Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - Memorial - US Navy - O thru S ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/hi/hifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: by Darlen6 E. Kelley October 23, 2006 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 Historical Collections of Hawaii Keepers of the Culture A Day in Infamy Part 2D - US Navy Arizona O thru S. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ * Note ** Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh was proud of his ship, the USS Arizona. It was the largest of the huge battleships in the Navy's Pacific fleet. He considered it a privilege to command such a vessel. Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kid was equally proud of the Arizona, as well as the rest of the Pacific Fleet. He was a career Navel Officer and Commander of the Battleship Division 1. Both officers were aboard the Arizona the morning of December 7th. Neither one had any inkling of what was about to occur. No one could have imagined that on this day the heavens would rain death upon the Arizona and the entire Island of Oahu in the Pardise of her homeport. When the first wave of Japanese airplanes swooped down on Battleship row, no was was very concerned as many men on the ground or in ships in the harbor thought it was American aircraft. Even when the first bombs began hitting the water it was assumed that some kind of practice drill was occurring than to believe that the Pacific Island was under attack from a country 4,000 miles away. When American airplanes parked on the runways at Ford Island and nearby Hanover began exploding where they sat, and balls of fire mushroomed across the skies from the standing Utah ad Raleigh on the northwest side of Ford Island, and as flaming oil poured from the ruptured sides of the Oaklahoma and West Virginia on battlesip row, all doubts were about an drill occurring vanished. Within seconds, these men knew Pearl Harbor was under attack. They knew because of the screaming of the roar of the dive-bombers swooping down on the Arizona and as close as twenty feet above the decks, the Japanese were unleasing their warheads. The USS Arizona quivered under the impact. Frantically sailors aboard manned the big guns only to find no ammunition. While the bombs crashed on deck and the Japanese zeros straffed the decks, the running sailors fired back with their lethal machine-guns as other determined men ran about trying to retrieve ammunition from the Arizona's magazines. Rear Admiral Kidd and Captain Van Valkenburgh stood their post though fully exposed on the bridge taking repeated resistance, and trying to restore order in unbelievable chaos. In the wardroom below deck Captain Samuel Fuqua had just finished breakfast when the first sounds of air raid sirens reached his ears. He phoned the bridge to learn what had happened but no one answered. Quickly he headed topside, expecting to find some kind of practice drill in progress. When he emerged from the hatch he heard the sounds of incoming aircraft, not necessarily an unexpected noise for a practice drill. then the Arizona shook with the force of several violent explosions, throwing Captain Fugua against the metal deck of his ship. Suddenly his world went black, When Captain Fuqua regained consciousness he found himself lying next to the ragged edges of a gaping hole in the Arizona's deck. Debris was everywhere, smoke filled the skies, and there were cries of agony all around. For the first time he heard sounds of return fire as a few of the battleship's big guns started firing back at the invading aerial armada. He picked himself up and continued towards the bridge where Admiral Kidd and Captain Van Valkenburgh were trying