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72ND ANNIVERSARY
Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration December 7, 1941 - December 7, 2013
A PAC I F I C H I S TO R I C PA R K S P U B L I C AT I O N
Left: Floral tribute on the deck of the USS Arizona Memorial during the 71st Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration. Front cover: The color guard displays flags at the 71st Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration. Back cover: U.S. Navy personnel man the rails of the USS Michael Murphy during the 71st Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration.
Inside 7-21, 2013 Event Listings - Join us at one of the many events on Oahu 2 December commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. 4
Featured Speakers - This year’s featured speakers include representatives from the
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Native Hawaiian Pearl Harbor Survivor Has a Lot of Luck - Learn more about the life
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The National Park Service and Pacific Historic Parks Team Up for the Second Annual Read Aloud Program - Award-winning children’s book author Louise Borden
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Honolulu Theatre for Youth Introduces Children to the Events of December 7th -
American Battle Monuments Commission, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and the National Park Service.
of Pearl Harbor Survivor and USS Arizona Memorial volunteer Herb Weatherwax.
brings the true story of Lieutenant Theodore Taylor Walker to life.
Pacific Historic Parks partners with Honolulu Theatre for Youth to bring the play “Nothing is the Same” to families across Hawaii.
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Pearl Harbor Witness Shares Firsthand Account - Pearl Harbor witness Bob Lee shares his
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Pearl Harbor Gram - A message from the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association’s President
memories of December 7th, 1941.
Emeritus
www.facebook.com/ PacificHistoricParksPage
www.twitter.com/ PacificParks
EDITOR Sarah Safranski
PHOTOGRAPHY Donny Chambers Rich Costick Sarah Safranski National Park Service
Sound The Alarm Daniel A. Martinez, Chief Historian, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, National Park Service
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oday marks the 72nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Try to imagine the moment when our servicemen and civilians realized what was happening and began to respond and attempt to…sound the alarm! That quiet Sunday was shattered by a rain of strafing, torpedoes, bombs and the roar of 350 aircraft. War had come to the Territory of Hawaii located nearly 2,500 miles away from the mainland U.S. In the confusion of battle, the immediate need was to notify local military commands by sending out a general alarm. That came about when Commander Logan Ramsay was standing near a window of the air station’s headquarters building watching the color guard prepare to raise the morning colors. He noted the scream of airplanes diving over Pearl Harbor Naval Air Station located on Ford Island. Standing beside him was Lt. Dick Ballinger. Ramsay said, “Dick get that fellow’s number, for I want to report him for about 16 violations.” A bomb exploded in the area of the PBY ramp. Ramsay sprinted out of the office to the radio room and sent this message: “Air raid Pearl Harbor, this is not drill.” The message floated across the airwaves at 7:58am and became one of the most memorable in U.S. history. In the harbor, Admiral Furlong noticed a Japanese plane pulling up from its attack near the docks where the minelayer Oglala was moored. He shouted to his men to sound general quarters and hoist the signal flags stating that all ships in the harbor sortie. Moments later, at CINCPAC Headquarters, Commander Vincent Murphy relayed to the communications officer: “Enemy air raid, Pearl Harbor. This is not a drill.” The message was sent at 8:17am to the naval commands in the Asiatic fleet, Atlantic fleet, and the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington D.C. Within 10 minutes the United States government had heard the alarm. The alarm at the local military bases outside of Pearl Harbor was already being raised on the island of Oahu. Almost 10 minutes before, Japanese air attacks occurred at the airfields at
Wheeler, Ewa, Hickam, Bellows and the naval air station at Kaneohe Bay, but no one at Pearl was listening or believing. The alarm in Honolulu was not realized as of yet. The churchgoers and sleepy residents began to comprehend something out of the ordinary was stirring. Distant rumbles of sound and the appearance of black smoke caused many to believe that the maneuvers being conducted by the Navy and Army were especially realistic. The message of alarm came to the Hawaiian Islands by radio. At 8:04am, KGMB interrupted its programing to announce the recall of all military personnel back to their bases. Local police and firemen were called out at 8:32am. The first reference to the raid came at 8:40am: “A sporadic air attack has been made on Oahu…Enemy airplanes have been shot down. The rising sun has been sighted on the wingtips!” There was still disbelief. The word “sporadic” had been interpreted as “simulated.” Residents, wanting to know what was going on, made numerous calls to the station. In frustration, the radio announcer Webley Edwards said: “This is no maneuver! This is the real McCoy!” Wonder had transformed to fear and now the alarm was genuine. For most Americans, the national radio stations like NBC and CBS provided entertainment, sports and news. That Sunday was no different. The first hint that something had happened in Hawaii came at 2:22pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) when the Associated Press reported the attack on Pearl Harbor and passed it on to the radio networks and the press. The media besieged the U.S. government for confirmation. The first network to break the news was CBS, who operated WOR in New York City. At 2:25pm EST the station broke into the broadcast of the Giants and Dodgers football game. NBC followed four minutes later with their first bulletin. As momentum grew, the CBS radio network interrupted its national programing with the popular radio personality John Daly breaking the news of the attack on Oahu. Later that morning after the attack
