Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - USS Oklahoma -- A thru L. ************************************************ 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 29, 2006 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Hawaii Keepers of the Culture A Day in Infamy Part 5A - USS Oklahoma ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 5A -- A thru L. USS Oklahoma BB-37, Battleship * Note ** The battleship USS Oklahoma, an older ship with much less protection against underwater damage was hit by up to nine torpedoes. Her hull's port side was opened almost completely from below the forward gun turret back to the third turret, a distance of over 250 feet. She listed quickly, her port bilge struck the harbor bottom, and she then rolled almost completely over. She came to rest less than twenty minutes after she was first hit. The huge 1,400 pound shells used for the big gun turrets broke loose and started rolling, crushing everything in her way. The Oklahoma was preparing for a major admiral fleet inspection scheduled for December 8th. Contrary to normal procedure, all the watertight compartments below the water line were open, including the protective blisters. Once she was hit the water rushed in. Some of the Oklahoma's men were still alive inside her upturned hull, and their rescue became a focus of an intense effort over the next two days. Thirty-two sailors were recovered alive, but over four hundred were killed. In 1943, the capsized ship was rolled upright and raised in one of the salvage profession's greatest undertakings, but she was beyond repair. She sunk again while in tow from Hawaii to the west coast. Some men waited in compartments for rescue when she first rolled over. Of 14 men trapped in compartment D-57, three made a daring escape. They swam nearly 20 feet down the trunk space, 35 feet out of the hatch and across the upside down deck, and finally ascended almost 30 feet to the waters surface. This compartment was known as the " Lucky Bag." Ordinary men with extraordinary courage swam approximately 90 feet to freedom. The hours of others awaiting rescue passed by slowly. Using hammers and wrenches, they pounded on bulkheads to draw attention to would-be rescuers. Those in the compartment of D-57, time was running out as the air grew foul and the water steadily rose.Only the group of 32 men were rescued, making the second greatest loss of life at Pearl Harbor. ++++++++++++++++++ Those lost on the USS Oaklahoma were; A Thru L. Marvin B. Adkins GM3c Willard H. Aldridge S1c Hugh R. Alexander LT Comdr. Stanley W. Allen Ens(VO-1) Hal J. Allison F2c Leon Aricks S1c Kenneth D. Armstrong Mldr1c Daryle E. Artley QM2c John C. Auld S2c John A. Austin Chf Carp Walter H. Backman RM2c Gerald J. Bailey S1c Robert E. Bailey SF3c Wilber F. Balance S1c Layton T. Banks Cox Leroy K. Barber F1c Malcolm J. Barber F1c Ralph H. Barber F2c Carl E. Barncord EM3c Wilber C. Barrett S2c Harold E. Bates F1c Ralph C. Battles F2c Earl P. Baum S1c Harold W. Bean RM3c Walter S. Belt, Jr. F1c Robert J. Bennett F3c Harding C. Blackburn Y3c William E. Blanchard Bmkr1c Clarence A. Blaylock F1c Leo Blitz MM2c Ralph Blitz F2c John G. Bock, Jr. S2c Paul L. Boemer Cox James B. Booe CBmster James B. Boring F2c Ralph M. Boudreaux MATT1c Lawrence A. Boxrucker F2c Raymond D. Boynton S2c Carl M. Bradley F2c Oris V. Brandt S1c Jack A. Breedlove FC3c Randall W. Brewer MATT1c William Brooks S1c Wesley J. Brown F1c William G. Bruesewitz S1c James R. Buchanan MM2c Earl G. Burch Bkr3c Oliver K. Burger WT1c Millard Burk, Jr. S1c Rodger C. Butts SC1c Archie Callahan, Jr. MATT2c Raymond R. Camery F1c William V. Campbell S2c Murry R. Cargile S1c Harold F. Carney MM1c Joseph W. Carroll F2c Edward E. Casinger F2c Biacio Casola S1c Charles R. Casto F1c