Happy Pearl Harbor Day

[Isgrimnur]

The USS Arizona Twitter feed "Live" tweeted the attack on the day.

[em2nought]

Here's a cool link to a current satellite photo of Pearl Harbor.
... e=h&lvl=15

It's centered over the hull of the Utah. Zoom in far enough and you can see it. Zoom out a ways, and you can see the Arizona memorial. Keep zooming out and you can see what an incredible natural harbor Pearl is, and also just how helpless our fleet was sitting there. That is one HELL of a bottleneck to get out to open sea.

That was interesting, thanks! Still hard to believe that after Taranto they were still just sitting there waiting

[Max Peck]

[Holman]

WTF?

Is he making up for missing September 1?

[Isgrimnur]

WaPo

There are now only five USS Arizona survivors alive: Lauren Bruner, 98; Lou Conter, 97; Lonnie Cook, 98; Ken Potts, 97; and Don Stratton, 96.

None was able to travel to Oahu this year, the Associated Press reported.

The Arizona Republic in 2014 visited all remaining USS Arizona survivors — there were nine still alive at the time — and published extensive interviews with the aging veterans. What emerged were moving stories and remembrances of an attack that had altered their lives.

Most could still recall vivid details about that Sunday morning, though a few, even decades later, could not bring themselves to talk about their fellow shipmates who hadn’t escaped.
...
Ray Chavez, previously the oldest known survivor, died less than three weeks ago in his sleep, at age 106. In May, Chavez had visited President Trump in the White House, which tweeted a remembrance of the veteran after his passing.
...
There are fewer than 500,000 veterans of World War II still living, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — with about 348 World War II veterans dying each day.

[Daehawk]

Sad and crazy numbers. All Ive known are gone.

Hell it still surprises me to see a Vietnam veteran and how old they are. I was 5 when the war ended. And in the 80s as a teen it had only been 8-10 years since it ended.

[dbt1949]

I didn't realize there were any Pearl Harbor survivors. I thought the last one died earlier this year.

Still plenty of Nam vets tho.

[Daehawk]

Been 77 years. When I was a kid it was not that far back. Hell the 80s was 40 years. Vets were in their 60s. Sigh.

[Kraken]

Been 77 years. When I was a kid it was not that far back. Hell the 80s was 40 years. Vets were in their 60s. Sigh.

There are as many years between today and Pearl Harbor as there were between Pearl and the Civil War.

[Daehawk]

Thats a thought for sure.

[Unagi]

Been 77 years. When I was a kid it was not that far back. Hell the 80s was 40 years. Vets were in their 60s. Sigh.

There are as many years between today and Pearl Harbor as there were between Pearl and the Civil War.

So, we are due. Is that what you are saying?

[dbt1949]

We had it when Trump was elected.

[Unagi]

whew.

[Holman]

Been 77 years. When I was a kid it was not that far back. Hell the 80s was 40 years. Vets were in their 60s. Sigh.

There are as many years between today and Pearl Harbor as there were between Pearl and the Civil War.

There were WW2 generals whose fathers had fought in the Civil War.

[LawBeefaroni]

That time again.

[Isgrimnur]

[Daehawk]

They're baAaaack.

Its strange to see Happy next to Pearl Harbor Day. Ill say Thoughts on this Pearl Harbor Day.

[Isgrimnur]

WaPo

There are now only five USS Arizona survivors alive: Lauren Bruner, 98; Lou Conter, 97; Lonnie Cook, 98; Ken Potts, 97; and Don Stratton, 96.

NPR, 2019

Just three of the crew members of the USS Arizona who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, 78 years ago, are still alive. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Ken Potts, the oldest at age 98.

Stripes, February

Navy veteran Ken Potts long has enjoyed gathering and chatting with fellow survivors of the USS Arizona.

Sunday, he and shipmate Lou Conter somberly talked by phone about the latest Arizona crewman to pass away. Neither Potts nor Conter will ever have a phone conversation like that again.

[noxiousdog]

Are half mast flags the norm for Pearl Harbor Day?

[Isgrimnur]

Yes

[Jeff V]

Every time I see this thread, I'm reminded it's my youngest brother's birthday today. Maybe I should extend a FB greeting or something.