on the horizon, the United States began shoring up its defenses across the Pacific. Major construction began in Hawaii during the late 1930s. The population began to swell, creating a housing crunch from all the new war workers and additional military personnel in Hawaii. For comparison, the ten years from 1930 to 1940 saw Hawaii’s population increase approximately 14.9%. The rest of the United States grew at a rate of roughly 7.3% in the same decade. Then 1941 rolled around, and the City and County of Honolulu grew another 19.02%! No wonder housing was in such short supplies with military men and civilian war workers living in tent encampments or double-bunked around the island. As the population increased on Oahu, the need for recreation and respite increased as well. Where could these hard-working individuals find solace, rest, and recharge? Oahu is an island after all, and its size limits recreational places. What would these workers be doing in their limited free time? Dancing and watching movies were favorites, along with sports, live music, and talent performances. Traveling around the island and exploring its beauty in trams, cars, trains, and buses took up many soldiers’ free time. A variety of sports also were popular like baseball, football, and boxing. After a long day of work or time off, people on Oahu enjoyed an alcoholic drink, beer, or Sake.
10
REMEMBRANCE FALL 2021
At the beginning of the war, there were at least a few Sake breweries, beer breweries, a distillery, and a couple of illegal stills. Honolulu Brewing & Malting Company, Fuji Sake Brewing, Honolulu Sake Brewery and Ice Company, and American Brewing Company were producing beer and Sake. Hawaiian Okolehao Distilleries refined Okolehao, a product made from fermented Ti plants. Hawaiian Distilleries made a traditional gin, rum, and brandy. While the quality may not have matched the imports, Oahu could produce its own alcohol. Islanders consumed wine as well, but none was vinted on island. While a few of these island companies declared bankruptcy, others just closed their doors during the war years. The ones that stuck around through the war emerged in a better business position. One of the initial actions taken under martial law was to ban the sale of alcohol. The resumption of sales began less than three months later, on 23 February 1942. One of the arguments for reinstating alcohol outlined in a newspaper was that the entire population was working so hard that they needed a cold beer or drink to help relax after a long day. The only bar that existed in the war years and remains is Smith’s Union Bar in downtown Honolulu. It opened in 1934 and now stands as the oldest existing bar on Oahu.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial’s Museum collection has a number of photographs, letters home, postcards and oral histories that mention enjoying free time on the island. Here are few illustrations of sailors or soldiers enjoying a drink and relaxing in their own way. This is an Oral History of Ernest Golden (USAR 462) on April 28, 1993. He was a civilian war worker. Interview was conducted by Warren Nishimoto, a former PHP Board member. WN: I would imagine, though, the restrictions being imposed upon someone who's in the military was a lot harsher or stricter than people like you. EG: Not much, not much, I don't think. We were still . . . WN: There weren't much difference? EG: I don't think that much different. I think there's a difference in the clothing you wore. I didn't see that much difference. For a while there was a curfew, so you had to be in the barracks or in your dormitory, wherever you were, by ten o'clock. And I think they [military personnel] had the same sort of thing. I didn't see any big distinction. We made more money. I think that was the biggie, we made more money than they did. For a long time, sailors or soldiers hardly made any money at all, you know. They had access to some of the foods and stuff that we didn't have because they ate better than we did. They had better booze than we had because there was rationing. There was gasoline rationing. There was rationing on whiskey. There was rationing of cigarettes. But the guys in the military, whenever they had an opportunity, they made friends with some of the civilians because I guess that sort of gave them a taste of getting away from the military. So, whenever they could they made friends with us. But they had some of the things that we needed, and we had some of the things, I guess, they wanted. Because I recall with our ration cards, we could only get whiskey. We could get Five Islands gin and Ninety-nine. Those were the two local brews. And they were some bad whiskeys. But guys would come in from the military and we would buy theirs, you know. And they
really didn't want it, so we could buy whatever. I guess some of the time it was some of the booze that we were using for our parties. We could get military connections. WN: The military had less pay but they had a lot more perks [i.e., perquisites]. EG: They had a lot more perks than we had. They had the perks that we really wanted. But looks as if we were both pretty much in the same boat. We worked in the same place. At Ford Island, military had it better than we did, I guess. The guys that I knew at Ford Island one works for me right now. I met him a long time ago. He was a chief at that time—chief of the mess hall. And Smitty was in the Navy long before I came to Hawai`i. But he was in charge of one of the mess halls then, and I knew that he had it good. He had a good life. This is from an oral history with Charles William, "Bill" Guerin (USAR #205), survivor of the USS Arizona. The interviewer was Jim Martini. JM: How was Honolulu as a Navy town in those days, when you had time off? BG: At that time, there was 20,000 sailors in town. And not very many places to go, maybe Wo Fat's or down on Canal [River] Street, or Ted Lewis' place. I was a roller skater and I used to roller skate in the skating rink out on the other end, at that time. In fact, we, sometimes, with a couple of beers, we roller skated all over, all the way back downtown then. But that was my thing and I still like to do it. JM: When you said that there was a lot of rivalry between ships and all that, were there certain bars or places where certain ships would frequent or was it in town that it was pretty free association. BG: It was pretty free then. You know. Some of the older people did. Of course, when I went to the bar and my friend Teddy Hamilton and the rest, they would say, "How are you," let you look in the door and then throw you out, 'cause we wasn't twenty-one years old. So we got throwed out a lot of bars.