was over in Hawaii, the NBC affiliate KGU made radio history by broadcasting live to the mainland. In a sense, it was the last sound of alarm that day. It verified to the American public that what happened at Pearl Harbor and Honolulu was real. A reporter from KGU climbed on the roof of the local newspaper building and began broadcasting his report by phone until he was interrupted by an emergency phone call. Here is the transcript of that broadcast: 4:05pm EST: Program interruption: “We interrupt this program to bring you a special broadcast...Here’s a bulletin: Washington—The President decided today after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Manila to call an extraordinary meeting of the cabinet for 8:30pm tonight, and to have congressional leaders of both parties join the conference at 9:00pm. And now we take you to Honolulu... 4:06pm EST, 10:36am in Hawaii: Report directly from Hawaii: KGU Honolulu: “1, 2, 3, 4...1, 2, 3,4.....1, 2, 3, 4”
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December 7-21, 2013: Event Listings December 7
Pearl Harbor 72nd Anniversary Commemoration The National Park Service and Navy Region Hawaii will host the 72nd Anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration at 7:45am on the backlawn of the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Pearl Harbor Survivors and World War II veterans and their families and friends from around the nation will join more than 2,500 distinguished guests and visitors for the annual observance of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Highlights of the ceremony will include military band music, morning colors, a traditional Hawaiian blessing, a rifle salute by members of the armed services, wreath presentations, echo taps and recognition of the men and women who survived and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Ewa Field Memorial The Aloha Chapter of the Marine Corps League and the Honolulu Council of the Navy League of the United States will observe the 72nd anniversary of the Japanese attack at Ewa Marine Corps Air Station to honor those Marines who fought and died here. The ceremony will begin at 7:45am at the Ewa Marine Corps Air Station. Hickam Field Ceremony The 15th Wing will host the 72nd annual December 7, 1941 remembrance ceremony to honor the 189 killed and 303 wounded during the attacks. The ceremony is open to all military identification card holders, veterans, survivors of the attack, and guests of attending survivors. Base access is required. Attendees must be in place by 7:15am. The ceremony will begin at 7:55am at Atterbury Circle, Hickam Field. USS Oklahoma Memorial Ceremony This year’s USS Oklahoma Memorial Ceremony will be hosted by the National Park Service in honor of those who served on the ship during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Public wishing to attend the 1:30pm ceremony can catch a free shuttle departing every 15 minutes from the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, which is adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, beginning at 12:30pm. The memorial is located on Ford Island, near Fox-5 Pier next to the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Honolulu Theatre for Youth, “Nothing Is The Same” On December 7, 1941, the lives of four 11 year olds living on Oahu are changed forever when Pearl Harbor is attacked. This play explores what friendship means when everything in one’s world is turned upside down. Recommended for kids ages 8 and up. Show times are 4:30pm and 7:30pm at Tenney Theatre. Visit the Honolulu Theatre for Youth website, htyweb.org, for tickets. Pearl Harbor Memorial Day Parade The Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade committee will host the 72nd Anniversary Pearl Harbor Parade featuring Pearl Harbor Survivors, military and government officials, and marching bands and parade units from the US Mainland and Hawaii. The parade is from 5:00pm-7:00pm and will travel from Fort DeRussy to Kapiolani Park.
December 8
Historic Pearl Harbor Boat Tour Narrated by National Park Service rangers, this one-hour boat tour takes visitors around historic Ford Island to view many of the notable sites of the 1941 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor. All boats will depart from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. The program is offered separate from the normal park program and includes a stop at the USS Arizona Memorial. Seating is limited. Reservations are required. Tours are offered at 2:15pm and 2:45pm. Tickets can be booked online at recreation.gov or by calling (808) 954-8721.
December 20-21
Pearl Harbor Holiday Lights Tours Holiday Festival of Lights tours are offered as a community service by the National Park Service and U.S. Navy. The tours are free, but a donation of canned goods for Hawaii’s food charities are appreciated. Seats are limited and tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis beginning at 5:30pm on the day of the tour at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Boats depart every 30 minutes from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Please email all questions to amanda_carona@nps.gov.
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Pearl Harbor Commemoration Wreath Donations 100th Infantry Battalion 442nd RCT Veterans The American Legion American Legion Auxiliary Consular Corps of Hawaii Consulate General of Japan Daughters of the American Revolution Disabled American Veterans, Dept. of Hawaii Fleet Reserve Association Branch and Unit 46 Friends of the USS Pennsylvania Gold Star Wives of America Honolulu Habitat for Humanity Japan Religious Committee for World Federation Marine Corps League Aloha Detachment #363 Military Intelligence Service Vets VFW Post 110 Military Officers Association of America, HI State Chapter Military of National Defense, Republic of China (Taiwan) Military Order of the Purple Heart National Ladies Auxiliary Fleet Reserve Association National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific National Park Service National Society Daughters of the American Colonists Navy League of the United States, Honolulu Council Norman North High School
Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association Pacific Historic Parks Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Illinois Chapter 1 Reiyukai America Sons & Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Inc. Sons of the American Legion State of Hawaii U.S. Air Force U.S. Army U.S. Coast Guard U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. USS Arizona Reunion Association USS Honolulu (CL-48) USS Missouri (BB-63) Association, Inc USS Missouri Memorial Association USS Nevada (BB-36) Association USS Oklahoma Family, Inc. USS Utah Association USS West Virginia VA Pacific Islands Health Care System Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U. S.
