December 7, 1941

[D Coots]

Never Forget Pearl Harbor.

Here's a pic of a 409 Racing friend's Dad when Japan surrendered. He's the tall Texan....

 

[bpd459]

Greetings,
My grandfather, Lt Julian Lindstrom USN, was the Officer of the deck on the USS St Louis, Dec 7,1941, during the attack. The USS St Louis was one of the three ships that made it out of Pearl Harbor that fateful morning. He retired as a Captain O-6. He passed away when I was 9. I so wish I could have spoke with him as an adult.

 

[357Mag]

Greetings,
My grandfather, Lt Julian Lindstrom USN, was the Officer of the deck on the USS St Louis, Dec 7,1941, during the attack. The USS St Louis was one of the three ships that made it out of Pearl Harbor that fateful morning. He retired as a Captain O-6. He passed away when I was 9. I so wish I could have spoke with him as an adult.

BPD -

My Dad volunteered before Pearl Harbor.

He was in basic training in California when the Pearl Harbor attack occured. All of the West Coast MIL bases were pretty jumpy afterward, and no one knew fer sher... whether the Japs were sailing all the way over.

At Pop's base, to give the trainees something to do; men were posted atop each barracks w/ a bucket of water and a bucket of sand. The supposed idea was that they would provide an immediate response, should their building catch fire during a Jap attack. I imagine no one got to argue about the basic sensibility of that particular attack response plan. If nothing else, the trainees learned a lesson following orders, and discipline.

They had also posted extra guards for the base' perimeter fencing, armed w/ spot lights, machine guns; and plenty of ammo.

Once the imagined cruise time the Japs would have needed
had run its course, many expected an armed naval landing under the cover of darkness at any minute; and the sentries were wound up like a Swiss watch.

The base erupted in machine gun fire along one length of the fence. Lots of rounds were sent down range, directed at a movement seen on to the wire. As it turned out, the disturbance was finally attributed to some newspaper hung-up in the fencing; randomly being moved by the breeze.

My Dad went on to receive additional training, ultimately becoming a B-25 Command Pilot. He completed 70 combat missions flying out of Corsica, then rotated home to serve as a B-25 Instructor Pilot; and was discharged Aug 1945.

A whole bunch of American men & women... both civilian and Military... put tremendous effort into their " righteous might "; to ensure that America remain the land of the free...and the home of the brave !

God bless them all ! And, God bless the USA !!!


With regards,
357Mag

 

[JFrank]

My mother used to talk about the black outs in south Seattle, white center and Renton areas and how they would have to cover the windows at night time and the street lights were aways out as well. Boeings air fields had camouflage nets over planes etc.

 

[6.5 forever]

While we remember, hopefully we will never be caught surprised again.

 

[PerryR]

My dad quit school as soon as he was old enough 1943, Navy Seabees.

 

[PaulyD]

A Date that will live in infamy.

 

[M-61]

A day that will live in infamy

Not that it matters but correctly;
“ A DATE that will live…..”

 

[PaulyD]

Not that it matters but correctly;
“ A DATE that will live…..”

Duly noted and edited. Thanks

 

[hogpatrol]

My dad quit school as soon as he was old enough 1943, Navy Seabees.

My uncle did something similar. He quit in his senior year, and joined the Navy. He went back to high school afterwards and IIRC, graduated at age 21 or 22.

 

[PerryR]

My uncle did something similar. He quit in his senior year, and joined the Navy. He went back to high school afterwards and IIRC, graduated at age 21 or 22.

My dad never did finish high school. Went into the building trades instead and started his own business in the late 60s.

 

[durand mortenson]

My dad was in a National Guard unit in Minnesota when the war started and served in France and Belgium.
My mother and I moved to California where she found a job at Douglas Aircraft.
Had several uncles that served and one was seriously wounded at Anzio.

 

[Damfino]

 

[Cecil S.]

As a child at family gatherings I would sit with my Uncles and listen to them talk about their experiences in WWII. Never forget! God Bless America!

 

[nbkky71]

I grew up in Hawaii as a kid from 1970-1980 while my dad was stationed in Pearl Harbor. I can still recall seeing old machine gun bullet damage on some of the buildings and patched bomb hits in the concrete.

One of our family friends, Doug May, was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He survived the war and lived in Hawaii until his death in 1998.