Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - USS West Virginia -- Ford Island-- Kane'ohe Naval Air Station - Patrol Squadron's 11, 12, and 14,--Naval Hospital and Mobile Hospital #2. ************************************************ 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 November 1, 2006 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Hawaii Keepers of the Culture A Day in Infamy - US Navy -Part 7. USS West Virginia -- Ford Island-- Kane'ohe Naval Air Station - Patrol Squadron's 11, 12, and 14,--Naval Hospital and Mobile Hospital #2. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 7. USS West Virginia BB-48, Battleship * Note ** Captain Mervyn Bennion, commanded of the USS West Virginia, resting at anchor just ahead of the Oaklahoma. When the first torpedoes stuck the Oaklahoma, three more reached out for the West Virginia and opened holes in her side. Water poured into the battleship with a force of a flash flood, causing it to list dangerously to one side. From the bridge Captain Bennion quickly took control, ignoring the crash of bombs around him and the hail of bullets spewed by the strafing zeros. He ordered flooding on the side of the West Virginia opposite the torpedo strikes to balance the weight caused by flooding from the gaping wounds and turn his ship upright. The counter measures worked, the West Virginia sinking lower in the water began to level out. Then more torpedoes were unleashed, followed by bombs dropped from high above. Captain Bennion moved to the starboard side of the bridge, doing everything in his power to save the ship. As intent as the intrepid Naval officer was in keeping his beloved ship afloat, the Japanese pilots were equally determined to send the West Virginia to the bottom of the harbor. A bomb falling from 20.000 feet above made a direct hit, while a simultaneous strike was made on the neighboring USS Tennessee. Fiery erruptions filled the air with flying shrapnel. On the bridge, ragged pieces of hot metal ripped into Captain Bennion's abdomen. Struggling against unbearable pain, the ship's Captain refused to be evacuated. Fire broke out all over the West Virginia and secondary explosions shook the bridge. Little more could be done to save the ship, so the Captain ordered others on the bridge to get out before it was to late. Using a five inch gun as a bridge-- some of the servicemen escaped the burning inferno and crawled over to the USS Tennessee. Two bombs dropped on the West Virginia were duds and did not explode, which caused much concern to Captain Bennion, and fighting off his pain he continued to receive reports and issue orders as long as he could think clearly. At last his horrible wounds became to much for human endurance and he collapsed -- unconscious and died. The smoke of battle filled the skies as the USS West Virginia slipped beneath the surface of the water. A young ensign unknowngly saved hundreds of lives. His name, Roland Brooks, had heard the explosion and saw smoke and fire coming from near Ford Island, he thought the USS California which was moored close to the area, was on fire. He ordered " Away fire and rescue parties." With this hundreds of men rushed topside. a move which saved many lives. The USS West Virginia was described as " a ship burning like a forest fire." By the counter flooding of the ship slowly, it had swung back to starboard and settled into the mud on a even keel. Men were trapped in the ship. Sixty seven bodies were found in the hulk of the ship. Marks on