Thank You to Our 2013 Partners and Sponsors
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Featured Speakers Max Cleland Secretary, American Battle Monuments Commission Secretary Cleland has been a distinguished public servant for nearly 50 years. His career in public service started in 1967 when he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Vietnam War. In 1968, he was seriously wounded in combat and received both the Bronze Star for meritorious service and the Silver Star for gallantry in action. From 1971-1975, Secretary Cleland served as a member of the Georgia State Senate, and in 1975, was appointed to the staff of the US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. In 1977, President Carter appointed him to head the Veterans Administration. In 1982, Secretary Cleland was elected Georgia’s Secretary of State and in 1996, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. On June 3, 2009, President Obama appointed him as Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Rear Admiral Richard L. Williams Commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific Rear Admiral Richard L. Williams is a native of Pittsford, New York, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology and was commissioned through Navy ROTC as a Surface Warfare Officer in June 1984. A surface warfare officer, Williams commanded USS McInerney (FFG-8) and served aboard USS Trippe (FF-1075), USS Taurus (PHM-3), USS Aubrey Fitch (FFG-34) and USS O’Bannon (DD-987). He has had major command assignments, including leading task groups and maritime operations in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, as well as directing maritime Counter Piracy and Counter Terrorist operations. He assumed command of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific in July 2013. Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., USN Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Admiral Harris was born in Japan and raised in Tennessee and Florida. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978 he was designated a naval flight officer, and has since served in posts across the globe and participated in numerous major operations, from Desert Storm to Iraqi Freedom. Harris’ graduate education focused on East Asia security, including degrees from Harvard and Oxford. He served as commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet from November 2009 to October 2011, and most recently as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Harris was promoted to Admiral and assumed command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in October 2013. Harris has logged 4,400 flight hours in naval aircraft, including over 400 combat hours. His personal decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Service Medal, among others. Robert Sandla Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired Robert Sandla is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel. He is a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Army Artillery Officer Candidate School, a graduate from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and saw combat in Korea and Vietnam, receiving the Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, and Parachutist Badge during his more than 20 years of service. Mr. Sandla is a 43-year Hawaii resident and has hosted Hawaii Public Radio’s “Business of the Arts” program for the past six years. He has featured many of Oahu’s military museums on the program, including the USS Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Aviation Museum, and the Army Museum at Fort DeRussy. Paul Deprey Superintendent, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, National Park Service Superintendent Paul DePrey, a native of Maine, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maine in 1990 and a Master of Arts degree from Western Washington University in 1995. DePrey served as Acting Superintendent at Great Basin National Park in 2007-2008 and as Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources at Joshua Tree National Park from 2005-2008. He served as Chief of Natural Resources and Fire Management at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area from 2001-2005. Prior to working for the National Park Service, DePrey worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the USDA Office of the Secretary on interagency natural resource and economic development efforts in the desert Southwest and the Pacific Northwest.
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72nd Anniversary: Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration Hawaiian Blessing Kahu Kauila Clark Master of Ceremonies Robert Sandla Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired Welcome Master of Ceremonies Robert Sandla Moment of Silence Pass-in-Review: USS Halsey (DDG-97) Flyover Presentation of Colors U. S. Pacific Command Joint Service Color Guard National Anthem Kapolei High School Hawai‘i Pono‘i Navy Hale Keiki School’s Young Patriots Club Prayer for Peace Reverend Kakuhan Enami Japan Religious Committee for World Federation Guest Speakers Paul DePrey, Superintendent, National Park Service World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument Rear Admiral Richard L. Williams, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., USN, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Keynote Speaker Secretary Max Cleland American Battle Monuments Commission Branch of Service Wreath Presentations Benediction Captain Sal Aguilera, USN, CHC, Chaplain, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific Rifle Salute Honors and Ceremonies Detachment, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Echo Taps U.S. Pacific Fleet Band Retire Colors Walk of Honor All Pearl Harbor Survivors and World War II Veterans are invited to walk through the honor cordon. Postlude U.S. Pacific Fleet Band
