Remember December 6th
I know the date of the attack was December 7th, but I want to take a different view. Because on December 6th 1941, the 7th was going to be a ordinary non-eventful day.
Jack Miller and his shipmate, Clifford Olds(right) joined fellow sailor Frank Kosa (Center) for a night at the “Monkey Bar”. It was December 6, 1941 in Pearl City, Oahu, and Miller and Olds were on liberty from the USS West Virginia. A barmaid snapped their picture and offered it for sale. “What a scam” they thought-keep it.
The next day Clifford Olds along fellow shipmates Ronald Endicott, and Louis “Buddy” Costin were trapped in the USS West Virginia after the order for Set Zed was given.
Every sailor knew fate could place them in a doomed area to be drowned like rats. Old Timers would tell 17 and 18 year old “boots” that if that time came “just inhale water quickly and get it over”. This, the “grizzled Ones” claimed, was preferable to a slow death in a pitch-black void.
Except that Clifford Olds, Ronald Endicott, and Louis “Buddy” Costin survived the attack and the compartment that they were in was intact. They lived off of C-rations near by, water from a operational water pump that was in the vicinity and any available batteries for a light source. The had a calendar that they used to keep themselves orientated to how many days had passed. They were recovered on Spring of 1942.
Late spring 1942 found Navy salvage teams finally getting to work on the WV. An Inventive series of tremic cement patches were fitted to her port side, and enough water pumped out to partially float the once grand ship. BB48 was nudged across the Harbor into drydock and the grim task of finding bodies began. For Commander Paul Dice, compartment A-111 was expected to be like the rest: Put on gas masks, place some goo into a bodybag and let the Medical boys worry about identification. They had seen it all, but this compartment was different. Dice first noticed the interior was dry and flashlight batteries and empty ration cans littered the floor. A manhole cover to a fresh water supply was opened. Then he saw the calendar. It was 12″x14″ and marked with big red Xs that ended December 23. Hardened salvage workers wept uncontrollably as they realized the fate of these men. Word quickly spread among salvage crews: Three men had lived for 16 days to suffer the most agonizing deaths among the 2800 victims at Pearl Harbor.
They oldest one was twenty one at the time of the attack. Perhaps I should have given advance warning that this story did not have a happy ending, but I think that it helps drive the point I am trying to make. Now lets go back to December 6th 1941 when the sailors were at the bar.
We remember Veterans of the older generation in the contributions and deeds that they performed that allow us to enjoy the life that we live today. But I think that we often forget that they were young too at one point. That they would sometimes do the same crazy things that teens and twenty year olds are know to do. For example Frank Kosa, the Sailor in the middle seems to be enjoying his booze very much. How many times have we been offered a overpriced service by a attractive waitress. Go to a place like Hooters if you want to experience this first hand. I think Clifford Olds is giving a nice irritated look of why someone is interrupting a toast among friends. That they acted like “Boots”.
But I wonder what were the biggest worries about December 7th 1941 were going to be on December 6th 1941? The dreading having to do PMCS. Wondering why I have CQ on the weekend again. Making sure the family gets to Church on time. The second question is does anyone remember these things after December 7th 1941? How much do these things amount to a hill of beans afterwards?
To put this into perspective, does anyone remember what they were doing on 10th 2001 or what their biggest concern or worry was on that day?
Which comes to my point of take advantage of today, do not let worries and concerns about tomorrow distract from taking for granted what each of us has today. Because we cannot know what tomorrow will bring.
That is why I say to remember December 6th along with December 7th. It should not only be remembered for those who died, be remembered that they lived.
Category: Historical, Navy, We Remember
Thank God for these men and their whole generation. I thank my father and uncles and all those who stood and fought the greatest enemies America and world freedom had ever seen. Bless those selfless men who are still alive today, not many left though. Our nation certainly has changed in 72 years. Thank you for this remembrance Sporkmaster.
Thank you for your service, gentlemen. The families were never officially told this story. Their headstones all have Dec 7 as the as their date of death.
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19951207&slug=2156455
My parents told both stories – what they were doing on 6 Dec AND how things changed on 7 Dec. They were never shy about using those dates to explain more than one life lesson.
I was lucky to have them around in 2001. We most definitely compared the events some 60 years separated. There were a lot of similarities between the two.
After Sept 11, I asked my mom which she thought was worse- that or Pearl Harbor. She said the latter. Her cousin was at hickam, in the army, and locked up (he was kind of a conman) but they let him out to carry stretchers, etc.
Well said, thanks
Great post.
Thanks for this post. As all of us understand, there is a common thread of experience that runs through veterans from every era. Band of Brothers indeed.
I can’t remember the title of it, but there’s an excellent book out there written by a fellow who was a Navy diver at pearl harbor then, and who was assigned to the salvage of many of these vessels. He talks graphically about entering portions of USS Arizona to both recover remains as well as assess damage to aid in the decision as to whether to try and raise her, scrap her, or leave her in place.
He also talks openly about liberty in Hawaii and how he and his fellow sailors partied in town, and where the hookers were (it was a well-run industry there, and an open secret amongst the locals. The police & Shore Patrol turned a blind eye to the stuff as long as no one was causing any trouble.
God Bless them all.
A litle known cutom among natives of Ha.,it is shoot a Jap Day among the older ones. They use a finger gun rather than a real one. This was told to me by real full brood native. He is well known on all the islands. So, I do not doubt him. Joe
IMO the RM needs a mental eval. several times I have wanted to do the same thing after seeing what. they did to our Marines . I am talking about VC and NVA. Terrorist never chage. They only respect/ fear equal or worse treatment. Joe
This is one of the saddest stories to come out of Pearl Harbor. First time I’ve heard it, in fact. RIP, men.
SPORKMASTER:
Thank you for posting this.
I’ve now posted this on my own personal web site, “OUR ETERNAL STRUGGLE”, attributing due credit to you and the “THIS AIN’T HELL, BUT YOU CAN SE IT FROM HERE” web site.
John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
My ex has a long-distant relative still on the Arizona. I’ve seen pictures of him visiting his home in Nebraska just a few months before December 7th.
How young he looked. How young they all were. And yet we still keep forgetting the lessons history has taught us.
September 10th 2001. I had just finished putting the down deposit on a brand new apartment complex just outside gate 7 at Fort Campbell. I was looking forward to my wife flying with my son from Colorado to there so I could show them the new place I had just spent the last week getting. I had also just finished putting in a brand new transmission in my Taurus, (which I would like to report I FREAKING HATE). I was more worried about being able to pick the car up the next morning to make sure I could catch their late evening flight at the airport.
Yeah. I’m weird like that. I do remember the small stuff as more important than the big stuff.
Amazing story and advice- thanks for sharing.
Grew up with a neighbor who survived the Oklahoma and became a student of history largely because of it.
He’s long gone, but thanks to him, I took an active interest in Peal Harbor and the events leading up to and after December 7. I fear that for the vast majority of Americans, fewer and fewer understand or care what that attack meant to our country and those honored dead, the survivors, their families, and the millions who answered the clarion call to action.
*Survived the U.S.S. Oklahoma* I meant to say…
Amazing story, the first I’ve ever heard of it….damn…
I have never heard that story before and wow, now I’m feeling so depressed about the horrible death these men faced. May they rest in peace.