+ All Categories
Home > Documents > Remembrance Winter 2012

Remembrance Winter 2012

Date post: 18-Feb-2016
Category:
Upload: pacific-historic-parks
View: 222 times
Download: 0 times
Share this document with a friend
Description:
The winter 2012 issue of Remembrance was the official program for the December 7, 2012 Pearl Harbor Day ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
Popular Tags:
20
r e m e m b r a n c e A PACIFIC HISTORIC PARKS PUBLICATION v o l u m e 8 n o . 4 | w i n t e r 2 0 1 2 71st Anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration December 7, 1941 - December 7, 2012
Transcript
Page 1: Remembrance Winter 2012

r e m e m b r a n c e

A P A C I F I C H I S T O R I C P A R K S P U B L I C A T I O N

v o l u m e 8 n o . 4 | w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

71st Anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration

December 7, 1941 - December 7, 2012

Page 2: Remembrance Winter 2012

r e m e m b r a n c e

EDITORSarah Safranski

PHOTOGRAPHYDonny Chambers

Ray SandlaSarah Safranski

National Park Service

Remembrance is a publication for members of

Pacific Historic Parks.

Pacific Historic Parks is a non-profit cooperating

association working with the National Park Service to pro-

vide funding for interpretive and educational programs

for WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument on Oahu,

Hawaii; Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai, Hawaii; War in the Pacific

National Historical Park on Guam; and American

Memorial Park on Saipan.

www.facebook.com/ PacificHistoricParksPage

www.twitter.com/ PacificParks

The shrine room wall was filled with memorial wreaths during last year’s December 7th ceremo-nies at the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Ha-bor Visitor Center.Front cover: A close up of Navy personnel during a flag folding aboard the USS Arizona Memorial.

InsideDecember Event Listings - Check out all of the events going on throughout the month of December at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Pacific Aviation Museum, and more.

71st Anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration - View the line up of events taking place at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to remember those who lost their lives and honor those who survived the attack of December 7, 1941.

Legacy of Pearl Harbor Friendship Shared with Island Youth - Our December 7th read aloud program will bring the story of late Pearl Harbor Survivor Dick Fiske and Japanese Avia-tor Zenji Abe to more than 6,000 children throughout the State of Hawaii.

Pearl Harbor Avenger Marks 70th Anniversary - Our partner and Pearl Harbor neighbor the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park is celebrating the submarine’s launch into WWII.

Ticket to Ride Program Brings More Than 700 Students to USS Arizona Memorial - Grant money from the National Park Foundation provided free transportation to fifth graders from around Oahu, with the hope of fostering a love of history and our national parks.

USS Arizona Memorial Restoration Update - Phase one of the USS Arizona Memorial res-toration was completed at the end of October. Read more about the completed projects and plans for phase two of the renovation.

Pearl Harbor Gram - The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association may have disbanded, but former Chapters are still meeting up for social activities, says President Emeritus William Muehleib.

The Untold Story of Women Airforce Service Pilots - Learn about the amazing efforts of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII, an often untold story.

2

5

6

7

9

10

12

14

Page 3: Remembrance Winter 2012

As we observe and commemorate the 71st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it is appropriate to pause and remember the extraordinary transformation that swept across this nation as a result of America’s entry into World War II. The America of 1941 was far different than the one we know today. That is not a criticism, but an acknowledgement of the dramatic social, political and economic changes that oc-curred.

The Great Depression dampened the hopes and dreams of young Americans who sought new opportunities and jobs. In 1933, nearly 300,000 young men joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. Seeking ad-venture, the opporunity to travel, and pay to support their families, they enlisted in this “New Deal” experiment. Others attempted to enlist in the military, but selection was difficult because the Army and Navy had reduced their military forces during those difficult years. By 1940, the war had broken out in China and Europe. The Japanese had engaged China in all out war and the Nazi forces from Germany were devouring the countries of Europe. America declared its neutrality, but President Roosevelt knew that time was running out. He stated, “This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.”

In an effort to prepare for possible hos-tilities, a draft bill was passed by Congress in 1940 under the title of the Selective Ser-vice Act. It required 16 million young men to register with their local draft board. The President was aware that US forces num-bered only 174,000. The National Guard was nationalized, raising the force level to 400,000. Young men across the country anxiously opened their mailbox for the let-ter of “Greetings,” a notification to report for induction. In this early phase of mobi-lization, very few women or African Ameri-cans were allowed to participate, but that would change dramatically in the next 12 months.

As these young men filed into their ba-sic training camps an alarming awareness of ethnic and regional diversity fell upon them. Most of these new recruits were from farms, had never traveled beyond the coun-ty line, and were homesick. In the first few weeks of rigorous training, their innocence was being stripped away. There was no pri-vacy.

“Rising, waking, writing letters, receiving mail, making beds, washing, shaving, combing one’s hair and emptying one’s bowels--all was done in public.” Ken Burns, “The War”

Coming of Age: From Innocence to ValorDaniel A. Martinez, Chief Historian, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Continued on p.11

An unidentified sailor crouches near an unmarked grave.

Their lives now swirled about them as drill instructors broke them down to re-shape them into fine tuned instruments of war, a war seemingly just over the horizon.

In December of 1941, the gathering storm of war was unleashed upon the island of Oahu. For the men and women who then served in the U.S. Armed Forces, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a watershed moment in their lives. More than a change in America’s status from peace to armed conflict; it was a sudden shift from youthful innocence and dreams of adventure, to a searing awareness of the cost and consequences of war. Hero-ically, they did not back down.

In his treasured tome The Greatest Genera-tion, Tom Brokaw recounted a perspective that enshrines this generation’s contribu-tions and experience during World War II.

“Pearl Harbor made it irrefutably clear that America was not a fortress, this generation was summoned to the parade ground and told to train for war. They left their ranches in Sully County, South Dakota, their jobs on the main street of Americus, Georgia, they gave up their place on the assembly lines in Detroit and in the ranks of Wall Street, they quit school or went from cap and gown directly to uniform…They faced great odds and a late start, but they did not protest. At a time in their lives when the days and nights should have been filled with innocent adventure, love, and the lessons of the workday world, they were fighting, often hand to hand, in the most primitive conditions possible, across the bloodied landscape…They fought their way up a necklace of South Pacific islands few had ever heard before and made them a fixed part of American history–islands with names like Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Okinawa. They were in the air every day, in skies filled with terror, and they went to sea on hos-tile waters far removed from the shores of their

homeland. New branches of service were formed to get women into uniform, working at tasks that would free more men for combat. Other women went to work in the laboratories and the factories, developing new medicines, building ships, planes, and tanks, and raising the families left behind. Tom Brokaw, “The Greatest Generation”

For those of race and color it offered the opportunity to fight for a freedom de-nied, and in one particular case for a free-dom taken. In an era of racial discrimina-tion, African Americans enlisted and were drafted into the service of their country. At Pearl Harbor, a young Navy mess attendant named Doris Miller distinguished himself under fire and received the Navy Cross--he was the first of race to be awarded that medal.

