From December 2-5, the 65th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Symposium united scholars, survivors and historians of the attack on Pearl Harbor at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki. The conference offered a rare opportunity to hear from international scholars and Pearl Harbor survivors.
Members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Project team had the opportunity to listen to a variety of these sessions. A session of particular interest focused on the women of Pearl Harbor and their contributions on December 7th, 1941. A summary of the session follows:
Tuesday, Dec 5, 7:40 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. HT
Women of Pearl Harbor
Most historical accounts focus on the role of the man during Pearl Harbor but during this session, the women of the Pearl had their say. The session was kicked off by a poignant testimony from 94-year Ann Busby. Busby, a nurse by profession, was being treated for a cheek infection when the attacks occurred. When the bombing started, Busby switched from her role of patient to caregiver as she worked tirelessly to assist the wounded, man the hospital and, in the interim, deliver two baby boys.
Dorinda Nicholson, another featured panelist, was nine years old on the day of the attack. Her family lived on Pearl City peninsula. When the attacks started, her mom was cooking breakfast and Dorinda and her father were getting ready for church. When the bombing started, Dorinda and her mom didn’t panic. Like most residents of Pearl Harbor, they were used to the practice operations of the Army and Navy so they thought the activity was nothing unusual. However, her father was concerned as the military never practiced on Sunday. He went to the lawn and the torpedo planes were flying so low they almost touched the roof of their house. Fearing for the safety of his family, Dorinda’s father gathered his family, drove to hills and escaped to the sugar cane fields. Dorinda is the author of Pearl Harbor Child which recounts her experiences not only on the day of attacks but the days following.
The panel was rounded out by Joan Rodby and Pat Thomas. Joan was a young girl living in the shadow of Diamond Crater. She witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor from her home and wondered why her parents were so concerned. She spent the war years growing up quickly and learning to use a gas mask and respond to air raid drills. Pat was ten-years-old on the day of the attack. A dancing enthusiast, Pat could always be found at the many jitterbug contests the military sponsored. The night before the attacks, Pat attended a military-sponsored jitterbug contest and the emcee made an announcement for a soldier to come dance with the ten-year-old. That night, Pat danced with 17-year-old Jack Evans (although she never his name) and took home the jitterbug trophy. The next day the attacks took place and Pat found herself immersed in a world of gas masks, blackouts and curfews. Years later, Pat found herself wondering about her dance partner and began sharing her stories with local newspapers in an effort to find him. In 1999, her efforts paid off as she and Jack Evans were reunited and danced again at the 60th reunion of Pearl Harbor Survivors.
For a full schedule of sessions from the 65th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Symposium, visit http://www.nps.gov