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NATIVE HAWAIIAN PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR HAS A LOT OF LUCK, COUNTS HIS BLESSINGS Nichole Arceneaux, History Major, University of Hawaii West Oahu
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n that sleepy Sunday morning of December 7, 1941, Private Herbert Weatherwax was on a weekend pass visiting his `ohana (family) in Honolulu. Private Weatherwax was assigned to the 298th Infantry Regiment located at Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa. That morning he boarded the military personnel bus bound for Schofield and, along the way, he saw the destruction and devastation the Japanese had inflicted upon Pearl Harbor and Wheeler Army Airfield. Filled with a combination of grief and pride, he armed himself and prepared for battle. The voyage that Private Weatherwax made from his small hometown of Hilo, Hawai`i to the Battle of the Bulge in Europe is remarkable. Herbert Weatherwax was born on June 3, 1917, to the Keli`iho`omalu and Weatherwax `ohana. He was born in Honolulu, and at three months old his makuakane (father), who worked for the Hawaiian Dredging Company, died in the 1917 collapse of Pearl Harbor Pier 1. His makuahine (mother) was a Native Hawaiian from Hilo who spoke only Hawaiian. She found herself alone on the island of Oahu with a three-month-old baby. She made the decision to return to her family in Hilo. Uncle Herb was raised on the ocean in Keaukaha, Hilo, Hawai`i, where he grew up on one of the first Hawaiian Homesteads. He spoke only Hawaiian and had a limited education. He often shares stories of having to fish, dive and pound `opihi in order to survive. Weighing only 105 pounds as a teen, Uncle Herb worked at the Hilo dock loading the sugar ships with 100-pound bags of sugar. He says, “Oh how heavy those sugar bags were. It was such hard work.” He moved to the island of Oahu shortly after and lived with friends and family until he found himself sleeping on the streets. He said being homeless wasn’t as serious as it is today. “You’d find some old newspaper, lay it down, get a wood block as a pillow and there you were.” Through this difficult patch of his life, he developed a relationship with alcohol that forever altered him. A Native Hawaiian who was drafted 6
Native Hawaiian Pearl Harbor Survivor Herb Weatherwax in Hawaii 1943 (left) and at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
into the United States Army on June 6, 1941, he was first assigned to the 298th Infantry Regiment, which was comprised mainly of local Japanese American soldiers who were relieved of their duties following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was then reassigned in 1942 to the 272nd Infantry Regiment, 69th Division and trained at Camp Shelby, Mississippi; the same location where the 442nd Infantry Regiment, also known as the JapaneseAmerican Regiment, trained. In Germany, after Uncle Herb’s regiment met up with Russian soldiers, he got drunk, rode a bicycle through the town and woke up the next morning in jail. He was then brought before the military courts and lost his stripes. Facing a harsh reality he chose to exit the military, and as he says, “the rest is history.” He soon after married his wife, Lehua Leeloy, and had 4 children. At home in the islands Uncle Herb became an apprentice electrician at Hawaiian Electric Company. He developed his craft and became a master electrician for the Hawaiian Dredging Company, which is the same company
his makuakane was working for when he died at Pearl Harbor. Later he opened his own electrical business— Weatherwax Electric—which is now run by his son. As a 96-year-old American patriot and Native Hawaiian, Uncle Herb chuckles and shrugs his shoulders as he tells me, “In my life, I guess I’ve had a lot of good luck.”
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Author’s note: I was born and raised in Hilo, but my connection with Uncle Herb doesn’t end there. I also grew up in Keaukaha, walking the same paved roads that he once walked as dirt trails. I swam at the same beaches that he had once fished and I attended the Hawaiian Immersion School right across the street from his family’s home. Hawaiians believe that our spirits always have a way of finding one another in a mythical sense. I feel that my ancestors’ spirits have led me to meet Uncle Herb and have honored me with the privilege of telling his amazing mo`olelo (stories) as a Native Hawaiian in World War II.
BLACKENED CANTEEN BECOMES SYMBOL OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION Gary Meyers, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Marine Corps, Ret.
O the autobiography of a n at i v e h awa i i a n p e a r l h a r b o r s u r v i v o r
counting my blessings H E R B W E AT H E R WA X
LEARN MORE ABOUT PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR HERB WEATHERWAX
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rom his time in a Honolulu street gang to surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor to disarming bombs across Europe, native Hawaiian Herb Weatherwax’s life story is full of mischief, adventure and travel. Counting his blessings along the way, Herb recalls what it was like to grow up in Hawaii, the trials and tribulations of his youth, his World War II experience, and his eventual transition to business owner, family man, and community leader and volunteer. Written in his own words, Uncle Herb, as he is affectionately known, reveals his humble heart, sense of humor, and endearing personality.
