I always seem to remember this date (better than my wedding anniversary for sure). I think it’s because of the story my great uncle used to tell me about that fateful day where he was manning one of the anti-air machine guns when the kamikazes swarmed in. RIP Uncle Ramesy and I’ll lift a toast in honor of those who didn’t live to tell the tale.
Pearl Harbor anniversary today
- Thread starter Andy J.
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2005
- Location
- Raleigh
We were just at the Battleship North Carolina about a month ago, so have talked a lot about today with the kids. Enough that they remembered the date themselves.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Location
- Stanley, NC
My dad and I talked about in this morning. I also remember the date very well for some reason. For the US, it was the start of something that pretty much defined the next 60 years.
Tim C
Wizard
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Location
- Fayetteville
We had a customer who was there, he died a few years back. He lived in the house one block behind my grandma, too. The back yards touched. I knew he was in the Navy but not about pearl until I started working where I do now.
He said when it all went down he was off his ship, I can't remember which one, and was walking along on shore when they started bombing and strafing. He said he was trying to run for cover when another sailor pulled up along side him on a motorcycle with a side car. Said the other guy yelled I'll drive you shoot. He told us he was bouncing around in a side car shooting at jap planes with a single shot Korean made rifle. He would always finish the story by saying "fat lot of damn good that was"
We once had a girl in the shop waiting on service when he came in for an oil change. She had a laptop and books scattered all around her chair and the boss asked what she was working on. She said a report on Pearl Harbor for history class at Methodist University. Boss told Mr Paige to tell her his story. He talked to her for over an hour. When he left she said he told her stuff the books never went into.
There's not too many left.
We got another guy who's 95. He volunteers at the Airborne and Special Operations museum 3 or 4 days a week. He went across Europe from Utah beach to not far from where Patton died. He had Christmas Mass in a cave in the Netherlands 75 years ago and is going back in two weeks. They've been holding it there ever since. He told us Thursday he was at the 1st and will be at the 75th. He wrote his name in the cave (salt mine I think) with a piece of coal. It's still there. There's a pic if you go to: WWII The Schark Cave in Maastricht, The Netherlands
His name is centered on the second pic Don W Bertino. He's from Pennsylvania. He had been sent up there after fighting at or near the battle of the bulge. A few years back they picked him and 4 others who had fought there to go to Washington DC and meet the king and queen of the Netherlands on an official state visit. He went and wore his old uniform.
He said when it all went down he was off his ship, I can't remember which one, and was walking along on shore when they started bombing and strafing. He said he was trying to run for cover when another sailor pulled up along side him on a motorcycle with a side car. Said the other guy yelled I'll drive you shoot. He told us he was bouncing around in a side car shooting at jap planes with a single shot Korean made rifle. He would always finish the story by saying "fat lot of damn good that was"
We once had a girl in the shop waiting on service when he came in for an oil change. She had a laptop and books scattered all around her chair and the boss asked what she was working on. She said a report on Pearl Harbor for history class at Methodist University. Boss told Mr Paige to tell her his story. He talked to her for over an hour. When he left she said he told her stuff the books never went into.
There's not too many left.
We got another guy who's 95. He volunteers at the Airborne and Special Operations museum 3 or 4 days a week. He went across Europe from Utah beach to not far from where Patton died. He had Christmas Mass in a cave in the Netherlands 75 years ago and is going back in two weeks. They've been holding it there ever since. He told us Thursday he was at the 1st and will be at the 75th. He wrote his name in the cave (salt mine I think) with a piece of coal. It's still there. There's a pic if you go to: WWII The Schark Cave in Maastricht, The Netherlands
His name is centered on the second pic Don W Bertino. He's from Pennsylvania. He had been sent up there after fighting at or near the battle of the bulge. A few years back they picked him and 4 others who had fought there to go to Washington DC and meet the king and queen of the Netherlands on an official state visit. He went and wore his old uniform.
obullfish
Carolina Trail Blazers
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2011
- Location
- Candler N.C.
The memorial at Pearl Harbor is the most humbling place I’ve ever been! Can’t imagine the hell they went through on that horrible day and throughout the battles that followed.
Tim C
Wizard
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Location
- Fayetteville
That's on my bucket list. I've always been facinated by ww2. My grandpa was in the Navy in 45 on the USS Pittsburgh. They lost 100 foot off the bow in a typhoon. I've had several great uncle's who fought in Europe too.
buellconvert
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2009
- Location
- Goldsboro, NC
I've been there myself and had the honor to pay my respects to those brave souls, it's a place that will truly touch you to the core...during my military career I was privileged to be part of several honor guards and served at funerals for veterans of several conflicts and it was the highlight of my time to provide their final military honors...nothing is more chilling than a 21 gun salute followed by a bugler playing taps
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