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
11
THEY, TOO, DIED AT PEARL HARBOR
GUAM CASUALTIES ON WAR’S FIRST DAY By Father Eric Forbes
“A date which will live in infamy,” is what American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, that Sunday morning when the Japanese attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - an attack which began America’s participation in the Second World War.
A
total of 2,390 people lost their lives in that surprise and unprovoked attack, including sixty-eight civilians. The dead came from all over the United States, but a little-known fact is that twelve Chamorro men from Guam, none of them United States citizens but all of them American nationals serving in the United States Navy, also perished in their watery graves that Sunday morning. Ever since the United States came into possession of Guam in 1898, the doors allowing enlistment in the US Navy were kept rather closed. A few managed to join as regular Navy recruits. Then, in the 1930s, the US Navy changed its policy and heartily welcomed recruits from Guam, but only to serve as mess attendants. Still, hundreds of young men from Guam signed up. After being trained on the island, these Guam recruits were sent all over the world, wherever American Navy ships sailed. That also meant Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had chosen December 7th precisely because it was a Sunday morning. They knew that the Americans would be taking it easy on that day of rest. In fact, as many survivors would later share, many were recuperating from a night of drinking in town the night before. One Guam survivor, Henry Cruz, was sipping his coffee on the deck of the USS Arizona, looking over the calm waters, waiting for his buddy, another Guam recruit, Gregorio Aguon, to sleep off his hangover. Out of nowhere, the Japanese planes appeared and released their bombs and torpedoes. At first, no one knew what 12
REMEMBRANCE FALL 2021
This group photo taken before the war includes USS Arizona victim Francisco Rivera, front row, left. Next to him is Jose Rivera. Back row left to right are Vincent Sablan and Jesus Cepeda. Photo by Carmelita Edwards
the water. All the while, Japanese bombs and bullets kept coming, and even these weren’t always necessary to kill, as the explosives on board American ships could ignite and explode themselves, as happened on the Arizona. Metal from the erupting ships flew everywhere, killing men both inside and out of the ship. Heads bobbing in the water made easy targets for Japanese airplane machine guns.
Sons of Guam Pearl Harbor Memorial
exactly was happening. There was no immediate call to battle stations and no alarm sounded. When people finally realized what was happening, it was too late for many of them. Black smoke from the explosions clouded one’s view. Many were literally walking in the dark. Each new step might be their last one. Amidst the groans and cries of wounded sailors, Henry Cruz looked for his island compatriot Gregorio Aguon. But the ship was sinking, with water mixed with oil rushing in from all sides. There wasn’t even an immediate call to abandon ship. It was every man to himself, though many tried to get the wounded out of the ships and into the rescue boats now headed towards them. But the heavy and suffocating smoke, and the fire burning from the layer of oil floating on the water’s surface, made accessing those rescue boats a feat in itself. Some who dived into the water died after being engulfed with the flames on
Prayer for the Dead
We can only imagine this is what at least some of those twelve Guam casualties faced moments before their deaths, unless they had perished instantly. Many of them went down with the ship, with some of their bodies never found or, if found, not identified. The last one to be identified was discovered on September 25, 2018. He was Navy Steward Jesus Francisco Garcia, whose remains were buried without a name until improved technology decades later confirmed his identity. He was recently laid to rest in San Diego. He is being honored in several places by family and friends in the Chamorro community for the sacrifice he made for his country. The twelve Guam men who perished in Pearl Harbor were Gregorio Aguon, Nicolas Fegurgur, Francisco Mafnas, Vicente Meno, Jose Quinata, Francisco Rivera of the USS Arizona; Andres Mafnas of the USS Nevada; Ignacio Farfan and Jesus Garcia of the USS Oklahoma; Jose Flores, Jesus Mata and Enrique Mendiola of the USS West Virginia. They had joined the Navy “to see the world,” but saw their last glimpse of the world from a fiery blaze instead. But they also joined the Navy to serve the United States, a commitment they kept at the cost of their lives. May their names live on in honor forever. Father Forbes is with the Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin
“Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.”