For Japanese Americans, the momentum of national concern about their loyalty to America was under suspicion. It had de-scended upon them like an angry cloud in the days following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In February 1942, Executive Order 9066 was used to exclude all people of Japanese descent from the West Coast. By May, the War Relocation Authority would begin to establish 10 Relocation Centers that would eventually house more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry. In Hawaii, nearly 1,800 were interned; approxi-mately 62 percent were American citizens.

The Army floated a questionnaire seek-ing volunteers among the mainland intern-ees and Japanese Americans in Hawaii. In an oral history interview, Senator Daniel Inouye, Medal of Honor recipient and a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, recalled, “Back then we had to prove to our neighbors that we were good Ameri-cans. Today’s generation may not agree with

Page 4: Remembrance Winter 2012

December 7-16, 2012: Event ListingsDecember 7

December 8 + 9

Pearl Harbor 71st Anniversary CommemorationThe National Park Service and Navy Region Hawaii will host the 71st Anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration from 7:45 am to 9:30 am 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.

USS Oklahoma Memorial CeremonyThe public is invited to attend a special ceremony at 1:30 pm hosted by the National Park Service in honor of those who served on the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The ceremony will include a wreath presentation, floral tribute, and the playing of “Taps”. The memorial is located on Ford Island, near Fox-5 Pier next to the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Public wishing to attend the ceremony may catch a free shuttle departing every 15 minutes from the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

Hickam Field CeremonyThe 15th Wing will be hosting the 71st annual Dec. 7, 1941, remembrance ceremony “Our Service, Born From Their Resolve” at 7:55 am, on Dec. 7, 2012, at the Atterbury Circle historic flag pole on Hickam Field to honor the 189 killed and 303 wounded during the attacks. General Hawk Carlisle, Pacific Air Forces commander, will be the guest speaker. 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 7:15 am.

Home of the Brave Quilt ProjectHawaii quilters return to Pacific Aviation Museum to hand make quilts for families of fallen soldiers. Visitors to the museum are invited to watch these quilts being made from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and to send messages of aloha and comfort to these families by signing these quilts. The event is free with paid admission to the museum.

Historic Pearl Harbor Boat TourPearl Harbor boat tours narrated by National Park Service rangers will take visitors around historic Ford Island. The one-hour tour will give visitors an opportunity to witness many of the notable sites of the 1941 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor. Boat tours will depart the Pearl Har-bor Visitor Center at 2:00 pm and is separate from the normal park program. The tour includes a stop at the USS Arizona Memorial.

A $25/person donation is requested. All money will go toward the restoration of the memorial. Seating is limited and advance reservations are recommended by calling (808) 954-8721.

December 15 Hangar Talk: “A Closer Look at WWII Propaganda”The public is invited to attend a free (with museum admission) lecture led by Rian Ebesugawa at Pacific Aviation Museum’s theater from 1:00 pm to 1:30pm.

December 14-16 Pearl Harbor Holiday Lights ToursEvening boat tours of Pearl Harbor will be offered from 6:15 pm to 8:00 pm courtesy of the Pearl City Lions Club in cooperation with Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The free, 30-min-ute tours will feature Christmas music and views of ships and submarines decorated for the holiday season. The tours will depart from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Donations of non-perishable and canned goods are being accepted for Hawaii’s food charities.

Seating is limited. To make a reservation, send an email to [email protected]. Tickets will be distributed at 5:45 pm on the day of the tour.

Page 5: Remembrance Winter 2012

U.S. ArmyU.S. Navy

U.S. Marine CorpsU.S. Air Force

U.S. Coast GuardNational Park Service

100th Infantry Battalion / 442nd Veterans ClubThe American Legion

American Legion AuxiliaryBattleship Missouri Memorial

Consular Corps of HawaiiConsulate General of Japan

Daughters of the American RevolutionDisabled American Veterans, Dept. of Hawaii

Fleet Reserve Association Branch 46Friends of the USS Pennsylvania

Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Illinois Chapter 1Japan Religious Committee for World Federation

Military Intelligence Vets of Hawaii VFW Post 110Military Officers Association of America,

Hawaii State ChapterMilitary Order of the Purple Heart

Ministry of National Defense, Republic of China (Taiwan)Ladies Auxiliary Fleet Reserve Association

National Society Daughters of the American ColonistsNavy League of the United States, Honolulu Council

Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial AssociationPacific Historic Parks

Reiyukai AmericaSons & Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Inc.

Sons of the American LegionState of Hawaii

U.S. Pacific CommandUnited States Submarine Veterans, Inc.

USS Arizona Reunion AssociationUSS Honolulu (CL-48)

USS Missouri (BB-63) Association, Inc.USS Nevada (BB-36)

USS Oklahoma Family, Inc.USS Utah Association

USS West Virginia Reunion AssociationVA Pacific Islands Health Care SystemVeterans of Foreign Wars of the U. S.

71st AnniversaryPearl Harbor Commemoration

Wreath Donations

Page 6: Remembrance Winter 2012

4 r e m e m b r a n c e

Rear Admiral Fernandez L. “Frank” PondsCommander, Navy Region Hawaii, Naval Surface Group, Middle PacificRear Admiral Ponds, a native of Autaugaville, Alabama, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama in 1982 and received his commission from Officer Candidate School in June 1983.

Rear Admiral Ponds’ career as a Surface Warfare Officer includes assignments aboard USS Mauna Kea (AE 22), USS Midway (CV 41), USS Berkeley (DDG 15), Commander Amphibi-ous Group One (CTF 76) and USS Paul F. Foster (DD 964) culminating in command of USS Fife (DD 991).

Ashore, Rear Admiral Ponds served on Pacific Fleet’s Propulsion Examination Board; with Office of the Navy Inspector General; as member of Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (N81/N00X), Resources, Requirements and Assessment; as senior naval advisor in the Department of State during 2005 Pakistan Earthquake Relief Operations, 2006 Lebanon Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO); with Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief; and on the 2010 CNO Strategic Studies Group.

Admiral Cecil D. HaneyCommander, U.S. Pacific FleetAdmiral Cecil D. Haney is a native of Washington, D.C. and a 1978 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering.

Haney completed operational assignments as division officer in USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN 630), radiological controls officer aboard USS Frank Cable (AS 40), engineer in USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709), executive officer in USS Asheville (SSN 758), and assistant squadron deputy at Submarine Squadron 8 before taking command of USS Honolulu (SSN 718). As Commanding Officer of USS Honolulu (SSN 718), Admiral Haney earned the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale leadership award. Admiral Haney also commanded Submarine Squad-rons 1 and 2.

Admiral Haney’s shore duty tours include Administrative Assistant for enlisted affairs at Naval Reactors and Congressional Appropriations Liaison Officer for the Office of the Secre-tary of Defense (Comptroller); Deputy Chief of Staff of Plans, Policies and Requirements, U.S. Pacific Fleet (N5N8) and Director, Submarine Warfare Division (N87); Director, Naval War-fare Integration Group (N00X); and Deputy Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

robert sandlaU.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, RetiredRobert 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 42-year Hawaii resident and has hosted Hawaii Public Radio’s “Business of the Arts” program for the past 5 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 DePreySuperintendent, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, National Park ServiceSuperintendent 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 Recre-ation Area in northern California 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. These assignments included work on rangeland grazing, timber management, Native American government-to-government consultation and threatened and endangered species management. He has also worked as an archaeologist for the U.S. Forest Service on wildland fire timber sal-vage projects in the Pacific Northwest.