..... Pick up your copy today by visiting our Pearl Harbor Museum Store, going to pacifichistoricparksbookstore.org, or by calling 1-888-485-1941. Cost: $9.95 Item Number: 401072
n the night of June 20th, 1945, while on a bombing raid over Shizuoka, Japan, two U.S. Army Air Force B-29s from the 314th Bomb Wing collided and crashed killing 23 crewmen. In the same raid, more than 2,000 Shizuoka citizens died. Mr. Fukumatsu Itoh arrived at the scene and pulled two of the American airmen from the wreckage, but they died shortly thereafter. Mr. Itoh also retrieved a blackened canteen which appeared to bear the handprint of its former owner. Being a devout Buddhist, Mr. Itoh gave the American crewmen a proper burial alongside the local residents who had also died. For his selfless act of compassion, Mr. Itoh was roundly condemned by the local citizens; he bore the hatred silently. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Itoh began conducting a modest annual ceremony to honor those who had paid the ultimate price that war often exacts. A silent prayer was offered and bourbon whiskey was poured from the blackened canteen onto the crash site memorial as an offering to the spirits of the fallen, both Japanese and American. Eventually, he erected two monuments in their memory; the annual ceremonies continued. Dr. Hiroya Sugano, a child at the time, and his family lived through the 1945 raid. He visited the crash site the next morning but found no crewmen alive. He has never forgotten the death and destruction that surrounded him. Dr. Sugano witnessed Mr. Itoh’s display of courage and benevolence and it greatly impacted him. Before his death, Mr. Itoh passed the blackened canteen to Dr. Sugano who promised to carry on the tradition. Since 1972, he has personally funded and hosted the annual ceremonies, which are attended by many dignitaries, both civilian and military, Japanese and American. He has conducted similar ceremonies at other locations both in Japan and the U.S. This year marks the 13th year that Dr. Sugano has attended the December 7th commemoration at Pearl Harbor. When the occasion has permitted, he has sometimes con-
Top: The blackened canteen recovered by Mr. Fukumatsu Itoh after the 1945 bombing raid over Shizuoka, Japan. Bottom: Dr. Sugano on the USS Arizona Memorial. Photos: Ryoji Koike
ducted an unobtrusive, semi-private ceremony at the Memorial in the company of close friends. For the past three years, with the official recognition, support, and generous hospitality of the National Park Service (NPS), Dr. Sugano has been able to share the poignant story of the blackened canteen with visitors from around the world. He is deeply appreciative for this opportunity. The battered canteen which rose from the ashes of a wartime tragedy has since become the inspiration for peace. Its blackness and heat-distorted shape represent the inevitability of conflict. Yet its presence represents eternal hope for a future of peaceful understanding and reconciliation between former enemies. It is a symbol of the good that can arise from tragedy. It is also a symbol of the courage and determination of one man. Dr. Sugano likes to think that Mr. Fukumatsu Itoh’s spirit remains always beside him and the blackened canteen.
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LETTERS FROM HOME National Park Service and Pacific Historic Parks Team Up For Second Annual Read Aloud Program Kelsea Holbrook, Education Outreach Coordinator, Ontai-LaGrange And Associates
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n response to the success of last year’s read aloud program, the National Park Service and Pacific Historic Parks are again partnering with youth organizations across the state of Hawaii to share the story “Across the Blue Pacific” with more than 8,000 children during the first week of December. “Across the Blue Pacific” is the true story of Lt. Theodore Taylor Walker, who served aboard the USS Albacore during World War II. The book’s author, Louise Borden, an award-winning children’s book writer, was inspired to write about the real-life uncle she never had a chance to meet. Lt. Ted Walker and the entire crew of the USS Albacore were lost when the submarine hit a mine in 1944. The story is written from the viewpoint of fourth-grade student Molly Crenshaw during World War II. In class, she is assigned to write a letter to a serviceman stationed overseas. Molly decides to write to her next-door neighbor, Ted Walker, who is away on the USS Albacore. Molly writes to him weekly, sending reminders of home, including sketches of Buttons, his border collie. Two days before Christmas, Molly learns the cruel realities of war when she hears that Ted will not be coming home. Years later, Molly still reminisces about her friendship with
Ted and realizes that by sharing her stories with families and friends, Ted’s legacy will live on forever. Just like the book’s main character, participating students will write letters to active military service members to thank for them for their service. Through the United States Navy, the letters will be delivered to active duty military stationed in Hawaii and serving overseas. In addition, students will have a chance to read letters written to Pearl Harbor servicemen through the National Park Service website.
Available for purchase at the Pearl Harbor Museum Store and at pacifichistoricparks.org. Item number: 401103 Price: $17.00
BRINGING PEARL HARBOR TO ALL Amanda Carona, Events Coordinator/ Regional Coordinator for Military Engagement, National Park Service, and Kelsea Holbrook, Education Outreach Coordinator, Ontai-LaGrange And Associates
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orld War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument is proud to announce that the 72nd Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration will be broadcast to partnering museums and organizations across the country. For the first time, U.S. Veterans and their families will be able to watch the event live and interact with Pearl Harbor Survivors on Oahu. Pearl Harbor is located 2,150 miles from the continental U.S. Direct flights from the west coast to Honolulu are nearly six hours long. As the years continue to pass, fewer and fewer of our precious Pearl Harbor Survivors and WWII veterans are able to travel to Oahu to commemorate the December 7th attack. One of the centennial initiatives of the National Park Service is to better utilize digital and social media for outreach and education. It is our mission at WWII Valor in the Pacific to honor all of those who were affected by the events of December 7, 1941. Allowing veterans from across the country to watch the commemoration in real time is one way of fulfilling that mission. 8
Locations participating in today’s broadcast include the United States Navy Memorial Heritage Center in Washington D.C.; Great Lakes Naval Center in Chicago, Illinois; Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona; St. James, Missouri Veteran Home; Kansas Home; and Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, California. We are excited to share this special day with these unique sites. Thank you to Veterans United Home Loans and Virtual Photo Walk for their expertise and assistance. These organizations have partnered numerous times to provide real-time walking tours of war memorials to homebound veterans. For more information, visit www.virtualphotowalks. org. We hope this innovative broadcast will serve as a reminder of how important it is to commemorate the events of December 7, 1941 and to bring the story of Pearl Harbor to all. Right: Virtual Photo Walk broadcasts are set up with a smart phone and camera.