to save the ship and its crew. Across the litter strewn deck he could see wounded sailors, many of them blinded as they emerged from below. More rational comrades were forced to knock many of them unconscious to keep them from leaping to what would have been certain death. All around the Arizona the waters burned with the searing heat of a blast furnace. Even the metal bulkhead of the battleship itself was becoming too hot to touch. Captain Fuqua heard the roar of more enemy planes diving on the Arizona and witnessed the bombs raining from high above. One struck the Arizona next to the bridge, penetrating the deck to explode amid a million and a half pounds of gunpowder in the forward magazine. The bridge vaporized along with Admiral Kidd and Captain Van Valkenburgh. The battleship itself was broken in half. He looked towards the place where the bridge had stood and instantly knew that the Arizona was beyond salvation. Quickly he assumed command and gave the order to abandon ship. Then he began moving through the fires that burned all about to find what few survivors might remain. Calmly and deliberately he set to the task of seeing the wounded loaded on lifeboats to ferry them ashore. Less than 300 of te ship's crew survived, most of them wounded and many burned beyond recognition. He refused to give in to the fires and explosions that were consuming the Arizona until he reached and rescued all who could be found. Finally he boarded the last life raft to Ford Island. As he looked back the Arizona finally slipped beneath the sea, taking with it the bodies of his comrades. ++++++++++++++++++ Arizona - USS Navy - O thru S. George David O'Bryan FC3c Joseph Benjamin O'Bryan FC3c Rex Eugene O'Neall S1c William Thomas O'Neall, Jr. Ens Henry Francis Ochoski GM2c Virgil Simon Off S1c Victor Willard Ogle S2c Lonnie Harris Oglesby S2c Raymond Brown Oliver S1c Edward Kern Olsen Ens Glen Martin Olson S2c Dwight Jerome Orr S1c Stanislaus Joseph Orzech S2c Mervin Eugene Osbourne F1c Leland Grimstead Ostrander PHM3c Peter Dean Ott S1c Fredrick Halden Owen S2c Richard Allen Owens SK2c Thomas Lea Owsley SC2c P.-- Amos Paul Pace BM1c Harry Edward Parkes BM1c Peter John Paroli BKR3c Harold Lemuel Patterson S1c Richard Patterson, Jr. SF3c Hilery Paulmand OS2c Bruno Pavini S1c Raymond Paul Pawlowski S1c Alonzo Pearce, Jr. S1c Norman Cecil Pearson S2c Robert Stanley Pearson F1c William Howard Peavey QM2c Howard William Peckham F1c Max Valdyne Peery S2c Michael Peleshak S1c John Arthur Peltier EM3c Howard Lee Penton S1c George Ernest Perkins F1c Albert H. Peterson, Jr. FC3c Elroy Vernon Peterson FC2c Hardy Wilbur Peterson FC3c Roscoe Earl Peterson S2c Charles Ross Pettit CRMP John Joseph Petyak S1c George Edward Phelps S1c James Richard Philbin S1c Harvey Lee Pike EM3c Lewis Jackson Pike S1c Albert Wesley Pinkham S2c Walter Giles Pitcher GM1c Elmer Leo Pool S1c Ralph Ernest Poole S1c Darrell Albert Post CMMA George Povesko S1c Thomas George Powell S1c Wayne Harold Presson S1c Arland Earl Price RM2c Robert Leo Pritchett, Jr. S1c Edwin Lester Puckett SK3c John Pugh, Jr. SK3c Avis Boyd Putnam SC3c Q.-- Mike Joseph Quarto S1c Jose Sanchez Quinata MATT2c R.-- Arthur Severin Rasmussen CM1c George Vernon Rasmussen F3c William Ratkovich WT1c Glen Donald Rawhouser F3c Clyde Jackson Rawson BM1c Harry Joseph Ray BM2c Casbie Reaves S1c Clay Cooper Rector SK3c John Jeffris Reece S2c James Buchanan Reed, Jr. SK1c Ray Ellison Reed S2c Paul James Register LCDR Jack Martin Restivo Y2c Earl Arthur Reynolds S2c Jack Franklyn Reynolds S1c Birb Richard Rhodes F2c Mark Alexander Rhodes S1c William Allen Rice S2c Claude Edward Rich S1c Raymond Lyle Richar S1c Warren John Richardson Cox Fred Louis Richison GM3c Albert Wallace Richter Cox