Featured Speakers

Page 7: Remembrance Winter 2012

5w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

71st Anniversary: Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration

Hawaiian BlessingKahu Kauila Clark

Master of CeremoniesRobert Sandla

U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Retired

WelcomeMaster of Ceremonies Robert Sandla

Moment of SilencePass-in-Review: USS Michael Murphy (DDG112)

Missing Man Flyover199th Fighter Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard

19th Fighter Squadron, U.S. Air Force

Presentation of ColorsU.S. Pacific Command Joint Service Color Guard

National AnthemKapolei High School

Hawai‘i Pono‘iNavy Hale Keiki School’s Young Patriots Club

Prayer for PeaceReverend Chitoshi Noshita

Japan Religious Committee for World Federation

Guest SpeakersPaul DePrey, Superintendent, National Park Service

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Rear Admiral Fernandez L. “Frank” Ponds, Commander, Navy Region HawaiiNaval Surface Group Middle Pacific

Keynote SpeakerAdmiral Cecil Haney, USN, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Branch of Service Wreath Presentations

BenedictionCaptain Sal Aguilera, USN, CHC

Chaplain, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific

Rifle SaluteU.S. Marine Corp

Echo TapsU.S. Pacific Fleet Band

Retire Colors

Walk of HonorAll Pearl Harbor Survivors and World War II Veterans are invited to walk through the honor cordon.

PostludeU.S. Pacific Fleet Band

Tug Boat Water Tribute

Page 8: Remembrance Winter 2012

6 r e m e m b r a n c e

Legacy Of Pearl Harbor Friendship Shared With Youth Across Hawaii

Every December 7th, thousands gather to pay tribute to the military service members and civilians who lost their lives in the name of

freedom in 1941. The annual ceremony is also held in hopes that future generations will never forget the consequences of war and the sacrifices made on that fateful day.

For the first time ever, the National Park Service and Pacific His-toric Parks will share the historical significance of December 7th with more than 6,000 school-age children across Hawaii with a simultane-ous reading aloud program. On December 7th, children in elementary and intermediate schools who are enrolled in afterschool care programs managed by the Department of Education, Kama’aina Kids, YMCA of Honolulu, Maui YMCA, Dreamco, and Moiliilii Community Center will learn about the real life story of an unlikely friendship between the late Pearl Harbor Survivor Richard Fiske and Japanese Fighter Pilot Zenji Abe.

The children’s book entitled, “Pearl Harbor Warriors: The Bugler, The Pilot, The Friendship,” is a story of peace and forgiveness and how these men, who were once enemies of war, overcame their hatred and fear for one another. In 1991, as a symbol of peace and friendship, Abe gave Fiske $300 and asked him to lay two roses at the USS Arizona Me-morial each month, one for him and one for Fiske. He also asked Fiske to play “Taps” on his bugle after he did this. Fiske honored this request every month until he passed away in 2004.

Pacific Historic Parks purchased 175 copies of the book to pro-vide to each participating school. In addition to this reading, par-ents will be able to access other real-life Pearl Harbor Survivor and civilian witness stories to read to their children by going to www.nps.gov/valr/forkids.Pearl Harbor Survivor Richard Fiske stands with his bugle on the USS Arizona

Memorial.

USS Utah: A Training Ground For Anti-Aircraft Gunners

“So it is with deep humility and pride on my part, with a recognition of the great

history which is again being made here to-day, with sorrow over the deaths of those who died here for their country--and died too young, and with a sense of elation that now--at long last--their courage and sacrifice are to be given the recognition they deserve, that I come here to these dedication ceremo-nies for the USS Utah Memorial. It is our lasting tribute to the USS Utah and to those who died here for America.”--Senator Frank E. Moss (D-UT)

These were the closing words of the USS Utah (BB-31) dedication ceremony at Pearl Harbor on May 27, 1972. Senator Moss’ remarks echoed the sense of history that is embodied in the USS Utah Memorial today.

The USS Utah (BB-31) was authorized by an act of Congress in 1908 and launched in December 1909, under the sponsorship of Miss Mary Alice Spry, daughter of Governor William Spry of Utah.

In the 1930s, the Utah was transferred to the U.S. Pacific Fleet for duty with Train-

ing Squadron One as a training ship. She became a mobile target for fleet maneuvers and tactics, and was later designated to es-tablish a fleet machine gun school, staffed with the most experienced anti-aircraft gunners in the fleet. In fact, the Utah had just returned from a six-week advanced anti-aircraft training cruise when the Japanese struck her. Many of her alumni went on to fight across the Pacific and illustrate the value of training and education to our great country.

On the morning of December 7, 1941 dur-ing the Japanese surprise attack, the men of the Utah fought to protect their ship, their country, and each other, but many could not protect themselves. They were shocked and frightened, brave and resourceful. They were young men who never went home.

“I actually saw one of the Japanese planes come in, release the torpedo ... Then I felt the reverberation,” remembers Clark Si-mons MAtt3c.

“Two torpedoes later, with the ship roll-ing over sideways, the men abandoned ship. They had to get above deck. Wooden beams

slid across the deck, blocking exits and trap-ping men inside. They ran for the portholes; the smaller men squeezed through and slid down the ship’s hull, their backs shredded by jagged barnacles.” recalls John Eichman, WT2c.

Human remains were handled with as much respect as possible. They were in-terred at Oahu Cemetery and in the newly established Halawa Naval Cemetery. In sub-sequent years, many were reburied at the Na-tional Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl or returned to their families on the mainland. Today, Pearl Harbor Survivor Ray Emory has been instrumental to ensur-ing that these sailors, among others, were identified and never forgotten.

In April 1942, the Navy decided that the USS Utah (BB-31) was to be scrapped upon raising due to extensive damage suffered in the attack and limited future military value. Extensive difficulties in righting the hull led to further salvage being stopped in early 1944. In 1972, a shoreside USS Utah Memo-rial was dedicated to the 58 crewman lost during the attack.

Laurie LaGrange, Owner, Ontai-LaGrange Associates

Scott Pawlowski, Museum Curator, National Park Service, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Page 9: Remembrance Winter 2012

7w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) arrived at Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1940 as

part of the Pacific Fleet. Despite frequent maneuvers and training, the crew enjoyed liberty in Hawaii. Honolulu provided every-thing a sailor or Marine could desire, from meals at the Black Cat Café to the liquor at numerous bars and even swimming in Waikiki.

