End of a Tradition

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://communities.usaa.com/t5/USAA-News/Final-Reunion-Planned-for-USS-Arizona/ba-p/51148

 

Final Reunion Planned for USS Arizona

‎11-18-2014 02:00 PM

 

 

A unique tradition ends this Dec. 7, when the last official reunion will be held for survivors of the 1941 attack on the USS Arizona battleship in Pearl Harbor.

 

Seven of the nine remaining survivors are expected to return to Hawaii for the last reunion ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial, says Amanda Carona, regional coordinator for Military Engagement for the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in Honolulu.

 

This year marks the final reunion because traveling to Hawaii and participating in the ceremony has become too difficult for the remaining survivors, who are all in their mid-90s, Carona says.

 

The ceremony at the memorial, built over the submerged wreckage of the USS Arizona, will include a “final pour” of champagne for the survivors in glasses recovered from the ship, Carona says. The survivors will also pour champagne into the ocean in tribute to their shipmates who perished in the attack 73 years ago.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Though of course it's not, it seems sudden that now all living WWII vets are very old. My senior law partner, a submariner, was 24 when the war ended, he's now 93. So even a very young vet at war's end is going to be 90.

 

I started to notice not long ago in reading obituaries that men in the their late 80s were too young to have served in the war.

 

Sobering, like a lot of other things. My granddad was an RAF pilot in the First World War, I was a full-fledged adult in my late 20s when he died at 82. Then, the day came a few years back when there wasn't one single WWI veteran alive in the whole world....

[Subdeacon Joe]

Though of course it's not, it seems sudden that now all living WWII vets are very old. My senior law partner, a submariner, was 24 when the war ended, he's now 93. So even a very young vet at war's end is going to be 90.

 

I started to notice not long ago in reading obituaries that men in the their late 80s were too young to have served in the war.

 

Sobering, like a lot of other things. My granddad was an RAF pilot in the First World War, I was a full-fledged adult in my late 20s when he died at 82. Then, the day came a few years back when there wasn't one single WWI veteran alive in the whole world....

 

I think that there are a couple of reasons for that. The first is that we went through a period, post-Watergate and Viet Nam to about 10 years ago when history, especially our military history, was downplayed and ignored. The second is that more people are now realizing the stories and history that has been, or will be, lost with the passing of those men and women.

 

My dad, born in 1921, enlisted in the Marines in 1940, was out in 1947. Never said much about his service. Most of the guys his age and older at the American Legion and VFW never said much about theirs. I wish I had had the foresight to ask them. One, a very old gentleman whom I met when I was quite young, was a Spanish American War vet. Several at the VFW were WWI vets. Most, naturally, were WWII vets - and, since we were in Vista, CA right next to Camp Pendleton, most were Marines. Put out flags along the streets on Armistice Day (as most of them still called it in the '60s and early '70s), Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving. Just ordinary guys, doing ordinary things, in the ordinary way. After surviving a most horrific war.

[Blackwater 53393]

My dad would have been 86 years old on Nov. 19th of this year. He enlisted at age 16 with my grandfather's approval. He served in the Army Air Corps in WWII and in the Air Force during Korea. He was a decorated airman and reached the rank of Warrant Officer JG in the APs.

 

Never talked about conflict, except to mention that he suffered severe frostbite in Korea. Talked a lot about his buddies and furloughs.

 

He went straight into law enforcement upon mustering out. He passed in 2005 while still holding an active police commission.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

One of the most moving experiences I've ever had was visiting the Arizona Memorial several years ago. Luckily the Memorial will go on forever as a tribute to those brave men.

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

My Dad would've been 97 this January, He was enlisted at the time of Pearl.Served in the 19th Army Engineers in the N.Africa,Sicily,Italy campaigns. He was present at Kasserine Pass. He never talked about his time around me, although he did around my cousin Gordon out in California right after he was mustered out.Wish I could've gotten him to talk about it. His records were destroyed during the '74 fire at St. Louis. Mom did say that he did suffer from nightmares about his experience for years afterwards

[Trailrider #896]

My Dad was technically too old for WWII. He was 37 in early 1941. He held a reserve commission as an Artillery Captain, but, with war on the horizon (in spite of the general feeling of isolationists in this country), he felt it his duty to apply for active duty. He was always very nearsighted, wearing glasses. He went to take his pre-activation physical, and they switched eye charts on him (he usually memorized the standard chart). It took him quite awhile to get permission to take another (which he memorized before they could switch charts on him.) By the time of Pearl Harbor happened, and Dad was activated, he missed a shipment to the Phillipines! At the same time, I was on the way. Dad was assigned to Puerto Rico, commanding a service battery (housekeepers) for a unit on the island, then as commander of a communitcations company. I was ten days old before he was able to get a compasionate leave, as my Mom was still in the hospital. He was next sent to Ft. Sill, OK, for artillery school to bring him up to date on the latest tubes. After that, he was assigned to the 42nd Infantry ("Rainbow") Division, at Camp Gruber, OK, initially to the 222nd Inf. Regmt, as an artillery observer. But the commanding general found out Dad was a lawyer and was familiar with military law, so he moved him to division headquarters as assistant JAG. The infantry regiments, 222, 232 and 242 were sent over to the ETO and attached to the 79th Div.and caught he77 during the Bulge. The infantry went over sans div arty or engineers, etc. The rest of the division went over in February 1945. Dad did his duty, but although he should have been promoted to major, at least, the division commander wouldn't do it because if he promoted Dad, he would have been transferred to another outfit, and the general didn't want that! Dad was drawing the same pay as a major due to longevity from the reserves, but no gold leaf. When the war ended and the division went into occupation duty in Austria, Dad applied for a transfer to the Judge Advocate General's Corps. No, said the general, I want you here! By this time Dad had enough points to go home, so he told the general goodbye, and came back to the States. He went to JAG school, stayed in the reserves and retired as a Lt. Col. in 1959. Dad passed away 11-1/2 years ago, at age 98. I am commander of a veterans' post, and most of the members are in their late 80's or 90's. We've lost four this year. I'm a "youngster" at 72+! Most of the Viet Nam vets are in their 60's or older. Most youngsters nowadays don't really understand what Pearl Harbor meant. In fact, many weren't even born when 9/11 occurred. We have to teach them... Lest we forget...lest we forget!

