'You didn't have to look far to find a hero'

Sixty-one years later, to a man, the survivors of Pearl Harbor still feel helpless.

During a ceremony Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Naval Undersea Museum at Keyport to honor the “Day of Infamy,” most of the Pearl Harbor survivors remembered clearly that fateful Sunday morning in Hawaii.

They knew instantly they were under attack by Japan by the red rising sun insignia on Japanese aircraft.

But frustrated, they had no access to the guns or ammunition to defend themselves.

One sailor, Don Green, was aboard the ammunition ship USS Pyro.

He remembers many closes calls from Japanese aircraft, but the ship survived. Still most crewmembers were not given ammunition.

Another sailor was aboard a battleship — trigger happy — but with no trigger to pull.

“I never felt so helpless sitting behind 14-inch guns and not being able to do a damn thing,” the sailor said.

The event at Keyport, has been organized every year for nearly a decade, by retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Wes Carey.

The multi-media presentation included slides and recordings from the fateful day that Japan attacked the United States, thrusting the until-then reluctant nation into World War II.

Carey referred again and again to the 2,395 personnel killed during the attack.

“They were so much more than just statistics,” Carey said. “In the stillness of memory, they are so much more than just heroes.”

Carey mentioned one young man who was killed aboard the battleship USS Arizona, one day after his 17th birthday. Until his death, he had been an illegal enlistee at age 16.

Carey said only 289 members survived the sinking of the USS Arizona which came so quickly her below decks crew had no chance to escape. Notes found later deep inside the salvaged ship, indicated several sailors survived for 17 days.

“At that day at Pearl Harbor, you didn’t have to look far to find a hero,” Carey said.

That kind of courage, the Navy honors to this day, Carey said.

Whenever an active-duty Navy ship passes the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, they still renders honors as if the ship were “sentimentally still in commission,” Carey said.

Carey’s repeated theme matched the name of the event “Lest we forget.”

“The lessons of that day are essential to the survival of America. We must teach them to our children and grandchildren. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance,” Carey said.

The Jack Murdock Auditorium at the museum was packed with about 500 people. They saw and heard Carey’s presentation, a keynote speech by NUWC Keyport commanding officer Capt. Mary Townsend-Manning, the five armed service songs sung by Enatai Elementary School students of Bellevue, Wash. Additional music was provided by the Kitsap Chordsmen and the Navy Region Northwest Band.

Each Pearl Harbor veteran attending was given the chance to say a few words.

One veteran broke down in tears just seconds into his speech, unable to continue. Carey, touched him on the shoulder and said, “It’s OK, sailor, we’re just glad you’re here.”

“So am I,” the aging Navy man said.

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