On December 7, 1941, I was a 22 year old Electricians Mate, 2nd class Chief Petty Officer, 2nd class on the USS Tennessee BB43, a Battleship. I was assigned to #4 turret (14"big gun) (3 big guns in 1 turret). Moored next to us was the USS West Virginia which was tied to us. It was called Batleship Row. The alarm went off "Battle stations", this is not a drill". I ran to the turret (duty station), 2 bombs hit top side, one on the #3 turret (high turret above me); this bomb did not go off. If it had I would not be here to tell the story The other bomb hit #2 turret (forward) It did go off & killed the Captain of the USS West Virginia, he was on their bridge & bomb fragments hit him. We couldn't believe it. How dare anyone attack the Greatest Navy in the world!!I was scared & didn't want to die alone I was on the Electric deck (controls) & went up to the shell deck with the other sailors. It was obviously an air war & we were hit bad. We left our stations when the battle stations were secured.

When the USS West Virginia sank, she had taken 6 air torpedoes & 2 bombs top side. As she was sinking she pushed us against the concrete key, we were tied together & we couldn't get away. We turned our propellers (screws) over to drive the fire away. Oil in the water from the USS Arizona & the USS West Virginia was burning. The Uss West Virginia had already sank. Everything was on fire; we had to blast the concrete key away. It actually took a few day before we could leave the harbor. We had to go around the USS Oklahoma which was turned over, bottoms up...they were bringing men up through the holes that they burned in through the bottom. The USS Tennessee & the USS Maryland went to the Bremerton shipyard for repairs (my home town) & the USS Pennsylvania went to Hunters point, Ca. (San Francisco area)

Anecdotes: We were laying out sunning ourselves December 6th on the deck of the USS Tennessee when the when the USS West Virginia came in. We gave them a lot of noise because they had shaded us from the sun. The next day they were gone. I think we will all live with that.

Richard Lauren Avery
Bremerton, Washington
Father to Kitty, Alice, Bob. Grandfather to Robin, Leah, Steve, Damon, Patrick, Jenny, James, Jason. Great-grandfather to Nicholas, Brandon, Derek & Cotey & Abbey,Tyler,. Married to Helen J. Avery.