a calendar, showed that some lived until December 23, surviving on the trapped air and canned food. Herioc efforts by these men above saved lives and only 105 of 1500 were lost. Capt Bennion received the Medal Of Honor for his tenacious actions. Those who died are; Welborn L. Ashley F3c Benjamin E. Bargerhuffm Jr SF3c William L. Barnett F3c Frank J. Bartek, Jr. F2c Mervyn S. Bennion Capt(CO) Charlie V. Booton S1c Fred H. Boyer F1c George O. Branham Mldr1c Ennis E. Brooks F1c Charles D. Brown EM3c Riley M. Brown F1c John E. Burgess, Jr. S2c William C. Campbell Cox William G. Christian Bkr2c Harold K. Costill F3c Louis A. Costin F1c Charles E. Cottier F1c Howard D. Cromwell CM2c Eugene V. Downing S2c Donald L. Drum F2c George S. Dunn, Jr. S2c Edward N. Durkee CMM(AA) Clement E. Durr S1c Tommy Dye F1c Roland W. Edwards F2c Ronald B. Endicott F3c Richard B. England MM2c Woodrow W. Evans GM3c Jose S.N. Flores MATT2c Jack Foth EM1c Gilbert R. Fox F1c Neil D. Frye MATT3c Angelo M. Gabriele F1c Claude R. Garcia SF2c Bibian B. Gonzales S1c Myron E. Goodwin S2c Arthur Gould RM3c Harry J. Halvorsen F1c Hugh B. Harris HA1c Hadley I. Heavin F1c Fred A. Hilt MM1c Howard D. Hodges F1c Joseph E. Hood F1c William D. Horton S1c Ira D. Hudson F3c William C. Jackson EM3c Carl S. Johnson S1c Sanford V. Kelley, Jr. GM3c Chester F. Kleist Cox Milton J. Knight, Jr. F1c William P. Kubinec F2c Henry E. LaCrosse, Jr. SK3c Thomas F. Leary F1c Joseph S. L. Lemire S1c Eugene V. Lish MUS1c Royle B. Luker F3c Donald W. Lynch F1c Arnold E. Lyon GM3c Charles W. Mann S1c Jesus M. Mata MATT1c Donald J. Mathison FC3c Luther K. McBee S1c Thomas A.McClelland Ens Lawrence J. McCollom MM2c Clarence W. McComas S1c Quentin G. McKee S2c John A. Meglis F1c John R. Melton S1c Enrique C. Mendiola MATT1c Joe E. Mister MATT1c Wallace A. Montgomery MM2c William F. Morris F1c Albin J. Mrace WT2c Clair C. Myers S1c Earl T. Nermoe S1c Paul E. Neuman S1c Emile S. Noce EM2c Maurice M O'Connor MM1c Clifford N. Olds F1c Arnold J. Owsley S1c Walter J. Paciga S2c James A. Paolucci S2c Andrew A. Pinko EM3c Jack A. Pitcher S1c Roy W. Powers SF2c George B. Reid SF1c Albert Renner F2c Leonard C. Richter MM1c Ernest C. Rose SC1c Glenn D. Sahl F3c Theodore H. Saulsbury OC2c Richard M. Schuon, Jr. S1c George W. Scott SK2c Gordon E. Smith Sk2c Ernest E. Speicher EM2c Otis D. Sterling MATT1c George E. Tabor MM2c Ernie E. Tibbs CMM(PA) Keith W. Tipsword MM1c Albert P. VanderGoore F1c Joseph Vogelgesang, Jr. F2c Thomas G. Wagner S1c Bethel E. Walters F1c Harold Wilbur CM3c Clyde R. Wilson S1c Lester F. Zobeck S1c ++++++++++++++ Ford Island Patrol Squadron 21 Thomas W. Croft AOM1c +++++++++++++++ Kane'ohe Navel Air Station Headquarters, Naval Air Station Stanley D. Dosick S1c ++++++++++++++++ Patrol Squadron 11 John D. Buckley AOM3c Clarence M. Formoe AMM1c Rodney S. Foss Ens Milburn A. Manning Amm3c James H. Robinson S2c Joseph G. Smartt Ens Luther D. Weaver S1c +++++++++++++++++ Patrol Squadron 12 Walter S. Brown AMM2c Lee Fox, Jr. Ens Daniel T. Griffin AMM1c George W. Ingram S2c Charles Lawrence AMM2c Carl W. Otterstetter S2c Robert K. Porterfield AMM3c Robert W. Uhlmann Ens Raphael A. Watson AMM1c ++++++++++++++++ Patrol Squadron 14 Laxton G. Neuman AMM3c +++++++++++++++++ Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital Arthur W. Russett PhM1c +++++++++++++++++ Naval Mobile Hospital John H. Thurman PhM3c ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Con't in Part 8 - United States Army and United States Army Air Force.