HONOLULU THEATRE FOR YOUTH INTRODUCES CHILDREN TO THE EVENTS OF DECEMBER 7, 1941
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n an effort to teach children about the events of December 7, 1941, Pacific Historic Parks teamed up with Honolulu Theatre for Youth, a non-profit professional theatre company founded in 1955, in support of their production of “Nothing is the Same,” a play about four 11-yearold Wahiawa children whose lives are changed by the 1941 attack. Written by acclaimed playwright Y York, “Nothing is the Same” is a powerful yet humorous drama that examines the lives and relationships of a handful of kids at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and Wheeler Army Air Field. Aside from the world events they have created, adults are completely absent as the play follows George, Mits, Bobi and Daniel from December 7, 1941 through March 1942, exploring what it means to be a child during wartime—and what it means to be a hero, a friend and an American. The play was written for children eight and up. “The events of December 7, 1941 are often difficult for children to understand and for parents to explain. We are excited to support this innovative Honolulu Theatre for Youth production and to share the history of the attack with students across Oahu,” said Aileen Utterdyke, Interim CEO, Pacific Historic Parks. PHP provided funding for five family performances as well as numerous school productions of the play, which opened November 29th, with showings running through December 14th. Pearl Harbor witness Jimmy Lee shared his story and signed autographs after the family performances. PHP provided attending teachers with Junior Ranger activity books that can be completed at World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, encouraging schools to visit the USS Arizona Memorial and explore the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center’s museums. Honolulu Theatre for Youth, through their website, provides teachers with activities, timelines and resources that can help children better understand the play and the events of December 7, 1941. “This play is extraordinary in the way that it can help today’s children walk in the shoes of those who have come before them. December 7, 1941 was important for Hawaii, the nation, and the world. I’m proud that HTY is helping keep that history alive through the power of the theatre,” said Mark Lutwak, Guest Director, Honolulu Theatre for Youth. “Nothing is the Same” was written in 2004 as the culmination of a two-year Pew Charitable Trust grant for HTY’s “December 7, 1941 Project,” during which HTY worked closely with local oral history informants, the University of Hawaii and the educators and students of Wahiawa Elementary School. For more information about Honolulu Theatre for Youth, visit www.htyweb.org. Top: Mits (Alvin Chan), Daniel (Kala‘i Stern) and Bobi (Maile Holck) eagerly anticipate George’s (Junior Tesoro) winning shot in a heated game of marbles. Bottom: The cast on the set of Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s “Nothing is the Same” (left to right): Alvin Chan, Kala‘i Stern, Maile Holck and Junior Tesoro.
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PEARL HARBOR WITNESS SHARES FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT Paul C. Heintz, Education Director, Pacific Historic Parks
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ob Lee, a Pacific Historic Parks volunteer at WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, recently joined the education program at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. He has become a valuable source of information, providing an eyewitness account of the “Day of Infamy” for visitors from around the world. Bob provides a rare opportunity to meet a person of “The Greatest Generation”; one who survived the attack and went on to serve his country during World War II in the U.S. Navy. Bob Lee was born October 1, 1921, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He grew up in U.S. Navy housing, near the old Aiea railroad station, on the bluff where Richardson field is located today. His father was a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy in charge of the Pearl Harbor water pumping station, which was situated in close proximity to the current location of the Commander Pacific Fleet boathouse. Bob graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1940 and went to work for the Dearborn Chemical Company and Matson Navigation on Oahu. On December 6, 1941, he worked a half day, then spent an evening visiting with friends at Fort Kamehameha and Lau Yee Chai restaurant in Waikiki. After a drive around Makapuu, he returned to Pearl Harbor via the Pali Highway and went to sleep at 1 a.m. On the morning of December 7th, sometime around 8am, Bob was awakened by a loud banging sound. He thought it was a door slamming in the wind. It was American anti-aircraft gunners responding to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He came out
Left: Pearl Harbor witness Bob Lee in his U.S. Navy uniform, 1946. Right: Pearl Harbor witness Bob Lee at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
ship. He remembers seeing the flames shoot up into the sky and hearing a loud hissing sound. He can still hear that sound today. After evacuating his grandfather to a safe area in Halawa, he returned to his house, got his .22 caliber rifle, and began shooting at the planes. He shot for awhile and then passed the rifle to his sister to shoot. During the second wave of the attack, Bob saw five U.S. Army P-40 aircraft appear in formation over the north end of Ford Island. Every ship in harbor opened fire on them and they quickly scattered. As Bob’s father worked to keep Pearl Harbor Navy Base supplied with water, his mother brought FELS-NAPTHA grease cutting soap from the house “At the time of Pearl Harbor we were so tremendously and began washing the sailors covered in oil. unprepared for what would come. Pearl Harbor “I can’t remember created the greatest change in the American way of that anyone was frightened. They were very life in our entire history.” angry. As soon as they were washed off, they of the house, looked at battleship row, jumped on the boats and went back to and immediately recognized what was their ships,” he said. happening. He saw fire and smoke as On the afternoon of December 7th, Japanese aircraft attacked Ford Island. Bob joined a friend who needed help He watched the USS Oklahoma slowly on his ambulance. He spent the return over and saw the hull of the mainder of the day moving the injured USS Arizona turn bright red—“as if from Hickam Field and evacuating someone took a welding torch to it”— military dependents to Kamehameha before a huge explosion engulfed the Schools. That evening, he helped trans10
port the ambulance to the National Guard Armory in central Honolulu, where hundreds of University of Hawaii ROTC students had gathered. On December 8th, he joined the Hawaii Territorial Guard, and later was inducted into the U.S. Navy. He listened to President Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech via short wave radio as he watched the USS Arizona burn. “My life was changed from that moment on. More than four years in uniform would follow. I can never adequately express to anyone who didn’t experience 1942–1943 just how desperate and uncertain the time was for us. Historians tend to gloss over this period to fit their own theories. These were tough times and not easily forgotten or forgiven,” he said. During the war, Bob served in Naval Intelligence on Oahu, at Naval Air Station Punene in Maui, and was assigned to the V12 Naval Officer Training Program in Michigan. After the war, he married and joined Pan American World Airways, where he worked for 30 years. He and his wife raised a family of two daughters and a son. He currently has seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. For more information on our education programs, contact Paul Heintz at 808-954-8744 or e-mail education@ pacifichistoricparks.org.
