Centrisity

December 7, 1941

PiPress:

Paul Goodyear was standing on a signal bridge on the starboard side of the USS Oklahoma in 1941 when bombs started falling from the sky and torpedoes zeroed in.

Explosions, screams, chaos and gunfire shattered the calm morning of that Dec. 7, and within 12 minutes, the massive battleship rolled over and capsized, trapping hundreds of men belowdecks.

Sixty-three years later, Goodyear can still hear their cries and tapping for help.

--

Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and other military bases on Oahu lasted two hours. Twenty-one ships were heavily damaged, and 320 aircraft were damaged or destroyed. In all, about 2,390 people were killed and about 1,178 were wounded, according to the National Park Service, which maintains the Arizona site.

Thank you, to the brave men and women in all our armed forces throughout history. It is your commitment, dedication, and sacrifice, that allow people like me to flourish in this great country!

USS Arizona Memorial

Pearl Harbor Survivors Association

Flash