Lost one more

Been an ugly fortnight for Pearl Harbor survivors.

Harry Chandler, 103,  died December 30 at the Florida nursing home where he lived.

The third Pearl Harbor survivor to die in the past few weeks, Chandler was a hospital corpsman 3rd class on Dec. 7, 1941, when waves of Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs and fired machine guns on battleships in the harbor and plunged the U.S. into World War II.

He told The Associated Press in 2023 that he saw the planes approach as he was raising the flag that morning at a mobile hospital in Aiea Heights, which is in the hills overlooking the base.

“I thought they were planes coming in from the states until I saw the bombs dropping,” Chandler said. His first instinct was to take cover and “get the hell out of here.”

“I was afraid that they’d start strafing,” he said.

One of the thousands stationed on Oahu, he and others from his unit rode down to the harbor in trucks and set to work pulling sailors from the water.

The harbor was covered in oil from exploding ships, so Chandler washed the sailors off after lifting them out. He said he was too focused on his work to be afraid.

“It got so busy you weren’t scared. Weren’t scared at all. We were busy. It was after you got scared,” Chandler said.

Asked what he wanted Americans to know about Pearl Harbor, he said: “Be prepared.”

“We should have known that was going to happen. The intelligence has to be better,” he said.

Amen to that!

After the war Chandler worked as a painter and wallpaper hanger and bought an upholstery business with his brother. He also joined the Navy reserves, retiring as a senior chief in 1981.

An avid golfer, he shot five hole-in-ones during his lifetime, his grandson-in-law added.

I’d say he got one December 7, 1941, too.

Counts vary, but I believe we have 13 survivors left?

Category: We Remember, WWII