An exotic culture and balmy tropical cli-mate greeted servicemen arriving on O‘ahu. “You can’t believe how beautiful Hawai‘i was before the war, so peaceful, so quiet,” said Army Air Corps Lieutenant William S. Cope. Far from home, often for the first time, these malihini (strangers) were soon to be at the center of an epic battle.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, 40 torpedo bombers attacked ships along Bat-tleship Row, 1010 Pier, and the north side of Ford Island. “The torpedo struck with

a violent explosion on the starboard side,” remembered Captain Robert H. English of the USS Helena (CL-50). Torpedoes blasted holes as large as 40 feet (12 m) wide in heav-ily armored ships like the Oklahoma.

After the attack, “slowly, sickeningly, the Oklahoma began to roll over on her side un-til finally only her bottom could be seen. It was awful, for great ships were dying before my eyes! Strangely enough, at first, I didn’t realize that men were dying too,” recalled Mrs. John B. Earle, wife of Captain Earle, U.S. Navy.

The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) capsized in 11 minutes. Sailors and shipyard workers quickly climbed onto the overturned hull and began searching for survivors.

A fortunate few were rescued. However, “we soon found out that you couldn’t work sixteen hours a day too long ... If you’re goofing off, that’s something else, but if

you’re really putting out, doing your best to get the job done, it becomes tiring. You can only go so much. They cut back from 16 to 12 hours. We were working seven days

a week.” recalled George Kahanu, Sr., ship-yard worker, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard.

On Battleship Row, the Oklahoma lay ruined beneath a smoke-blackened sky. Thick patches of oil burned on the water. Hundreds of men floated, both dead and alive. Servicemen and civilians fought fires and searched for survivors. The great ship that projected American worldly ambitions would do no more.

On December 7, 1942, one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Bow-

fin was launched into World War II, forever changing the role submarines played in time of war, from patroller to instruments of at-tack. Nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger, the USS Bowfin conducted nine patrols dur-ing its WWII career, and claimed to sink 44 enemy vessels, with nearly 235,000 tons sunk or damaged. After the war, the Joint Army-Navy Assessment committee credited the USS Bowfin with 16 large vessels (67,882 tons), plus ten vessels of less than 500 tons each.

The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park (located next to the Pearl Harbor Visi-tor Center) welcomes visitors to commemo-rate the 70 years since the USS Bowfin’s launch with special admission rates, Decem-ber 7-8. The park also provides guests the opportunity to pay tribute to the contribu-tions and sacrifices made by thousands of

submariners.“Freedom always comes at a cost and this

is evident for people who tour our water-front memorial, reading the names of nearly 3,600 U.S. submariners who gave their life in service to our country during World War II,” said retired Submarine Captain and USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park Ex-ecutive Director Jerry Hofwolt.

For decades, submarines were the Navy’s “Silent Service,” shrouded in a cloak of stealth and secrecy intended to keep en-emies off guard and unaware of their true capabilities.

During WWII, submarines represented only two percent of the U.S. fleet; yet they were responsible for the destruction of 30 percent of the Japanese Navy, including eight aircraft carriers, one battleship, and 11 cruisers. More importantly, the Submarine Force sank about 1,200 Japanese merchant ships, totaling 4.9 million tons. Although

the submarine service was the smallest mili-tary unit, they made the greatest sacrifice in terms of loss of life--one in five of the nearly 18,000 submariners who went into battle never returned to port.

Today, the USS Bowfin is one of only 16 U.S. WWII submarines still intact. Each year, more than 250,000 people from around the world come to this 2.5 acre park, which includes a 10,000 square foot muse-um, a waterfront memorial, outdoor exhib-its, and of course, the USS Bowfin.

The USS Bowfin sits proudly near the USS Arizona Memorial, ready to welcome visitors to the era of WWII submarines and their crews. This is a place filled with tales of men who served under extreme condi-tions with strength, bravery, and honor. Like its neighboring historic sites, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park repre-sents some of the most powerful lessons of America’s past.

The Day the USS Oklahoma Perished

Pearl Harbor Avenger Marks 70th Anniversary

Scott Pawlowski, Museum Curator, National Park Service, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument

“Slowly, sickeningly, the Oklahoma began to roll over on her side” --Mrs. John B. Earle

The USS Bowfin in the waters of Pearl Harbor.Laurie LaGrange, Owner, Ontai-LaGrange Associates

Page 10: Remembrance Winter 2012

8 r e m e m b r a n c e

Thank you to our 2012 sponsors:

Page 11: Remembrance Winter 2012

9w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

Most visitors to Pearl Harbor have traveled great distances to learn more about its his-tory, admire its glistening waters, and expe-rience the iconic USS Arizona Memorial. By the time they arrive at the visitor center, they may have taken a plane ride, a boat ride, and certainly a car or bus ride. Millions of travel-ers from across the world have this historic site at the top of their “must-see” lists, and yet, many Oahu residents and students who live within miles have never been to the monument - until now.

This fall, more than 700 fifth grade stu-dents from 32 different classrooms across the island of Oahu were invited to partici-pate in “Let’s Talk (Hi)story,” a three-part program focused on exploring personal connections to history and national parks. World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument was awarded funding for this program through the National Park Founda-tion’s 2012 Ticket to Ride Grant program, made possible by Disney.

“Let’s Talk (Hi)story” had five main goals:• Introduce students to the National

Park Service,• Engage them in history,• Inspire them with personal stories,• Encourage them to research their fami-

lies’ own stories, and • Begin a lifelong connection with his-

tory and America’s national parks.The program began with ranger-led

school visits in September. NPS rangers introduced students to the National Park Service, its mission, and its presence in the State of Hawaii. Armed with a basic under-

standing of NPS and the attack on Oahu, students were ready for history to come to life with story-telling from NPS volunteer and Pearl Harbor witness, Jimmy Lee.

Mr. Lee was in the fifth grade when he witnessed the December 7, 1941 attack from his home on the shores of Pearl Harbor. For students, learning about history from some-one who was their age at the time proved to be much more exciting than reading about it in a history book.

Throughout the month of October, stu-dents from the eight participating schools boarded buses to visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, most for them for the first time. Transportation costs for all bus rides were fully covered by the Ticket to Ride grant. After a brief orientation, stu-dents split into small groups to complete the recently updated Junior Ranger Scavenger Hunt.

After searching for answers in the exhibit galleries, students watched a documentary on the attack before boarding boats for the ride to the USS Arizona Memorial. Once at the memorial, NPS rangers helped students understand the significance of the names on the shrine room wall, the design of the memorial itself, and the memories of the men entombed below.

Once back at the visitor center, students explored the various wayside exhibits, with a special focus on the Remembrance Circle. Many of the groups stayed for lunch and had picnics before boarding the buses to re-turn to school.

In November, students explored the more

personal side of history through a take-home project. After a brief oral history lesson, stu-dents interviewed a relative or family friend who was alive during WWII or another his-toric event. They then reported back with papers, posters, and videos to share their findings with their classmates. For these Ticket to Ride students, history is no longer just about books and maps; it is about real people and real stories.

