Pearl Harbor

[1Cane]

My father celebrated his 18th birthday December 3rd   1941 aboard the battleship Tennessee. The only thing he ever said to me about Pearl Harbor was he went above deck to fight fires. While driving by and open oil storage pit in Roseville CA he said that it smelled like Pearl Harbor. The second thing he said of his experience was the first time they used fused 5.'38 guns they were blowing the planes out like a Turkey shoot. They were all laughing and watching the planes on the starboard side when the a plane came in from the port and put a torpedo in them leaving the Denver to just drive in circles. Finally the one happy story he told was when they came into port espirito santo's they could see horses on the hill. They decided to ride them unfortunately Mr. farmer who owned the horses came charging after them on a horse with a machete. His two friends bailed off their horses and ran away. My dad rode the horse to the dock and let it loose.

Yesterday a player wanted to do a memorial  flight in honor the Pearl Harbor survivors. I kept my mouth shut but I felt that a poorly organized flight would certainly be no great honor.

[1Cane]

A fall day 1964 football must have been over because I was home on a Saturday. I remember it was a bright clear fall day in the foothills east of Sacramento. I was watching a movie called the Enemy Below. My father was upstairs sleeping when general quarters was called, and he hit the deck I will never forget this. Almost 20 years after the war and general quarters would wake him up from a sound sleep.

[decoy]

A fall day 1964 football must have been over because I was home on a Saturday. I remember it was a bright clear fall day in the foothills east of Sacramento. I was watching a movie called the Enemy Below. My father was upstairs sleeping when general quarters was called, and he hit the deck I will never forget this. Almost 20 years after the war and general quarters would wake him up from a sound sleep.

A friend of mine, who served, said that when the movie "Patton," starring George C. Scott, played in the post theatre, that, at the beginning of the movie, when Scott goes up to give his oration and 'Attention' is called, everyone in the audience came to attention before realizing it was part of the movie. 

So thankful of the stories of your dad.  Cherish them.