James Blakely USS St. Louis Jamaica, NY
Stuart Hedley USS West Virginia San Diego, CA
George Robert Keene Pearl Harbor Naval Yard Newhall, CA
John E. Campbell Marine Corps Air Station Ewa Encinitas, CA
Leslie George “Bud” Hollenbeck USS Pennsylvania Bedford, MA
Donald Berton Long Kaneohe NAS Napa, CA
Armando “Chick” Galella Hickam Field Tarrytown, NY
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
13
You Make it Happen!
Your contributions help us meet our mission to ensure that the legacy of the valiant, courageous men and women who served our country during World War II are never forgotten. We would like to recognize and thank the following donors for their recent contributions.
IN HONOR OF Robert t. Boyle, Jr Robert T. Boyle Sr. Lou Conter Stan Cromlish
Kim S. Orlando - LTC- Army (101st Airborne) Ft. Campbell, KY Charles E Gamble II
Jeffrey M Hoff Donna Hoff Robert MacIntosh - US Army Matthew MacIntosh
William and Kathleen Stichnot, USMC Nancy S Gremli
IN MEMORY OF Richard N. Clapp Richard E Clapp
William B Kingseed, CSC, USN (Ret.) Cole C Kingseed
William Charles Brown Patricia B Finie
James Winford Berry F2C James Winford Berry F2C Max Wayne Berry F1C Pamela Ludwig
Technician Fifth Grade Robert S. Gilhart Machinist’s Mate Third Class Bernard A. Gilhart Randall S Gilhart Aaron Blasjo Christopher Heathman William M Hoff Doris V Hoff Donna Hoff
Clarence Owen Miles US Army (Patton's Third) Lloyd Bryant - US Navy (USS Arizona) Matthew MacIntosh Goran Anderson Barry Cicero Richard A McMahon Jr. Herbert Weatherwax Weatherwax Ohana
Kwai "Sunny" Young Delbert Dandurant David F Pacion
James D. Sylvester, USS Boggs-DMS3 Christine Sylvester
Donald Walck Ronald J Purdy AA Woodward Karen J Richardson (Teruo) Terry Kumagai Jennifer Sakurai
Peter D. Ott Maureen M Wetnight Regina Leveen Rita E Dier Edward Semerad Caroline Leveen Anthony Yandoli
Clyde James Sanford, Father James Sanford
William T. Young, Jr., Pearl Harbor Survivor Marlene B. Young
Joseph Sparlin Chester Kubiak Kymberly Sparlin
Virginia Zuchelli PFC Ed J Zuchelli Patrick Zuchelli
THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS Jeffrey C. Ady Jerry and Karon Ahrenstein Patricia W Allen Gail L Anderson Nathan A Anderson John G Bachman Robert K Barker Robert L Baroni Jr. Leigh W Barrett Gregg Barron Mr. Leo Bauer Pam J Baughman Wayne Bauman Jeff Bell
Stephen and Deborah Benefiel Andrew J Benish Jr. Mark A Bishop George Blake Sue C Blake James M Boersema Jennifer A Boyd Don G Boyer Robert T. Boyle Sr. Noel W Bragg Marjorie M Bruckmueller Steve & Laurie Buckles Judith Campbell David Caputo
George E Carr, III John P Case Joseph E Chassereau Jr. Louis Chertkow Nicholas Churchich Manuel Ciarcia Richard E Clapp Lieutenant Commander Edgar E Cole USN David A Coleman Robert Conrad Bryan Cooke Stan Cromlish Technical Sergeant Thomas J Cuff
USAF Nancy I. Curnell Frank De Nave Judith DeGraff Daniel J Del Monte Jr. Nelson Alvarez Dela Campa George E Diehl Harold Divers Jr Robert M. Donlon Mr. Sam Drake Dale Dupuy Lawrence Enomoto Michael and Barbara Fewer Ms. Patricia B Finie
To donate, call 808-373-0419 or visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org
Nancy K Finn Jacqueline A Flagg Colleen Forkel Dolores Forler George D Fosdick James Fromel USN Teresa and Roger Funke Charles E Gamble II Thomas Gerrish Randall S Gilhart USAF Daniel Goodman Phillip J Gray Ronald J. Gregoncza Georgetta Gregory