Thank you to the following schools that participated in the Ticket to Ride program: •AugustAhrensElementary•FernElementary•KalihiElementary•MaukaLaniElementary•PalisadesElementary•PearlHarborKaiElementary•ShafterElementary•WaipahuElementary

More About the Ticket to Ride ProgramThe Ticket to Ride program gets kids out of the classroom, into nature, and enjoying their national parks. The main goal of the program is to reach out to historically under-served students. In addition to including a “three-touch” structure, Ticket to Ride pro-grams help external audiences understand the importance of providing students with transportation to a national park. The struc-ture of this year’s “Let’s Talk (Hi)story” pro-gram is already being used as a framework for future education programs hosted by WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monu-ment and Pacific Historic Parks.

Ticket to Ride Program Brings More Than 700 Students to the USS Arizona MemorialNicole Brown, Park Ranger, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Students from August Ahrens Elementary School explore a map of Oahu at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

Page 12: Remembrance Winter 2012

10 r e m e m b r a n c e

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the USS Ari-zona Memorial this year creates an opportunity for reflection about the memorial itself and how it has become an icon of remembrance and sacrifice.

For many of my generation, the USS Arizona Memorial has always been there, silently standing guard over the sunken remains of the once mighty USS Arizona. In fact, the structure has not always been there. It took more than three decades and the tireless work of liter-ally hundreds of influential people to bring the Arizona Memorial into existence.

There were political and social setbacks for the project, funding was difficult to obtain, and there were some who thought that creat-ing a memorial to commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbor was inappropriate, as it was, and still remains, the single largest Naval defeat in our nation’s history.

Yet, in the end, a memorial was created to remember not only the 1,177 brave men of the USS Arizona, but to remember all of the dead of the Pacific campaign and, perhaps in a broader sense, the loss of more than 50 million souls, both military and civilian, dur-ing the bloodiest conflict the world has ever known.

Much of the world was already engulfed in death and war when the “day which will live in infamy” catapulted the United States into World War II. Japan had invaded mainland China and Germany

occupied much of northern Europe, but the United States had avoided direct participa-tion in the conflict

until the Empire of Japan attacked the U.S Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor.

Perhaps the best source for the details of the struggle to create the Arizona Memorial are contained in the Pacific Historic Parks’ (PHP) publication “Remembering Pearl Harbor: The Story of the USS

Arizona Memorial,” written by Michael Slackman. Now in its tenth edition, the book is available online at www.pacifichistoricparks-bookstore.org.

Prior to the commencement of the refurbishment project in 2012, the memorial was beginning to look a little rough around the edges, due to the foot traffic of 50 million visitors, saltwater spray, and weather exposure. The railings were beginning to rust through, plexiglass skylights were deeply pitted by the sun and marine envi-ronment, lighting fixtures were corroded, and abandoned electrical conduits laced the structure.

Upon the request of the National Park Service, PHP agreed to raise the funds needed to bring the memorial back into shape. In May of 2012, PHP signed a contract with Hawk Construction, a firm that has done work at Pearl Harbor previously, earned a repu-tation of quality workmanship, and respected the sacred nature of the site.

Phase one of the restoration, which included the repair of the aforementioned items, as well as the repainting of the interior and exterior of the monument, was completed at the end of October at a cost of more than $453,000. We can all be proud of the fact that the USS Arizona Memorial is in the best condition she has been in for at least 45 years.

Phase two of the project will include replacing the shrine room wall. PHP is in the process of scoping and costing out this phase of the project. Projected costs are currently in excess of $300,000.

As always, PHP is proud to accept tax-deductible contributions from our membership in support of this important work. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org or fill out the donation form on page 13.

Thank you in advance for your support of this important project. Working together, we can assure that the USS Arizona Memorial is prepared for her next 50 million visitors and will continue to remind our nation not only of the brave ship and her crew, but also of the importance of constant vigilance.

Left: The interior and exterior of the USS Arizona Memorial was repainted during phase one of the restoration.; Middle: The rusted railings on the USS Arizona Memorial were replaced.; Right: The skylights and light fixtures at the entrance of the USS Arizona Memorial were recently restored.

Brad L. Wallis, President and CEO, Pacific Historic Parks

A Message from the President: USS Arizona Memorial Restoration Update

Phase one of the restoration ... was completed at the end of October at a cost of more than $453,000.

Page 13: Remembrance Winter 2012

11w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

Preserving History

The History Services Division of WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monu-

ment plays a key role in collecting WWII stories, ensuring they will be preserved for future generations.

In July 2012, Chief Historian Daniel Mar-tinez and I travelled to California to collect oral histories focused on the island-hopping campaigns, home front workers, Japanese internees, and USO entertainers in the Pa-cific.

With the assistance of Pacific Historic Parks videographer, Donny Chambers, we were able to collect 30 interviews that will be placed in the collection and used in the museum for educational and research pur-poses.

Below is an excerpt from one of the many interviews.__

John Farritor enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1941 at the age of 22, six months

before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He partic-ipated in several island-hopping campaigns including Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima. He retired from the Marine Corpsas a First Sergeant after serving in the Ko-rean War.

DM: What was the one thing you liked at basic?JF: Being there. That was what I liked, be-ing there. Just to know I was going to be a Marine.

I remember the first night we were on Guadalcanal, the 1st Sergeant came around to me and said, “John, you’ve been selected

to send a listening post out, this way out here. I’ll show you where you go.”

So, I took two boys out there. We had a telephone for emergencies, but we wasn’t supposed to use it—one of those crank phones with the wire. We laid the wire out there and we cleared out a little space about the size of a Volkswagon, you know, in the jungle. I mean it was jungle.

We got in there and I said, “Now, you’re not supposed to make any sounds, just be quiet.” They talk about the jungle being se-rene and quiet. It’s a noisy place, you know. Then they had them sand crabs. With a lit-tle imagination you could say, “That’s Japs sneaking up on me.”DM: Cause you could hear them, right?JF: They would go berserk, you know. It just sounded like a Jap was sneaking up on you. Those two kids I was with, they were scared to death. I was afraid to take a nap. I think they would have left me cause they were re-ally terrified. That was their baptism there.

We left there and went to Bougainville, that was our baptismal fire up there.DM: Tell me a little about Bougainville.JF: The weather was worse than the Japs. We landed during the monsoon season and we landed in the swamp, the biggest swamp on the island cause they didn’t think the Japs would be there, but the Japs were there.

They had a lot of guns on them, but the weather was the worst thing. When I took my boat in, I could see there were boats swamped all along there because the surf would throw the boats right up on the beach. There were boats all over the place.

I had a Howitzer then, a pack Howitzer,

and I had hooked to a Jeep on that. I said, “As soon as that ramp goes down, you get up there and get off the beach. Keep on going into the trees up there. You got to go fast cause they’re going to swamp this boat.” So, he took off and he got off.

I got all my stuff off and I was standing there directing traffic and getting people out, getting the stuff up off the beach when somebody said, “Japs coming, Zeroes straf-ing!”

You’re supposed to get off the beach when they say strafing, you know, but I didn’t have time. I just turned around and something hit my back, knocked me way down the road there.