Pearl Harbor Gram OUR MOTTO: REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR – KEEP AMERICA ALERT! Published Quarterly with Remembrance, Pacific Historic Parks’ Member Newsletter
PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR COXSWAIN GALE D. MOHLENBRINK INTERRED
Left: Members of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Honors and Ceremonial Guard participate in an ash scattering ceremony for Pearl Harbor survivor Coxswain Gale D. Mohlenbrink at the USS Utah Memorial on Ford Island. Mohlenbrink’s remains joined the remains of more than 50 Sailors still aboard the USS Utah (AG 16) wreckage which sank during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Johans Chavarro) Middle: The family of Pearl Harbor survivor Coxswain Gale Mohlenbrink commits his ashes to the sea near the USS Utah Memorial on Ford Island. Mohlenbrink was assigned to a shore working party from the heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA 26) during the attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Rose Forest/) Right: Members of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Honors and Ceremonial Guard participate in an ash scattering ceremony for Pearl Harbor survivor Coxswain Gale D. Mohlenbrink at the USS Utah Memorial on Ford Island. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Johans Chavarro)
A MESSAGE FROM PHSA PRESIDENT EMERITUS
P rayer
for the dead
Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.
Fellow December 7th, 1941, PHSA Survivors, No, we are not forgotten. This is particularly true as we now have PHSA Social Groups who have a presence in their communities. November 11th, Veterans Day is recognized by sponsoring Veterans Day organizations, that Pearl Harbor Veterans are a special Veterans group, and extend invitations to our people to participate in those special ceremonies. December 7th has been adopted as that special day by many of our active military locations and civic organizations and make every effort to have one of our Pearl Harbor Veterans to attend as their honored guest. This is becoming increasingly more difficult to respond to. We do our best. Best wishes for a great New Year, William H. Muehleib, PHSA President Emeritus, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
Brunner, Robert R. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor Norfolk, Virginia Cunha, John USS Pelias West Wareham, MA Gipe, Martin G. Sr. USS Nevada Charleston, SC Ivy, Ted Hickam Field Cupertino, CA Love, Jesse Ford Island Santa Rosa, CA Reynolds, Hilton H. USS Detroit Red Bluff, CA 11
AN UNTOLD TRIUMPH: THE FILIPINOS THAT FOUGHT FOR AMERICA Paul C. Heintz, Education Director, Pacific Historic Parks
O
n December 7, 1941, Domingo Los Banos was at home on the Kauai Pineapple Plantation Camp when he heard the news live on the radio that Pearl Harbor was under attack. It was a day he would never forget. As his parents and brothers gathered around the radio, he knew immediately that the lives of his two older brothers, Allan and Bernard, were about to change. Both brothers were freshmen in the ROTC program at the University of Hawaii at the time. It was this same program that gave many fine young Japanese American soldiers to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service of the U.S. Army. The Los Banos brothers answered the call of service immediately, guarding public utilities and infrastructure on Oahu. Within weeks they would be sent to Guadalcanal to build airfields as part of the Hawaii National Guard’s 298th Infantry Regiment. Thus began an illustrious period of service for the Los Banos boys in the service of the United States. The Los Banos family’s service did not begin with Pearl Harbor. Domingo’s father, Domingo Sr., served in the U.S. Navy during WWI. Domingo’s grandfather Cosme Simeon fought with General Emilio Aguinaldo’s Revolutionary Army against the Americans in the Philippine-American War. Domingo’s brother Alfred served in WWII and would be wounded severely in the Korean War. Domingo’s mother was the director of the USO in his hometown on Kauai. At the outbreak of WWII, the Los Banos family were no different than thousands of other Filipino families, in the United States and the Philippines, who sent their children into the service of the United States. Their story is one of great sacrifice that, at times, has been forgotten. It is an untold triumph. In the months following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the situation looked bleak for U.S. forces in the Pacific. The Pacific fleet had been severely damaged at Pearl Harbor. On December 10, 1942, the U.S. territory of Guam was overrun by Japanese forces. In the weeks following Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong fell, Singapore 12
Left: A photo of the Los Banos warriors. Right: 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment soldiers parade the Colors.
