I have been aquainted with two men who were survivors of Pearl Harbor. One, Ken Kriesse was on a destroyer that was not hit, but to this day he says he is haunted by the japs strafing the burned sailors in the water. The other Lee embry was on one of the B-17s flying unarmed into Hickam Field as the attack was going on. He leaned out a waist gunners position with his "brownie" box camera to take a picture of the jap zero on their tail as it was about to shoot them down.. Apparently the jap pilot thought he was manning a waist gun (left in San Franciso to save weight), and instead of shooting the B-17 down veered off, allowing them to land.
I'll be seeing Ken at the special dinner at our V.F.W. Post tonight to honor the Pearl Harbor and W.W. II Vets.. Semper Fi.
What your friend stated concerning the Jap planes strafing our burned sailor's while attempting to save themselves in the water, is something which shall never pass. While your other friend in the B-17 was very fortunate they were able to land.
Some Americans today do not realize how much our servicemen sacrificed to keep them free.
Semper Fi.