It was a 20mm gun but it didn’t explode. It would have cut me in two if it had, but it just knocked me down. When the Japs—there were three Zeroes—went on, a corps-man ran out and said, “Are you hurt?”

I said, “Only my damn dignity.” He said, “Well, you don’t get no Purple

Heart for dignity wounds.”DM: So that was the first time you were un-der fire.JF: That was the first time I got knocked down with a bullet, yeah. Then we couldn’tset up. Finally, we got a new location and said, “Ok, we can set up.” We had to tear them guns down and carry them piece by piece and build a platform to put the damn things on.

On about the second or third mission, it broke through the platform. We had to tear it all down and take it to one side and redo the flat top.

us but at that time we felt that, if need be, we must spill some blood to demonstrate this (loyalty). So we insisted that we be given the opportunity to fight.”

Hawaii’s non-combatants also felt the sting of war from the beginning. Young men and women who worked at Pearl Harbor, the airbases, and Army posts were under fire from the outset of the attack. Friendly fire rained down on Honolulu and its young citizens. Of the 49 civilians who died that day, more than 50 percent were under age of 30. Seventy years later, we have no accu-rate accounting of the wounded. Innocence eroded among the young of Oahu. They be-gan to realize the effects of a war brought to their doorstep. Everyday life in Hawaii had changed and so had its people.

“After V-J Day, the barbed wire, gas alarms,

and first aid signs vanished overnight. Social changes, which had been slowly developing for many years before, were pushed ahead a genera-tion. Racial, cultural and economic barriers were lowered and a middle class emerged. As the war progressed, Islanders with previous Mainland contacts became conscious for the first time of the vastness of the United States. War’s aviation ex-pansion brought Hawaii closer to the Mainland and the islands closer to one another. The influx of service personnel and war workers gave many Orientals, especially in rural districts, the first op-portunity to meet Caucasians socially.”Gwenfread Allen, “Hawaii’s War Years”

Many of the military personnel stationed at Pearl Harbor and the airfields at Hickam, Ewa, Bellows, Wheeler, Kaneohe, and the Army posts at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter were young and inexperienced. Yet

they fought back with indomitable courage. Their dedication to the nation to defend her against all odds was born on that day, December 7, 1941. The war in the Pacific left an indelible mark on them, by what they had seen, heard, felt and done. The crucible of war had enabled many to elevate them-selves to achieve great deeds of heroism in the service of their country. After the war, they celebrated momentarily and moved on with their lives. Many went on to college, started businesses or raised families. Simply stated they began to rebuild lives that had been interrupted by the war.

Tom Brokaw noted that, “they have left us an enduring legacy that is embodied in the valor they displayed and the innocence they lost. They truly were the greatest gen-eration of the 20th Century.”

Coming of Age: From Innocence to Valor, Continued

Amanda Carona, Staff Historian, WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Page 14: Remembrance Winter 2012

12 r e m e m b r a n c e

Pearl Harbor GramOUR MOTTO: REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR – KEEP AMERICA ALERT!

Published Quarterly with Remembrance, Pacific Historic Parks’ Member Newsletter

The official closing of the PHSA did not end the social activities of the former

Chapters. It was the intent of our Executive Board to have the Chapters organize into so-cial groups and I am pleased to let you know that this is a great success. I am receiving newsletters from what were former Chap-ters and requests for information from our membership, as well as community activities

wanting to know more about the attack on Pearl Harbor. We are not out of business as I am sure you all know. PHP has provided us with a PHSA section in their newsletter and Mal Middlesworth, our former Gram editor, has agreed to accept the position of the Editor of the PHSA section of Remem-brance. So, whatever you have that will be of general interest to our PHSA people, get it

to him. Lou Large, President of the Sons & Daughters, is also keeping me up to date as to what is happening with them. I am cer-tain you know of their National Convention scheduled for December 4th through the 7th in San Diego. PHSA people are more than welcome. We are not gone. Just not as many of us. Best wishes and Aloha.

Gery Porter was a fireman 2/c aboard the USS West Virginia on December

7, 1941. Mr. Porter had joined the Navy in 1940, completing boot camp at San Di-ego’s U.S. Naval Training Station, machin-ist school at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and River Rouge Ford Plant. He was assigned to the West Virginia and Pearl Harbor.

Mr. Porter’s description of that day can be found on the back of his 1993 member-ship application to the Pearl Harbor Survi-vors Association (PHSA):

On December 7th at 07:55 hours I had just cleared my tables and was handwashing the dish-es … We heard a few muffled booms just before general quarters sounded. I never saw the dishes, tables, or compartment again.

The first two (of seven) torpedoes hit us before I could get to my station. The ship began to list heavily, power went off, and sound powered tele-phone service was lost.

About a dozen of us in the compartment were dodging sliding floor plates and waiting with a dim battle lantern to see what would happen next. Someone opened our 3rd deck hatch and yelled down to us to abandon ship. We made our way up the ladder and forward along the 3rd deck passageway toward the machine shop, which was in shambles. Our way up and out was through the provisions hatches to the quarterdeck where we first saw the USS Arizona and other unwelcome sights. Just then we saw dive-bombers headed our way so a number of us ducked into the first available doorway … to avoid the straf-ing.

While we were there one of the bombers made

Gery Porter’s GarageRay Sandla, Former Publications Manager, Pacific Historic Parks

William H. Muehleib, PHSA President Emeritus, Pearl Harbor Survivors AssociationA Letter From the President Emeritus

Gery Porter in the 1940s and today.

a direct hit on No. 3 Main Tur-ret, just aft of us ... It knocked the SOC bomber off the turret catapult onto the quarterdeck and penetrated the turret top, but fortu-nately did not detonate.

Minutes later we … found our way across to the USS Tennessee and onto Ford Island by rowing a whale boat from the quay to the beach. Some Marines in a pickup told a few of us to jump in and delivered us to the Marine Barracks. The Marines were taking pot shots at the second wave planes with everything they could find–mostly rifles and 45’s.

After the attack … we were soon on our way back to the ship to form a bucket brigade on West Virginia’s quarterdeck to fight fires. At dusk, we were relieved by another crew and trans-ported to the Fleet Recreation Center where we got a bite to eat, a mattress and blanket for a night in the bleachers. Frequent and spasmodic gunfire erupted throughout the night. Everyone was pretty trigger-happy. Unfortunately, some of our own planes were victims of the gunfire.

Post-war, Mr. Porter had a long and suc-cessful career as an architect and engineer. He joined the PHSA in 1993 and went on to serve as a national executive in a variety of roles, most recently as secretary/treasur-er.

In that capacity, Mr. Porter was keeper of the paperwork. Giant file cabinets take up half of his garage and he, along with other national PHSA stalwarts such as Mal Middlesworth and William Muehleib, were understandably anxious that the history

represented there was handed over to a re-sponsible caretaker.

In my former role as PHP publications manager and informal PHSA liaison, I headed out to Hemet, California, to help Mr. Porter pack all relevant paperwork for shipment to Hawaii and the National Park Service archives.