Nancy S Gremli Alma M Grocki Roger Grosnick Jason Grower Ana P Guzman Norman L Hall Richard Haller Robert J Hamman, USMC (Ret.) Montgomery S Hand, USAF (Ret) John Hartwell Christopher Heathman Mr. Karl Heeren Carl D Hines Donna Hoff Gary M Hooper Mr. Richard Horan Les and Tonya Isaacowitz Angela Buehler James Kenneth R Jobe Ronald Johnson December 7th 1941 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Association (fka Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Liberty Bell Chapter 1) Edwin Judisch David H. Juedes Dawn M Kappel Carrie Kennedy COL Cole C Kingseed, USA (Ret) John R Kogut Edith M Kraemer Bryan N Kriewald Carol Lancaster Laurence Lapomarda James P Larsen Sr Sheri Layton Norman L Long Patricia A Lucas Pamela Ludwig Edward J Lynch Matthew MacIntosh Mr. Allan MacKay Jr. Richard J Madlinger Dennis R Mar Mark Y Matsunaga Alan R Mattson Gary Maynard HMC William E.McAnany, Jr., USN (Ret.) James McCoy Richard A McMahon Jr Edward M Miklavcic Sr Thomas Millsap Michael Mochizuki David Moore Jack H. Moore James H Morgan Ed H Noh Mike O'Connell Robert and Tara Oda John Ogg
Weatherwax Ohana Daniel J O'Leary Michael L Olson Leatha Orr David F Pacion Daniel E Pepping Hiromi Peterson Gregory Phillips Keith J Plavec Barton Proger Ronald J Purdy William B Ransom Jr. Karen J Richardson Rodger J Risch Mr. Jonathan Ritter Kenneth A Russell Edean Saito Jennifer Sakurai Paul J Sanborn James Sanford Wanda A Sartain Alby L Saunders Hilda Schneider Mathew Sgan Michael J Simpson Kymberly Sparlin ADRC Raymond F Spencer USN (Ret.) Edward J Staffier Mary A Stone Richard M. Stubbs Christine Sylvester Agnes Tauyan Aileen Utterdyke Victor and Calliopi Viviani Cindy Walton James B Warner Frank B Wasniewski Nancy J. Watson-Evans Merris A Welge Jr. Maureen M Wetnight J Patrick White Cynthia Winkler Timothy Wright Anthony Yandoli Hiromu Yogi Marlene and Mike Young Karl Zappa James B Zazas Harold E Ziegler Frank J Ziemba Patrick Zuchelli
The Legacy Society Create a legacy that will ensure history will never be forgotten Since 1980, millions of people from every state of our nation and from 40 countries around the world have seen, experienced, and been inspired by the valor and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation at Pearl Harbor and throughout the Pacific Basin. The Legacy Society was created to acknowledge and celebrate family and friends who desire to keep history alive and to honor the sacrifices of the World War II generation. Members have affirmed Pacific Historic Parks in their estate plans or through other planned gifting arrangements. Planned gifts provide a unique opportunity to preserve our country’s military heritage through supporting Pacific Historic Parks while possibly receiving tax benefits on income. TYPES OF PLANNED GIFTS Charitable Bequest Life Insurance Life Income Gifts Charitable Gift Annuity Charitable Remainder Trust
I’m interested in discussing my options for a planned gift with Pacific Historic Parks. Please contact me at the number listed in the form below. I already have a planned gift set up for Pacific Historic Parks. Please specify type: _________________________ Pacific Historic Parks may recognize my membership in The Legacy Society in its publications. ___________________________________________________________ Name ___________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________________ Email Established in 1979, Pacific Historic Parks is a 501(c)(3), tax exempt cooperating association committed to preserving the legacy of our historic heritage by providing support of research, preservation, restoration, education and interpretive programs to the National Park Service at World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (Pearl Harbor), War in the Pacific National Historical Park (Guam), American Memorial Park (Saipan), Kalaupapa National Historical Park (Molokai) and Diamond Head State Monument (Oahu).
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
15
98-211 Pali Momi Street #200-A Aiea, Hawaii 96701
Captain Ray Daniel Hower in an AV-8B Harrier
PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 985
