Pearl Harbor survivor Paul Goodyear talks about his escape from the USS Oklahoma before it capsized during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Goodyear, an Arizona resident, is 94.
My grandfather Herbert Samuel Kennedy was one of the lucky few to survive and be cut out of the USS Oklahoma. He was in the bathroom shaving when the ship was hit and turned over. He served an extended career in the Navy and was the father to 8 children including my dad. God bless these men and this generation... Lord knows we need more like them in this day and age.
How did he deal with the fact that he was one of the few? Did he talk about it? Indeed, this was a great generation put through the test of depression and world war. That's why they were so tough.
My step father, Elmer Edward Carl Kirves,, now deceased, was a Chief Gunner's Mate serving on the Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941. He was in the shower when the first bombs hit and made it over the side, stark naked, and swam ashore amid heavy strafing--suffering only a strafing wound in his right hand. He completed his time in the Pacific aboard the USS Massachusetts. After 16 years of service, he was denied final extension to complete 20 years of service due to physical ailments. Josh Hartford
There is a new memorial to the Oklahoma in Pearl Harbor near the USS Missouri's birth. You should see if if you get the chance to go there. The man I interviewed for this video passed away last year. His memory of the even was still so vivid after so many years like 911 is for us.
My grandma's first cousin, my 3rd, was among the 400 killed in the attack and was an unknown until this year when his remains were identified and returned home in June.
Today Billy Turner was returned to Ardmore, Oklahoma today and finally laid to rest, he died on the Oklahoma! His remains were given a police escort all the way from Dallas to the graveyard in Ardmore. Rest in peace..
Pearl Harbor was the reason why my grandpa joined the Navy a week after the bombing happened. Obviously, it pissed off pretty much every American and couldn't have been a better motivator to join the military, but my god was he angry with the Japanese. Luckily he said he wasn't shot at once since he was in charge of filling the planes statoined at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands. One of his Marine Corps. friends grabbed an Arisaka 38 rifle where he fought on Okinawa and was nice enough to give it to him. It's a little unnerving to own a rifle that very well was responsible for killing many Americans but nevertheless it has stayed in the family ever since.
The Red Viper If the Imperial seal is still visible on the Rifle ( as in not been tampered with i.e scratched off) you could make a nice earner. due to the rarity when the Japanese surrendered they removed the imperial seal from every weapon due to the fact they remained loyal to the emperor and would not had his mark to the enemy.
Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu The chrysanthemum seal was not scratched off which is why we wanted to keep it in the family given it's historical significance to still have that intact. I remember going to a gun show in Tulsa a few years back and saw a couple Arisaka 38s all with the seals scratched off selling for around $250 and beat to hell. From what I understand, the ones with the seals still intact and good condition overall go for about twice as much if not a little more. And as much as I would love to fire ours (which I'm sure would probably fire just fine), I'd be devastated if something happened to it to ruin it's value.
The Red Viper No don't use the weapon it's not worth the risk of harming the value if you want to fire the Rifle I would recommend buying a cheap replica
Well, it wasn't the gun that did the killing. My father repaired ships after Pearl Harbor and till the day he died had a distaste for Japanese. I couldn't blame him.
America must never forget Pearl Harbor particularly in 2020 as even today CHINA HAS THE SAME AMBITIONS as Japan had 75 years ago Be Vigilant AMERICA and watch China carefully
