VFW observes ‘Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day’
By ED FRANKS
On Monday, Dec. 7, the Pine island VFW Post #4353 observed “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.” The day was established by Congress in 1994 to honor those who lost their lives in the Japanese attack on American Naval forces 74 years ago.
The Japanese attack began at 7:48 Hawaiian time Dec. 7, 1941, and lasted about two hours. When the attack was over eight battleships and 300 airplanes were destroyed, and 2,403 American soldiers and sailers died (1,177 on the battleship Arizona). There were also more than 1,000 wounded.
VFW Senior Vice Commander George Bailey opened and emceed the ceremony.
“On Dec. 7, 1941, the American Army and Navy based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The attack came as a surprise to the American forces and led to great losses of life and equipment. This brought about World War II.”
The following day, President Franklin Roosevelt, called the day “a date that will live in infamy” and asked Congress for a declaration of war.
Pine Island resident and VFW member Jim Dolph was only 16 years old and too young to join the service when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. But immediately after turning 18 in 1943, he joined the Navy and served aboard the USS Lackawanna.
“I remember Pearl Harbor very well,” Dolph said. “I served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945 and served in the Asiatic Pacific. I was aboard a fleet oiler known as ‘a floating gas tank.’ We refueled aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, submarines and you name it. They would pull along side and with 6 to 8-inch hoses we’d couple them up, and we had all kinds of pumping equipment, we’d pump for hours 100 octane gasoline.
“I woke up this morning with memories of several occasions on the ship that weren’t very comforting. When they would sound general quarters, everyone went to their battle stations,” Dolph said. “The carriers would catapult planes and sometimes they wouldn’t get up enough speed and drop into the sea. Many, many men lost their lives. Whenever they sounded GQ, you knew you had a problem.”
Pine Island American Legion Post 136 Commander Larry Nixon recited the events in the hours before the attack.
“At 7:02 a.m. that Sunday morning, two radar operators spotted a large group of aircraft north of the island but mistook them for a group of B-17s that were expected. The attack came as a devastating surprise and a devastating loss. The war cost us more than 400,000 American lives.”
The United States flag was at half-staff from sunrise to sunset in remembrance of the 2,403 men who lost their lives on Dec. 7, 1941.
The event concluded with the Color Guard firing a salute and the playing of “Taps.”
Pine Island VFW Post 4353 is at 8150 Stringfellow Road, St. James City. For more information about the post, call 239-283-2277 or email post4353@flvfw.org
Meeting dates:
VFW members: 1st Monday each month at 7 p.m.
Ladies Auxiliary: 2nd Monday each month at 7 p.m
Men’s Auxiliary: 3rd Monday each month at 7 p.m