Guadalupe Augustine Rico S1c Eugene Edward Riddel S1c Fred Riganti SF3c Gerald Herald Riggens S1c Francisco Unpingoo Rivera MATT2c Dwight Fisk Roberts F1c Kenneth Franklin Roberts BM2c McClellan Taylor Roberts CPHMP Walter Scott Roberts, Jr. RM1c Wilburn Carle Roberts BKR3c William Francis Roberts S2c Edgar Robertson, Jr. MATT3c James Milton Robertson MM1c Harold Thomas Robinson S2c James William Robinson S2c John James Robinson EM1c Robert Warren Robinson PHM3c Raymond Arthur Roby S1c John Dayton Rodgers S1c Harry Turner Roehm MM2c Thomas Sprugeon Rogers CWTP Simon Romano OC1c Donald Roger Rombalski S2c Vladimir M. Romero S1c Melvin Lenord Root S1c Chester Clay Rose BM1c Orval Robert Rosenbery SF2c Deane Lundy Ross S2c William Fraser Ross GM3c Eugene Joseph Rowe S1c Frank Malcom Rowell S2c William Nicholas Royals F1c Howard Dale Royer GM3c John Frank Rozar WT2c Joseph Stanley Rozmus S1c Cecil Roy Ruddock S1c William Ruggerio FC3c Robert Gleason Runckel BUG1c Nicholas Runiak S1c Richard Perry Rush S1c Orville Lester Rusher MM1c Joseph John Ruskey CBMP John Peter Rutkowski S1c Dale Andrew Ruttan EM3c S.-- Sherley Rolland Sampson RM3c Merrill Deith Sandall SF3c Eugene Thomas Sanders Ens James Harvey Sanderson MUS2c Thomas Steger Sanford F3c Filomeno Santos OC2c William Ford Sather PMKR1c Walter Samuel Savage, Jr. Ens Tom Savin RM2c Michael Savinski S1c Joseph Schdowski S1c George Albert Scheuerlein GM3c Ernest Schiller S2c Elmer Pershing Schlund MM1c Vernon Joseph Schmidt S1c Harold Arthur Schrank BKR1c Henry Schroeder BM1c Herman Lincoln Schuman SK1c John Schurr EM2c Harold Hugh Scilley SF2c A.J. Scott S2c Jack Leo Scruggs MUS2c Russell Otto Seaman F1c William Eugene Seeley S1c Charles Clifton Sevier S1c William Alfred Shannon S1c Harry Robert Sharbaugh GM3c Lewis Purdie Sharon MM2c Clyde Donald Shaw S1c Robert K. Shaw MUS2c George Robert Sheffer S1c Warren Joseph Sherrill Y2c Richard Stanton Sherven EM3c Harold Ely Shiffman RM3c Paul Eugene Shiley S1c Melvin Irvin Shimer S1c Malcolm Holman Shive RM3c Benjamin Franklin Shively F1c Irland Shores, Jr. S1c Marvin John Shugart S1c Delmar Dale Sibley S1c Russell Lewis Sidders S1c John Henry Sidell GM2c Jesse Silvey MM2c Walter Hamilton Simon S1c Albert Eugene Simpson S1c Harvey Leroy Skeen S2c Charley Jackson Skiles, Jr. S2c Eugene Skiles S2c Earl Clifton Sletto MM1c Jack G. Smalley S1c George David Smart Cox Halge Hojem Smestad RM2c Albert Joseph Smith Lt (jg) Earl Smith, Jr. S1c Earl Walter Smith FC3c Edward Smith GM3c Harry Smith S2c John A. Smith SF3c John Edward Smith S1c Luther Kent Smith S1c Mack Lawrence Smith S1c Marvin Ray Smith S1c Orville Stanley Smith Ens Walter Tharnel Smith MATT2c Harold Mathias Soens SC1c James Fredrick Sooter RM3c Holger Earl Sorensen S1c Charles Braxton South S1c Merle Joe Spence S1c Maurice Edwin Spotz F1c Robert Lawrence Spreeman GM3c Charles Harold Springer S2c Kermit Braxton Stallings F1c Charles Starkovich EM3c Joseph Starkovich, Jr. F2c Alfred Parker Staudt F3c Joseph Philip Steffan BM2c Lester Leroy Steigleder Cox Lloyd Delroy Steinhoff S1c Woodrow Wilson Stephens EM1c Hugh Donald Stephenson S1c Jack Hazelip Stevens S1c Theodore R. Stevens AMM2c Thomas Lester Stewart SC3c Gerald Fay Stillings F2c Harold William Stockman FC3c Louis Alton Stockton S2c William Edison Stoddard S1c Julian John Stopyra RM3c Laun Lee Storm Y1c Charles Orval Strange F2c John Raymond Stratton S1c William Alfred Suggs S1c Frederick Franklin Sulser GM3c Glen Allen Summers Y1c Harold Edgar Summers SM2c Oren Sumner S2c Clyde Westly Sutton CCSTDP George Woodrow Sutton SK1c Stanley Stephen Swiontek FLDCK Charles Elijah Swisher S1c Henry Symonette OC1c ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Con't in Part 2E-- US Navy - Arizona