Pearl Harbor Remembrance

Pearl Harbor Remembrance

Dec 08

That surprise attack by Japanese planes on the complex of U.S. military installations in Hawaii was not just one of the most significant moments in American history, it was also one of the biggest news days. Today, the 70th anniversary of the attack, survivors talk about what they remember.

Around 8 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, Army Private Francis Stueve sat down to breakfast with the rest of the 89th Field Artillery battalion, stationed at Pearl Harbor.

“As quiet a day as you’ve ever seen,” Stueve remembers now. “Beautiful sunshine, nothing going on.”

Suddenly, not far from his seat in the dining hall: bang, bang, bang.

“Somebody says, ‘It’s the Chinese New Year,’ ” he said.

But then, a bullet broke through the glass window of the dining hall. Another flew just past Stueve and knocked the butter dish off the table.

Japan’s official declaration of war would come a day later, after the loss of 160 aircraft, 12 ships and 2,300 Americans, according to the Library of Congress — 70 years ago on Wednesday. Stueve, now 94, can describe his experience as if it were happening now:

Bewildered by the bullet, Stueve, then 24, and a few other men ran outside.

“We’re looking at the clouds, and watched a Japanese plane that had its signals on,” he said.

It was common for American planes to practice maneuvers, Stueve said, but he soon realized the Japanese plane was bent on attacking his base and his fellow soldiers.

What would it have been like to experience the chaos and confusion on Pearl Harbor that day? The attack that launched us into WWII. We should all be grateful for the veterans who fought and died in that war.