Pearl Harbor Blog Page
Pearl Harbor National Memorial Blog Page
Crash landing of a U.S. Navy Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat (Number 30) of Fighting Squadron 2 (VF-2) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), into the carrier's port side 20mm gun gallery, 10 November 1943. Lieutenant Walter L. Chewning, Jr., USNR, the Catapult Officer, is seen climbing up the plane's side to assist the pilot from the burning aircraft. The pilot, Ensign Byron M. Johnson, escaped without significant injury. Enterprise was then en route to support the Gilberts Operation. Note the plane's ruptured belly fuel tank., USN, 1943, National Archives and Records Administration <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/National_Archives_and_Records_Administration>, PD-USGov-Military Navy
Learning Pearl Harbor: What Is an Aircraft Carrier?
On December 7, 1941, as Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, three notable U.S. Navy ships were absent: the USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Lexington (CV-2), and USS [...]
Wai Momi: Pearl Harbor and the Native Hawaiians
When most people hear the name Pearl Harbor, they immediately think of the infamous Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, that propelled the United States into World War II. President [...]
Alice Finn (left) admires the Medal of Honor <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor> her husband John William Finn <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Finn> (right) received for his defense of Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Kaneohe_Bay> during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/attack_on_Pearl_Harbor>. Alternate: Alice and John W. Finn after being awarded the Medal of Honor by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz on the USS Enterprise in Pearl Harbor on 15 September 1942, USN, 1942, Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052804477.html>, PD-USGov-Military Navy
Heroes of the Harbor: John Finn
The Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military distinction, is reserved for extraordinary acts of bravery and sacrifice. In 1942, John Finn, a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. [...]
Another Honor for Pearl Harbor Hero Kenneth Taylor
On October 26, 2019, Second Lieutenant Kenneth Taylor, one of the heroes of December 7, 1941, was posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame. This recognition adds another [...]
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, USN, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, pins the Navy Cross on Doris Miller, Steward's Mate 1/c, USN, at a ceremony on board a U.S. Navy warship in Pearl Harbor, T.H., May 27, 1942, Author Unknown, 1942, Library of Congress <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress>'s Prints and Photographs division <https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/>, PD-USGov-Military Navy
New Aircraft Carrier To Be Named for Doris Miller
The heroes of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor are commemorated through medals, citations, and even naval ships bearing their names. Among these iconic figures, one hero [...]
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Shaw (DD-373) burning in floating drydock YFD-2 during the Pearl Harbor attack. USS Nevada (BB-36) is on the right., USN, 1941,National Archives and Records Administration <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/National_Archives_and_Records_Administration>, PD-USGov-Military Navy
Pearl Harbor Survivor Frank Navagato: A Life of Service and Bravery
Frank Navagato, a 22-year-old corporal in the Army Air Corps, was stationed in Hawaii with the 86th Observation Squadron when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. His role [...]
Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941 Three civilians were killed in this shrapnel-riddled car by a bomb dropped from a Japanese plane eight miles from Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. The attack took place in a residential district, near no military objective. Note: The above information is entirely from the original December 1941 caption. The actual circumstances: The occupants of the automobile were members of the McCabe family. They lost their lives when a U.S. five-inch anti-aircraft shell exploded nearby while they were driving through Honolulu, en route to their workplaces at Pearl Harbor.,National Museum of the U.S. Navy, <https://www.flickr.com/people/127906254@N06> 2015, flickr <http://LC-USZ62-92121>, PD-USGov-Military Navy
Civilians Affected by the Attack: Pearl Harbor’s Collateral Damage
When discussing the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, the focus often shifts to the heroic sailors and the devastating damage to U.S. battleships. However, many forget the [...]
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USS Solace (AH-5) circa 1941 in Hawaiian waters. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 27 October 1941 and handled hundreds of casualties on 7 December 1941 during the Japanese attack there., USN, 1941, Official U.S. Navy photograph 19-N-26324 <http://www.shipscribe.com/usnaux/AH/solace2c-08.jpg>, PD-USGov-Military Navy
Seeing Inside Pearl Harbor: Navy Deck Logs from the Attack
Understanding the events that transpired at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, can be challenging. While survivors’ accounts provide invaluable insight, the chaos of war can sometimes cloud memories. However, [...]
Melvin Heckman, a Pearl Harbor survivor, speaks with Cmdr. Beth Regoli, the commanding officer of Patrol Squadron 9, about his experiences during the attack on Pearl Harbor at Hangar 104 aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, December 2, 2016. Heckman is known for rescuing sailors from the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor after the ship was attacked by Japanese Zeros. "I reached out to grab a man's hand to help him up and take him to the island," said Heckman, a Sheridan, Wyoming, native. "I got him out of the water and saw that everything below his belly button was missing; he died in my arms" Heckman was awarded a purple heart for his bravery after receiving burn wounds from an explosion by a Japanese bomber and rescuing service members., Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil, 2016, <https://www.dvidshub.net/image/3029468/pearl-harbor-survivor-shares-story-with-sailors>, PD-USGov-Military Navy
Heroes of the Harbor: Mel Heckman
On December 7, 2016, Mel Heckman, one of the few remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack, returned to the site of the infamous bombing for the first time since [...]
En route to Okinawa, PFC Joe Hosteen Kelwood of Steamboat Canyon, Ganado, Arizona; Pvt Floyd Saupitty of Lawton, Oklahoma (a Comanche); and PFC Alex Williams of Red Lake, Leupp, Arizona. From the Photograph Collection (COLL/3948) at the Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections, OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH.,USMC Archives <https://www.flickr.com/people/60868061@N04> from Quantico, USA, 1945, Code talkers en route to Okinawa, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/usmcarchives/7973457272/> CC-by-2.0
Native Americans in World War II
The history of Native Americans in the United States is complex, marked by resilience amid adversity. During World War II, Native Americans played an essential role in the nation's fight [...]
The U.S. Navy destroyer tender USS Whitney (AD-4) moored behind torpedo nets at Pearl Harbor, 17 April 1942. Four of her eight 12.7 cm/51 guns have been removed and her anti-aircraft battery had been strengthened., USN, 1942, Navsource.or http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/03/0304.htmg, PD-USGov-Military Navy
Harry Simoneaux: Pearl Harbor and the War in the Pacific
The morning of December 7, 1941, began like any other for Harry Simoneaux, a damage control officer aboard the destroyer tender USS Whitney (AD-4). Clad in his dress whites, Simoneaux [...]
Pacific Aviation Museum’s Hangar 37: A Journey Through WWII Aircraft
The Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor offered visitors a glimpse into the rich history of American aviation, showcasing aircraft that played pivotal roles in the development of military [...]
