3 Survivors Recall Pearl Harbor Attack

"Once again we are gathered together in remembrance of that day 68 years ago that the then President Roosevelt called a date that will live in infamy, said Donald Tabbut, 86, the former commander of the Freedom Trail Chapter of Pearl Harbor Survivors & Friends, which disbanded in April when the number of local survivors dropped to 12. The ceremony at the Boston National Historical Park once drew dozens of veterans who lived through the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. But most have died and only three survivors attended the rite today, walking onto the decommissioned naval destroyer with the aid of a cane or the steady arm of a younger relative. All three men showed the symptoms of age, with hunched backs and slight trembles in their hands. But memories of that day remain fresh. Bernard J. Murphy, 87, leaned on his cane, let out an exasperated sigh, and recounted an image that has stayed with him for the last 68 years. Murphy was a second-class gunner's mate aboard the USS Maryland, and he can still recall reaching out an arm to light a cigarette for an officer when there was an explosion. "He got killed. I was that close to him. And he died right on the spot," said Murphy of Worcester. "It was a traumatic morning, I'll tell you that much. They took us by surprise." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pearl Harbor On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii By planning this attack on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the Aircraft Carriers and one of the Battleships were not in port. (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake Island , where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS Colorado were undergoing repairs in the United States .) In spite of the latest intelligence reports about the missing aircraft carriers (his most important targets), Admiral Nagumo decided to continue the attack with his force of six carriers and 423 aircraft. At a range of 230 miles north of Oahu , he launched the first wave of a two-wave attack. Beginning at 0600 hours his first wave consisted of 183 fighters and torpedo bombers which struck at the fleet in Pearl Harbor and the airfields in Hickam, Kaneohe and Ewa. The second strike, launched at 0715 hours, consisted of 167 aircraft, which again struck at the same targets. At 0753 hours the first wave consisting of 40 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers, 51 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers, 50 high altitude bombers and 43 Zeros struck airfields and Pearl Harbor Within the next hour, the second wave arrived and continued the attack. When it was over, the U.S. Losses were: Casualties US Army: 218 KIA, 364 WIA. US Navy: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA. US MarineCorp: 109 KIA, 69 WIA. Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA. TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA. ------------------------------------------------- Battleships USS Arizona (BB-39) - total loss when a bomb hit her magazine. USS Oklahoma (BB-37) - Total loss when she capsized and sunk in the harbor. USS California (BB-4 4) - Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired. USS West Virginia (BB-48) - Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired. USS Nevada - (BB-36) Beached to prevent sinking. Later repaired. USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Light damage. USS Maryland (BB-46) - Light damage. USS Tennessee (BB-43) Light damage. USS Utah (AG-16) - (former battleship used as a target) - Sunk. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cruisers USS New Orleans (CA-32) - Light Damage.. USS San Francisco (CA-38) - Light Damage. USS Detroit (CL-8) - Light Damage. USS Raleigh (CL-7) - Heavily damaged but repaired. USS Helena (CL-50) - Light Damage. USS Honolulu (CL-48) - Light Damage.. -------------------------- -- ---------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Destroyers USS Downes (DD-375) - Destroyed. Parts salvaged. USS Cassin - (DD -3 7 2) Destroyed. Parts salvaged. USS Shaw (DD-373) - Very heavy damage. USS Helm (DD-388) - Light Damage. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minelayer USS Ogala (CM-4) - Sunk but later raised and repaired. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seaplane Tender USS Curtiss (AV-4) - Severely damaged but later repaired. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Repair Ship USS Vestal (AR-4) - Severely damaged but later repaired. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Harbor Tug USS Sotoyomo (YT-9) - Sunk but later raised and repaired. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aircraft 188 Aircraft destroyed (92 USN and 92 U.S. Army Air Corps.)