With access to these priceless documents, I had to spend some time reading through what felt like living, breathing history. The meeting minutes, charter amendments, fi-nancial communications, death reports, and, finally, motions to disband the asso-ciation, provided a window into the frater-nity, passion, and unapologetic patriotism of these aging sailors, marines, soldiers, and pilots. Their dedication and focus, through all of the history that has come between WWII and today, was something to behold. The goals of the PHSA were never obscure: Remember Pearl Harbor first and foremost, the men and women who died that day, as well as those who survived.

Page 15: Remembrance Winter 2012

13w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

PRAYER FOR THE DEADEternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.

Cole, Billie O.Schofield BarracksFolsom, CA

Cooper, Doris A.USS TernCovington, Indiana

Coulsen, Scott E.USS West VirginiaLa Quinta, CA

De Ryckere, Archie G.San Diego, CA

DiMatteo, Ernest A. Hickam FieldTulare, CA

Evers, Paul H.Hickam FieldBig Timber, MT

Geritz, William J. Ford IslandBerkeley, CA

Guevremont, EugeneUSS PennsylvaniaSebastian, FL

Johnson, Robert F.Hickam FieldLos Angeles, CA

Kowalski, Arthur A. USS PennsylvaniaSan Diego, CA

Kuhn, RaymondPearl Harbor Naval BasePortland, OR

LaMotte, Louis H.Fort ShaftnerHilton Head, SC

Mooney, JohnUSS MacDonoughSan Diego, CA

Morrill, Jr., John A.USS CastorSpring Valley, CA

McCann, James E.USS RamsayTorrance, CA

Ordos, Bernard S.Schofield BarracksWest Mifflin, PA

Roffman, LouisHickam FieldRiverside, CA

Schmidig, JosephArmy 63rd ORDLodi, NJ

Stone, Walter A.USS HonoluluYucca Valley, CA

Swarberg, Warren J.USS St. LouisSan Diego, CA

Please address death notices to: Sarah Safranski, Pacific Historic Parks, 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI 96818

Page 16: Remembrance Winter 2012

14 r e m e m b r a n c e

anymore. On December 20, 1944, the program was deactivated, the files were labeled classified, and the ladies were told not to talk about their experiences.

Thirty years later, when the Air Force decided to admit women, they announced in Stars and Stripes magazine that for the first time ever women would be allowed to fly military aircraft. The WASPs weren’t going to let the Air Force pretend that they had never ex-isted. They banded together, wrote letters to Congress and finally acquired a champion.

Patsy Mink, Representative from Hawaii, was the first member of Congress to put forth a motion that the WASPs be given military recognition for their service during WWII. It took a number of tries and the help of Senator Barry Goldwater and Hap Arnold’s son, Bruce Arnold, but finally in 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed a law that the WASPs had been a de facto military organization and they were finally given the recognition they deserved.

They were inspired by Amelia and other flyers, but they have in turn inspired generations of flyers and astronauts.

The Untold Story of Women Airforce Service PilotsVera Williams, Author, “WASPs: Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II”

Today we think nothing of getting on a plane and flying to Maui or Milan or Melbourne, but it wasn’t like that in 1943.

Air travel was in its infancy. There was no GPS, no auto pilot, no jets. It was all experimental. Most men didn’t think about be-coming pilots, let alone women. Yet, in 1943, 25,000 women ap-plied to fly airplanes to support their country in WWII.

If a woman wanted to do something patriotic, there were many options. There were War Bonds and Victory Gardens and the Red Cross. There were the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) and the Women’s Reserve of the Coast Guard (SPARs). These services did not involve getting into an experimental aircraft and taking off into the wild blue yonder.

So, who were the 1,800 intrepid women who were accepted into the Women Airforce Service Pilot program? Well, 1,798 of them were white, including two Chinese Americans. There were no black women. Jackie Cochran, the director of the program, felt that it was an uphill battle just to get women accepted into the cockpit. She wasn’t prepared to take on the added burden of racism.

After training in Texas, the women went on to fly for two years. They came from all walks of life. Some were wealthy and came in with thousands of hours of flying time. Some were dirt poor and had taken advantage of a scholarship program, the Civilian Pilot Training Program, started by General Hap Arnold, commander of the Army Air Force. For every ten spaces, one space was reserved for a woman.

Many of the women who became WASPs were inspired by Amelia Earhart or Jackie Cochran or a local barnstormer offering rides. The women became flyers for many different reasons, but they joined the WASPs for the opportunity to serve their nation and to fly the hottest, newest, fastest planes in the world.

They flew 60,000,000 miles in every type of aircraft developed during WWII, including the first jet, the YP5A.

They also flew the B-29 Superfortress. When it came off the as-sembly line, the male pilots took one look at the behemoth and said it was un-flyable. A brilliant colonel decided that if a WASP could fly one, that might alleviate their fears. Two WASPs, Dora Dough-erty Strother and Dorothea Moorman, piloted the craft and took it on a base to base tour demonstrating its soundness.

The WASPs were initially assigned to ferry planes from the facto-ries to the fields, and they performed their mission beautifully. One WASP, Barbara Jane London, received the Air Medal for completing four transcontinental ferry flights, a total of more than 8,000 miles in just five days. However, these women went on to perform various non-combat flying missions during WWII. They taught cadets to fly and to shoot at enemy aircraft during Tow Target missions. Theychauffeured non-flying officers, tested repaired aircraft, and picked up lobsters from the Gulf of Mexico.

During the war, Retired 3 Star General and Korean War Ace Winton “Bones” Marshall was the commanding officer of the AAF base at Las Vegas. When he heard that a few WASPs were going to be stationed with him, he grumbled quite a bit. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do with them. After a very short time, however, he discovered that the women were so happy to fly that they soon became an integral part of his group. When the program was disbanded and the women were told to go home, he mourned the loss.

Although the program began with promises of militarization, those promises never materialized. With the war winding down and the need for pilots decreasing, the WASPs just weren’t needed

Women Airforce Service Pilots ready for flight.

December 7th Book Signing! Meet Vera Williams, author of “WASPs: Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II,” at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center on December 7th! Grab a copy of her book, have it signed, and learn more about these amazing

female pilots.

Can’t make it to the event? Vera’s book is available online at www.pacifichistoricparksbookstore.org.

Page 17: Remembrance Winter 2012

B O O K S T O R E

www.pacifichistoricparks.org

NEW - Pearl Harbor Commemorative T-shirt(women’s and men’s sizes available)

Item #400764Price: $18.95 | Member price: $16.11

71st Anniversary Hat Velcro closure, one size fits all

Item #400650Price: $17.95 | Member price: $15.26

Remembering Pearl HarborThe complete history of the conception, financing and

construction of the USS Arizona Memorial.

Item #400584Softcover - Price: $9.95 | Member Price: $8.46

Hardcover - Price: $19.95 | Member price: $16.96

Sterling Silver Tree of Life Pendant with 20 inch chain.

