I was a 20-year old Signalman 3rd Class, who belonged to the CINCPAC Flag Allowance. My duty station was on the Navy Yard Signal Tower, an open platform 60 feet above the yard. On December 7th, 1941, I relieved the watch at 0730, a quiet, warm Sunday morning. Looking out over the Navy Yard, all was quiet. We were preparing to make Sunday Colors with Prep Four on our flag hoist, to be executed at 0800. But at 5 minutes before 8, dive bombers hit the runways at Ford Island -- one, two, three -- then all Hell broke loose. Japanese torpedo planes flying below the tower made runs on the ships tied up along Ford Island. Horizontal bombers dropped bombs on the many ships tied up alongside the piers -- it seemed to go on for hours.
My assignment was ships' movements, tracking ships in and out of the harbor. From my vantage point on top of the tower, I watched all the devastation wreaked on our ships at Pearl Harbor and the airplanes at Hickam Field, just across the way.
When the NEVADA got underway and started for the channel, she came abreast of the 1010 dock, and Japanese dive bombers hit her on the fo'c'sle near the anchors. You could see bodies blown up as high as the tower. I was directed by Pappy Seifert, the senior Signalman, to tell the NEVADA "Do not block the channel," which I did by flashing light. She was run aground at Hospital Point.
The attack came in three waves. Dive bombers came in first, second were torpedo planes and more dive bombers, and third were high altitude bombers, then called horizontal bombers. The horizontal bombers were probably only at 8000-9000 feet but were much higher than the other aircraft. Each time the torpedo planes passed by the signal tower, the rear gunner would spray us with bullets. Fortunately, none of us was hit.
After the attack, which lasted two hours, my fellow signalmen and I stayed on duty atop the signal tower until the next morning, watching for another attack. It took us many hours to understand -- no more bombing -- no more enemy aircraft. The next morning, I was assigned to assist in body recovery on 1010 dock. We placed bodies and body parts in mattress covers and poured formaldehyde over them.
What used to be nightmares are now memories, and looking back, I can truthfully say that December 7, 1941, is the day that I,and many other young men, grew up.