Richard E. Casto F2c James T. Cheshire CphM(PA) Patrick L. Chess SF3c David Clark, Jr. S2c Gerald L. Clayton SK2c Hubert P. Clement FC1c Floyd F. Clifford S2c George A. Coke S1c James E. Collins S1c John G. Connolly Chf Pay Clk. Keefe R. Connolly HA1c Edward L. Conway EM1c Grant C. Cook, Jr. F1c Robert L. Corn FC1c Beoin H. Corzatt F1c John W. Craig SK1c Warren H. Crim F3c Samuel W. Crowder F1c William M. Curry EM1c Glenn G. Cyriak SK2c Marshall E. Darby, Jr Ens James W. Davenport, Jr. F1c Francis D. Day CWT(PA) Leslie P. Delles EM3c Ralph A. Derrington CMM(PA) Francis E. Dick MUS2c Leaman R. Dill EM2c Kenneth E. Doernenburg F1c John M. Donald SF3c Carl D. Dorr F2c Bernard V. Doyle S2c Stanislaw F. Drwall Pmkr1c Cyril I. Dusset MATT1c Buford H. Dyer S1c Wallace E. Eakes SK3c Eugene K. Eberhardt MM1c David E. Edmonston S2c Earl M. Ellis RM3c Bruce H. Ellison RM3c Julius Ellsberry MATT1c John C. England Ens Ignacio C. Farfan MATT1c Luther J. Farmer MM1c Lawrence H. Fecho F1c Charles H. Ferguson MUS2c Robert A. Fields EM3c William M. Finnegan Ens Francis C. Flaherty Ens James A. Flanagan S1c Felicismo Florese OS2c Walter C. Foley S1c George P. Foote SK3c George C. Ford F2c Joy C. French S2c Tedd M. Furr CCM(AA) Michael Galajdik F1c Martin A. Gara F2c Jessie F. Garcia MATT2c Eugene Garris MATT2c Paul H. Gebser MM1c Leonard R. Geller F1c George T. George S2c George H. Gibson EM3c George E. Giesa F2c Quentin J. Gifford RM2c George Gilbert FC2c Warren C. Gillette S1c Benjamin E. Gilliard MATT1c Arthur Glenn MM1c Daryl H. Goggin MACH Jack R. Goldwater RM3c Charles C. Gomez, Jr. S2c George M. Gooch EM3c Clifford G. Goodwin S1c Robert Goodwin SC3c Duff Gordon CMsmth Claude O. Gowey F1c Wesley E. Graham S1c Arthur M. Grand Pre F1c Thomas E. Griffith RM3c Edgar D. Gross WT2c Vernon N. Grow S2c Daniel L. Guisinger, Jr. S1c William I. Gurganus CEM(AA) William F. Gusie FC3c Hubert P. Hall S2c Robert E. Halterman S1c Harold W. Ham MM2c Dale R. Hamlin GM3c Eugene P. Hann GM3c Francis L. Hannon SF3c George Hanson MM1c Robert J. Harr F1c Charles H. Harris EM3c Daniel F. Harris CFC(PA) Louis E. Harris, Jr. MUS2c Albert E. Hayden CEM(PA) Harold L. Head S2c Robert W. Headington S1c William F. Hellstern GM2c Floyd D. Helton S2c Jimmie L. Henrichsen S2c William E. Henson, Jr. S2c Harvey C. Herber EM1c George Herbert GM1c Austin H. Hesler SM3c Denis H. Hiskett F1c Joseph P. Hittorff, Jr. Ens Frank S. Hoag, Jr. RM3c Herbert J. Hoard CSK(PA) Joseph W. Hoffman MUS1c Kenneth L. Holm F3c Harry R. Holmes F3c James W. Holzhauer S1c Edwin C. Hopkins F3c Chester G. Hord SK3c Frank A. Hryniewicz S1c Charles E. Hudson WT1c Lorentz E. Hultgren MM2c Robert M. Hunter Ens Claydon I.C. Iverson F3c Willie Jackson OC1c Herbert B. Jacobson F3c Challis R. James S2c George W. Jarding F3c Kenneth L. Jayne F3c Theodore Q. Jensen RM3c Jesse B. Jensen GM3c Charles H. Johannes S2c Billy J.Johnson F1c Edward D. Johnson F1c Joseph M. Johnson S1c Jim H. Johnston F1c Charles A. Jones S2c Fred M. Jones MM1c Jerry Jones MATT3c Julian B. Jordon LT Wesley V. Jordon S1c Thomas V. Jurashen S2c Albert U. Kane F1c John A. Karli S1c Howard V. Keffer RM3c Ralph H. Keil S1c Donald G. Keller S1c Joe M. Kelley S2c Warren J. Kempf RM3c Leo T. Keninger F1c William H. Kennedy F1c Elmer T. Kerestes F1c David L. Kesler Bkr2c William A. Klasing EM3c Verne F. Knipp Cox Hans C. Kvalnes S2c William L. Kvidera CM3c D.T. Kyser S2c Elliott D. Larsen MUS1c Johnnie C. Laurie MATT1c Elmer P. Lawrence S1c Willard I. Lawson F3c Gerald G. Lehman F3c Myron K. Lehman S1c Lionel W. Lescault Bgmstr2c Harold W. Lindsey S2c John H. Lindsey F3c Alfred E. Livingston F3c Clarence M. Lockwood WT2c Adolph J. Loebach FC3c Vernon T. Luke MM1c ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Con't in Part 5B -USS Oklahoma.M thru Z