[bd476]

It's one thing to read about this in a History book, but quite another to read the actual individual stories of bravery, some of which are beyond comprehension.

Imagine seeing a huge wall of fire yet you have to get by it, while your ship has taken on water. Yet you must stay on board, in one case orders came from yet another ship across the way.

The USS Tennessee's Captain or surviving most Senior Officer ordered all personnel to remain on the USS West Virginia until they received further orders.

Meanwhile you're firing a machine gun for which you received no training and more fire is heading towards your ship on oil trails spreading across the water from a sinking ship. Bombs continue dropping all around you from the overhead enemy planes.

But you were in the Army and it's not hard to imagine that you have your own harrowing memories gathered while serving our country.

Thank you for your service to our country.

[RetiredArmy]

While I served in a combat division in Vietnam, was shot at, experienced combat, was wounded, I still don't think I went through anything like those men on those ships, standing there on those decks as sitting ducks on a pond, trying their best to defend their ships at anchor, while hundreds of airplanes came down on them, dropping bombs and torpedoes at them. To stand there in the open decks, firing away, man THAT IS HEROISM AT ITS BEST. I honor each and everyone one of them.

Here in WA state, there is a tag that the Pearl Harbor folks can have on their autos. It says: Pearl Harbor Survivor. That is exactly what they did, somehow, they managed under that hail of fire, to survive. There are a few of those tags around. But, you rarely see one now days, as most of those brave souls have left us.