Pendant available in three sizes: Small: 1in x .5 in | Item #400394Price: $72 | Member price: $61.20

Medium: 1.25in x .5in | Item #400395Price: $76 | Member price: $64.60

Large: 1.25in x .625in | Item #400396Price: $84 | Member price: $71.40

1-888-485-1941

Pearl Harbor Notecards (Pack of 6)

Item #100279 Price: $6.95 | Member price: $5.91

Page 18: Remembrance Winter 2012

16 r e m e m b r a n c e

Platinum members

Gold members

Thank you for your support!

Shannan ArneyRaymond BrittainKristin DeCosterPhillip GrayGeorge HarrisonRay HawkinsCharlie JonesCole KingseedHoward Lee

Patrick MeehanJohn MorrisJim MorrisJames MuellerThomas SakiyamaKatherine SangerJohn SavageThomas TroyVictor Whitehead

Robert AlexanderAimee AnthonySteven BauerAlan BristeirCharles ChuGlenn ColeJohn DeliaCharles DiPandoEd FunkhouserShawn Higgins

Kevin KershKeith KolasinskiHubert LattanMorgan LunsfordKelly MeyerWilliam PetersRonald RombalskiMichael SharpeRobert SmithFrank Wharton

Silver members

Clinton AdamsBruce AtwaterRoy BallardRobert BaronLeo BauerWilliam BermeoJim BiegelDavid BigelowCraig BradyThomas BusardC. CahmberlainGeorge CarrAl CashmirClinton CavettZoya ChittumClaire ChongDick CowanChris CroweNeil DickinsonThomas DillonGeorge FosdickMelinda FreyGeorge GiemUrban Giff

Joseph GottAna GuzmanMontgomery HandEdward HarkinsCharles HartwigRobert HatfieldAugust HockMark IndelicatoJonathan JacksonDavid JamesScott JeffersonMichael JohnsonDavid KennedyTheodore KirschTimothy KnightJohn KnightMark LarsenWayne LarsonSheri LaytonTim MagdalenoRobert MasengillElaine McKeeKeith PlavecMac Powell

Christian ReckerJames ReischAndrew RogozinskiDolores SantollaLinda SchmidtKenton SmithDale SmithBenny SmithMark SmithGary StephensonRoberta SullivanAlexa SuslowKent SwahnGlen SwansonVincent TarliniRoger TenerJoseph VaccaroRichard WeyerRandall WhaleyArthur WillifordJohn ZiembaAndre Zimbeck

Battleship Missouri Memorial Reenlistment Ceremony

More than 20 military person-nel are expected to participate in a Joint Reenlistment Cer-emony under the famous 16” guns of the Battleship Missouri on Dec. 7, 2012 at 9:00 am. Four-Star General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, Commander, Pacific Air Forces, will adminis-ter the oath alongside a perfor-mance of the National Anthem by the 25 th ID Army Band.

“For centuries service men and women have answered the call of duty in national defense. Nothing so solemnly affirms one’s commitment to that duty better than the enlistment oath of office. Raising one’s right hand, swearing/affirming personal devotion to defending the Constitu-tion of the United States, pledging faith and allegiance to that same document, taking on this incredible burden by sacrificing one’s live-lihood and potentially one’s life freely, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and promising to perform one’s duties to the best of one’s abilities with one’s moral conscience as a guide while under the watchful eye of the deity, means much more than just signing a job employment application. During a reenlistment

ceremony, the reenlisting sailor makes a personal com-mitment in a public forum to wear the cloth of the Nation with honor, courage, and commitment.” --Navy Personnel Command

Since opening in 1999, the memorial has hosted reen-listments, promotions, com-missionings, retirements and change of command cer-emonies for sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen on nearly a daily basis. Earlier this year the Bat-tleship Missouri was presented

the Navy’s Retention Excellence Award, more commonly known as the “Golden Anchor.” This award is traditionally given to active ser-vice naval vessels for meeting or exceeding crew retention goals. The Battleship Missouri first received this award in 2005 and is the only non-active vessel to ever receive this prestigious honor. The award was presented to the battleship in honor of its continuing service, providing a venue for reenlistment ceremonies to members of any branch of the U.S. military at no cost.

Battleship Missouri Memorial

Page 19: Remembrance Winter 2012

17w i n t e r 2 0 1 2

We are honored by the many supporters who have joined us in our mission and represent Pacific Historic Parks around the world. Together, we are committed to preserving history. Your support will help preserve the stories of Pearl Harbor, WWII in the Pacific, and Kalaupapa. In partnership with our members, Pacific His-toric Parks supports the National Park Service at four NPS sites throughout the Pacific, benefitting millions of park visitors and more than 30,000 students.

Become a member today! Mr./Ms./Miss/Mrs./Mr. & Mrs./Dr./Other

Name (please print)

Address

City State Zip

Email address

Home phone

Information for Memorial Registry (name, rank, branch, dates, location)

Donation information q Yes! I would like to support Pacific Historic Parks by joining/renewing (circle one) member at the following level: q Brass ($25)q Copper ($50)q Bronze ($100)q Silver ($250)q Gold ($500)q Platinum ($1000+)

At the following park: q USS Arizona Memorialq Kalaupapa, Molokaiq American Memorial, Saipanq War in the Pacific, Guamq Where most needed

q Yes! I would like to make an additional donation to further support the restora-tion of the USS Arizona Memorial. I have enclosed the following donation: $

Payment information $ Membership donation $ Additional donation for the restoration of the USS Arizona Memorial$ Total amount enclosed

q Check, payable to Pacific Historic Parksq Visa q Mastercardq American Expressq Discover

Account number exp. date security code

Signature

For more information about the membership program: Phone: 1-888-332-1941 (toll free)Email: [email protected]: www.pacifichistoricparks.org

Pacific Historic Parks is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

At Pearl Harbor, your membership supports the restoration of the USS Arizona Memorial, interpretation of the events that took place during WWII in the Pacific, and funds educa-tion programs.

In Kalaupapa, your membership supports the preservation and protection of significant sites including renovation and maintenance of St. Damien’s own St. Philomena Church.

Your membership designated to Saipan supports and funds educational programs and museum displays and exhibits in hon-or of the American and Marianas people who gave their lives during the Marianas Campaign of WWII.

Your support in Guam funds educational and interpretive programs at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, commemorating the sacrifice and bravery of those who fought in the bat-tles of the Pacific War Campaign.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS• 15% bookstore discount • 1-year Remembrance subscription

Brass ($25) • 1 Memorial Registry Honoree + lapel pinCopper ($50) • 2 Memorial Registry Honorees + key chainBronze ($100) • 4 Memorial Registry Honorees, lapel pin, + key

chainSilver ($250) • Bronze benefits + recognition in RemembranceGold ($500) • Silver benefits, annual calendar, donor coin

+ guided USS Arizona Memorial Tour for 4 with audio tour

Platinum ($1000+) • 4 Memorial Registry Honorees, recognition in Remembrance, annual calendar, US flag flown over the USS Arizona Memorial with flag certifi-cate, + guided USS Arizona Memorial Tour for 6 with audio tour

Page 20: Remembrance Winter 2012

1 Arizona Memorial PlaceHonolulu, Hawaii 96818


Recommended