[Subdeacon Joe]

My Dad was technically too old for WWII. He was 37 in early 1941. He held a reserve commission as an Artillery Captain, but, with war on the horizon (in spite of the general feeling of isolationists in this country), he felt it his duty to apply for active duty. He was always very nearsighted, wearing glasses. He went to take his pre-activation physical, and they switched eye charts on him (he usually memorized the standard chart). It took him quite awhile to get permission to take another (which he memorized before they could switch charts on him.) By the time of Pearl Harbor happened, and Dad was activated, he missed a shipment to the Phillipines! At the same time, I was on the way. Dad was assigned to Puerto Rico, commanding a service battery (housekeepers) for a unit on the island, then as commander of a communitcations company. I was ten days old before he was able to get a compasionate leave, as my Mom was still in the hospital. He was next sent to Ft. Sill, OK, for artillery school to bring him up to date on the latest tubes. After that, he was assigned to the 42nd Infantry ("Rainbow") Division, at Camp Gruber, OK, initially to the 222nd Inf. Regmt, as an artillery observer. But the commanding general found out Dad was a lawyer and was familiar with military law, so he moved him to division headquarters as assistant JAG. The infantry regiments, 222, 232 and 242 were sent over to the ETO and attached to the 79th Div.and caught he77 during the Bulge. The infantry went over sans div arty or engineers, etc. The rest of the division went over in February 1945. Dad did his duty, but although he should have been promoted to major, at least, the division commander wouldn't do it because if he promoted Dad, he would have been transferred to another outfit, and the general didn't want that! Dad was drawing the same pay as a major due to longevity from the reserves, but no gold leaf. When the war ended and the division went into occupation duty in Austria, Dad applied for a transfer to the Judge Advocate General's Corps. No, said the general, I want you here! By this time Dad had enough points to go home, so he told the general goodbye, and came back to the States. He went to JAG school, stayed in the reserves and retired as a Lt. Col. in 1959. Dad passed away 11-1/2 years ago, at age 98. I am commander of a veterans' post, and most of the members are in their late 80's or 90's. We've lost four this year. I'm a "youngster" at 72+! Most of the Viet Nam vets are in their 60's or older. Most youngsters nowadays don't really understand what Pearl Harbor meant. In fact, many weren't even born when 9/11 occurred. We have to teach them... Lest we forget...lest we forget!

 

 

Very well said, Sir.

[Utah Bob #35998]

Doolittle Raiders have also had their last reunion.

[twelve mile REB]

Unfortunately time marches on with us or without us.

Semper Fi

[Tom Bullweed]

Go to google maps and look up Pearl Harbor. You should be able to change the map to satellite view. The zoom in on the Arizona memorial. You will be able to see the outline of the Arizona lying underwater and just to the southwest is the Missouri. These two ships are where WWII started and ended officially for the USA.

 

(I know that our Flying Tigers were already active in China and many Americans were active in the Canadian military, but that view may mean something to you).

[Lost Trail]

About 12 years ago, we took our twin daughters to Oahu for a vacation. Of course a requirement was that we visit the USS Arizona. Since Dad served in WWII as a B-24 Liberator crewman, several uncles served in the Army Air Corp in WWII, I served in the Army, oldest brother, Bluewater Ringer served 24 years in the Navy, I have a strong sense of history, pride in our military and appreciation for what the "Greatest Generation" sacrificed and provided for us.

 

While visiting the Arizona Memorial, I was standing next to a gentleman as we were reading the wall. A park ranger walked up and asked the gentleman next to me if he would like to help fold the flag that would be lowered in a few minutes. His response was, "No anglais".

 

Well, guess who was next.

 

I proudly helped to fold the flag, with tears streaming down my face, while my wife snapped pictures and our daughters watched. One of the greatest honors of my life.

 

My last few months in the Army, I had the honor of heading a funeral detail while stationed at Ft. Hood, TX. We traveled to veterans funerals around Ft. Hood and provided a military sendoff for numerous WWII vets and even a couple of WWI vets. Even a WWII Medal of honor recipient.

 

To hear retold the accounts of what some of these men went through, sacrificed and gave during their sevice, is truely humbling.

 

I am saddened that we will soon have no more of those heros walking among us.

 

Thank you to all of them and those of you who served and those who appreciate the service of our veterans.

[DocWard]

Doolittle Raiders have also had their last reunion.

 

My wife, daughters and I made the trip over to Wright-Patterson for the final reunion, then later watched the opening of the bottle of cognac and toast via live streaming feed. Yes, I had tears running down my cheeks during the day and later that evening. I wish I had better pictures to post of the event.

 

 

Over the years, a trip to the Air Force Museum has been an annual event for us, and we've always stood a moment silently as we counted the goblets remaining turned upright and thought of how many had passed away.

 

There are few of these men left, also: