Day of Infamy - December 7th Anniversary

Discussion in 'War Against Japan' started by John Ulferts, Dec 4, 2020.

  1. John Ulferts

    John Ulferts Member

    This Monday marks the 79th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The following survivor's account is from my book, Always Remember - World War II Through Veterans' Eyes. I've also included a link to the YouTube film of survivor accounts from the book. If you watch the video, they tell me you should like it, share it, and comment on it.

    William J. Agen of Wrightstown, Wisconsin, an enlisted 3rd class petty officer, had just completed 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. signal watch on the bridge of the USS Honolulu, when "the boatswain’s mate of the watch came on the intercom. He said, “General quarters, general quarters, general quarters! Men this is no shit, general quarters!” At the same time, we heard gunfire, and I mean gunfire; it sounded like our main 6-inch battery going off. This was unheard of in Pearl Harbor!"
    one of the Pacific Fleet’s eight light cruisers. On board was Agen was one of seven signalmen attached to Leary’s staff, but had to pull watch with Honolulu’s signalmen. He hated the 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift most of all because there was no chance of going back to sleep after being relieved - just time to catch a quick breakfast then fall into the daily work routine. But his watch was the only thing routine Agen could recall about that Sunday, December 7th.

    The watch went by uneventfully. I drank a couple of cups of coffee and smoked four or five cigarettes. I don’t remember receiving one signal or message from any ship or the signal tower on the watch.

    His relief, a sailor from Iowa (Agen considered it odd that Iowa seemed to have more men in the Navy than any other state in the Union except for California), arrived a little early at 7:30 a.m.

    Agen greeted him on the bridge saying, “...another beautiful, warm, sun-shiny, Hawaiian day, sure gets monotonous. I could go for a good old-fashioned Wisconsin blizzard today.”

    A far fiercer storm was brewing though. But Agen couldn’t have known that as he bounded down the ladder heading for chow. He had to eat, shower, shave, and dress quickly if he was going to make the 8:30 liberty party and catch Father McGuire’s sermon.

    I was in the washroom. I had taken my shower and was standing in front of a mirror with my face all lathered up, shaving. I had about half of my face shaved when the bugler started playing colors over the ship’s intercom.

    The four USS Honolulu sailors stood silent in the washroom as they listened to the bugler and wondered why their officers would call a drill on Sunday morning. Agen could hardly believe the announcement that followed:

    As soon as the bugler finished his general quarters on the bugle, the boatswain’s mate of the watch came on the intercom. He said, “General quarters, general quarters, general quarters! Men this is no shit, general quarters!” At the same time, we heard gunfire, and I mean gunfire; it sounded like our main 6-inch battery going off. This was unheard of in Pearl Harbor!

    All four of us tried to get through the washroom door at once. I was up on main deck in about two seconds. The first thing I saw was an airplane in flames, going right over our ship headed for the water. This was shocking enough for a peace time sailor, but what really stands out in my memory is the big red ball on the wing of the plane.

    As Agen raced down the main deck towards his general quarters station at the after-signal bridge, Lieutenant Taylor, the flag lieutenant of Rear Admiral Harold Leary, Commander of the Cruisers of the Battle Force, passed him and told Agen to get the admiral’s personal flag down.

    The blue square flag, with its two white stars in the center, signified that the USS Honolulu was carrying a rear admiral. If the flag wasn’t taken down immediately from the mainmast yardarm, the cruiser would become an even bigger target for the attacking Japanese. Contemplating climbing the steel deck 50 feet above him, Agen wondered to himself, “Why me?” Still, being a good sailor, Agen did as he was commanded:

    Changing my direction, I headed for the mainmast on the ship. I could see, as I was running towards the stern of the ship, two Japanese torpedo planes passing the stern...One of them had just released its torpedo which was dropping down in the water.

    I finally reached the mainmast and the ladder going up to this small steel platform around the mast. This is where the halyard which was attached to the admiral’s flag flying on the yardarm of the mainmast was tied. I looked up the ladder and up at the small platform about 20 feet above, with no protection around it and then glanced in back of me.

    More torpedo planes were coming in. By now I could see the machine gun tracer fire. It looked like it was headed right in my direction. The rest of the men around were diving under or getting behind some kind of obstruction. I looked up at the two-star blue flag again and said, “God! Damn!” This could be considered praying and cursing at the same time.

    I closed my eyes and climbed up the ladder like a shot, and was standing on the little steel deck, and groping for the halyard to the flag before I realized my eyes were still closed. I opened them, and the first thing I saw or thought I saw, was bullets ricocheting off the deck below. Again, I glanced over my shoulder and saw more Jap planes passing astern with their machine guns blazing. I quickly unraveled the halyard and hauled down the flag.

    The sensation I had in the next few moments I have never forgotten. I think I actually experienced standing before a firing squad and being shot. I thought I actually felt bullets going through my body. I kept looking around for the blood and waiting for the pain.

    Although it felt like an eternity, Agen got the flag down in a matter of minutes, and hurried off to the signal bridge.
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Welcome to the party
     
    John Ulferts likes this.

Share This Page