capitulated, and the Dutch East Indies were occupied by Japan. In the Philippines, the United States Army Forces in the Far East, composed mostly of Filipino soldiers, fought on. It was the one bright spot that kept American morale high in those dark days. Finally, on April 9, 1942, Bataan fell, which today remains the largest capitulation of U.S. military forces in American history. The brutal Bataan Death March followed. On May 6, 1942, Corregidor surrendered, ending American resistance in the Philippines. The heroic efforts of the Americans and Filipinos in the Philippines upset Japan’s timetable for Pacific conquest. Despite great efforts by the Japanese to turn Filipinos against the United States they remained loyal. They waged a tenacious guerilla war against the Japanese occupiers. They suffered greatly because of this loyalty. In November 1944, Domingo’s brother Alfred was drafted into the U.S. Army. Knowing he would be next, Domingo joined the U.S. Army at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, to be with his brother. After basic training at Camp Roberts and Ford Ord in California, Domingo was assigned to the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, a segregated unit of the U.S. Army. When the Executive Order that allowed Filipinos to join the U.S. Army was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, 7,000 Filipinos from throughout the 48 states, Alaska and Hawaii, gathered in Salinas, California to enter into
service. A monument exists in Salinas today to recognize their contributions. As Domingo looks back, he didn’t realize he was serving in a segregated unit. It became evident while serving in the jungles of Samar in the Philippines. Domingo felt insulted. “I thought I was being placed in the Philippine Army. I am an American soldier. We were green behind the ears,” he said. The 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment’s motto was “Laging Una;” translated into English as “Always First.” The unit served with great distinction in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. Eight hundred soldiers were selected by General MacArthur, trained in Australia, and inserted by submarine behind enemy lines in the Philippines as an advance party to prepare for the liberation of the islands. General MacArthur viewed those selected as his eyes and ears in the Philippines. They were the first to penetrate the Japanese occupied area. They enabled General MacArthur to fulfill his promise to the Filipinos to return to the islands. They served under highly hazardous conditions. Those caught by the Japanese were brutally tortured and beheaded. Domingo was discharged from the U.S. Army in 1947. Using his G.I. Bill, he attended and graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He received his master’s degree from Columbia University in 1952. Domingo served 30 years with great distinction in the State of Hawaii
Department of Education as a teacher, coach, principal, state administrator, and superintendant of the Leeward district. He raised a family of three boys and one girl. Today, he has nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He has been married to Mary Louise Rathbun of Minnesota for 52 years. Domingo’s life is representative of the thousands of Filipinos that fought for the United States during WWII and served in the U.S. military over the years. They remained loyal despite discrimination, adversity, and limited recognition. We owe them a great debt for the part they played in WWII.
When asked to summarize his service during WWII, Domingo said: “I was proud to be able to give my contribution as a soldier, to bring the war to an end, because war is wasteful and sinful. I will always remember the contributions of the Filipino soldiers and the Filipino people in WWII. In the words of the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, “Laging Una”—“Always First.” Domingo, we will always remember you and the Filipinos.
Domingo Los Banos in his military uniform.
SOUND THE ALARM, CONTINUED FROM P. 1 NBC Announcer: “One moment please.” KGU Honolulu: “1, 2, 3, 4. Hello NBC, hello NBC, this is KGU in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am speaking from the roof of the Advertisers Publishing Company Building. We have witnessed this morning the distant view, the battle of Pearl Harbor and the severe bombing of Pearl Harbor by enemy planes, undoubtedly Japanese. The city of Honolulu has also been attacked, and considerable damage done. This battle has been going on for nearly three hours. One of the bombs dropped within 50 feet of KGU tower. It is no joke, it is a real war. The uh, public of Honolulu has been advised to keep in their homes
and await results, uh, away from the Army and Navy. There has been fierce fighting going on in the air and sea. The heavy shooting seems to be. We cannot estimate deaths nor how much damage has been done, but it has been a very severe attack. Uh, the...Navy and Army appear now to have the air and the sea under control.” Operator: “Uh, just a minute may I interrupt this is the telephone company, the chief operator.” KGU Honolulu: “Yes?” Operator: “We’re trying to get through on an emergency call.”
to New York now. 1, 2, 3, 4, hello NBC?” NBC Announcer: “One moment please.” NBC Announcer: “Ladies and gentlemen we’re standing by for further word from Honolulu, and we expect to rejoin them in just a moment.” As the light faded over the shaken island of Oahu, the reality of what happened began to set in. The night was filled with fear and trepidation. The world war that many in America had dreaded was now a reality. The alarm had sounded and nothing would ever be the same again.
KGU Honolulu: “Well we’re talking
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