Pride, Service and Dedication

THE HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT ON 7 DECEMBER 1941

By Daniel A. Martinez, Historian, Pearl Harbor National Memorial

On December 7, 1941 the early morning light spread over Honolulu’s downtown streets with reflected streaks of golden sunlight that danced along the sides of its now sleepy buildings and streets. The quiet of that fateful morn was a far cry from the Saturday night before where hundreds of sailors, soldiers and civilians gathered in its bars, amusement galleries, and dance halls. It had not been a typical night in the small city but rather a raucous evening of merriment and pleasure, perhaps enhanced by the upcoming celebration of Christmas just 18 days away.

Most of the sailors returned to their ships by midnight. So too the soldiers and airmen who made their way back to their bases and posts. No one could suspect a terrible danger was approaching through the northern seas of the Pacific that night and its deadly presence of the Japanese Navy was now less than 230 miles away.

Scattered across the city were fire stations awaking as a change of shifts were underway before 8 am. For the firemen and captains who manned them, Sunday was to be a usual day of maintenance and cleanup, but that all changed that morning. At the Kalihi Station Engine Company 6 was almost set to begin its day when the phone rang at 8:05 a.m. The call was from the alarm bureau of the Honolulu Fire Department and it was deadly serious.

In the months prior to that fateful day of the outbreak of the war, the Honolulu Fire Department was entered into a “mutual aid pact”, Richard L. Young recalled…”We (HFD) assisted the military Departments in any of their emergencies because of the mutual aid pact. At that time it was a simple instrument of policy that was acted upon whenever the military needed help. The city would

Courtesy HFD Museum and Education Center

send whatever help they had available within the perimeter of the military establishment and vice versa for the military.”

The firehouse alarm was sounded by LT. Frederick Kealoha and within seconds the firemen and their leaders were scrambling toward Engines 5 and 6. Anti-aircraft bursts could be heard and seen toward the north eastern horizon. Many of them knew that the direction was toward Pearl Harbor but few understood they were advancing into the outbreak of the Pacific War. Young recalled, “the alarm telephone did ring and we knew in which direction we were headed.” The engines were directed to Hickam Field.

Into this raging aerial battle 22 firemen from two HFD companies (5&6) rushed down Moanalua Road toward Hickam Field. Of note was that all of HFD's engine companies in 1941 were made up of "two-piece companies" consisting of a pumper and a hose wagon. Young later recalled the incredible sight before him. “As we responded over winding Moanalua Road and Puuloa Road, we saw towering columns of black smoke and flames leaping hundreds of feet into the sky.”

“By 8:30 am the anti- aircraft firing had diminished considerably, causing us to speculate that the attack may be over. The narrow two-lane roads were almost impassable because of crowds of people, many of them apparently on their way to church, had stopped their cars to watch the inferno of death and destruction spread panoramically before their eyes. These people were just staring skyward, searching expectantly for some sign that American forces were retaliating and at that same time, fearing another wave of enemy planes. The cars had been parked all over the place, with no regard for other vehicles that might have to pass by. This really slowed our response to Hickam but perhaps that saved some of our lives in the long run.”

When they reached Hickam's main gate it was about 8:45 am. It did appear that the attack was over. As fire fighters and their engines moved toward the hangers they saw the dead and wounded bodies lying about the wreckage of buildings and hangers that were burning out of control. The experienced fireman had seen a lot but nothing prepared them for this.

They were told to report to the Fire Station at Hickam. They looked in awe and horror at the ravaged station with bullet riddled walls and destroyed fire apparatus. Apparently in an attempt to assist, a fire engine rolled forward toward the hangers and was shot to pieces with its dead driver slumped over the steering wheel. Another engine was found destroyed in the station.

Lt. Kealoha now took charge of Engines 5 and 6 from Kalihi and Palama stations. They found themselves to be alone after the initial attack. A half hour later Engine 1 from Honolulu's Central station drove up to assist. An enormous bomb crater destroyed the water main which began filling with water. It was decided to pump the water out of the bomb crater and use that to fight the fires.

As the second wave of 221 aircraft roared over Hickam Field Kealoha screamed to all that could hear him to find cover. The Firefighters spread out in all directions. He recalled "hell rained down from the skies in the form of whistling bombs and screaming machine gun bullets, seemingly strafing everyone and everything in sight."

The horror of what happened was revealed after the smoke and dust had settled. The dead were Hoseman Harry Tuck Lee Pang, Capt. John Carreira and Capt. Thomas S. Macy. They were buried together at Oahu Cemetery and on December 7, 1984 were posthumously awarded Purple Hearts in a ceremony aboard the USS Arizona Memorial. Badly wounded and receiving Purple Hearts in 1944 were Lt. Kealoha and Hosemen Moses Kalikikane, John A. Gilman, George Correa, Patrick McCabe and Solomon H. Naauao, Jr.

These nine men are the only civilian firefighters ever to be given the Purple Heart. Their service and loss that day exemplified the motto of Honolulu Fire Department…Pride, Service and Dedication.

December 7, 1941-The Day the Honolulu Fire Department Went to War By John E. Bowen