Posted on 12/07/2018 10:36:43 AM PST by j.havenfarm
Mr Lou Conter was on duty on the deck of the USS Arizona when the Japanese attacked on December 7. He took part in the fruitless search and rescue efforts. Later he flew PBY “Black Cat” bombers in the Pacific theater.
Two years ago my son made a documentary of Mr Conters experiences for his Eagle Scout project. Mr Conter has become a dear friend and we try to get out to see him every 6 or 8 weeks, though he lives some distance away. To meet him you’d think he’s the nicest guy on the planet, not knowing that the heart of a fierce warrior beats within.
Unfortunately, none of the five Arizona survivors are able to make the observances this year, though the memorial remains closed for critical repairs in any event. Mr Conter vows to return next year, and we plan to join the family and friends who always accompany him.
In honor of Mr Conter, all those who fell, and all those who survived and went on to fight for freedom, I offer the film, Witness to Infamy, and hope you enjoy it. If I screw up the link, I hope someone more adept will give me a hand. There’s also a link to the project website above < a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_L0kWTqPiA” >USS Arizona Survivor Documentary< /a >
Sadly,this is the first year veterans of that attack were not present.
Yup. It will not be long and we will see all of those men and women gone from this earth that fought in that war.
The greatest generation is almost the gone generation. Heroes!
I remember reading awhile back that they were dying off at the rate of a thousand a week.
That’s what happens when you get into your 80s and 90s.
.
Well dying is nature’s way of telling you to slow down.
Great video. Thanks for posting.
Bttt.
5.56mm
I just lost my Dad, 94, a highly-decorated WWII Combat Engineer Platoon SGT Vet, w/ Patton’s 3rd Army Corps, who fought all thru Europe, France, Northern Rhineland, Ardennes and The Battle of The Bulge.
In the Battle of Bastogne, he rescued numerous men from his platoon squads, caught in a cross-machine gun ambush, in a bloodied snow-covered field, was shot thru the arms/chest by a nazi sniper, and got his “ticket punched” for a hospital ship back to VA to recuperate. His RN Nurse was his high school sweetheart from York (PA), they married, and I and my sister were born 1 & 2 yrs later.
He got a Bronze Star w/ 4 clusters, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, 4 campaign medals, all of which I had framed for him a couple of years ago. He is also inscribed on the granite columns of The Court of Honor and Prospect Hill Cemetery, honoring Bronze Star, Silver Star & Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in the PA area.
Even at 94, days before his fall and fatal stroke, he was driving his MB-300c to food shop, buy a new suit, visit me to get help w/ his HP Laptop, and do his daily errands. A kinder, gentler man never walked the earth.
He was my hero, and I miss him terribly.
Nice story. Thanks and thanks for his service.
Very sad to hear that. VERY sad.
They all were REAL men and women. ALL of them. Even those who stayed back home, like my dad who was deffered because he owned and ran a sawmill. They needed that lumber for shipping and they came and deffered every one of his workers.
Great generation.
From my 4pg Eulogy about Dad:
“Perhaps once or twice a century, ordinary men and women come together to do extraordinary things to preserve our Freedoms, our Way of Life and our great Nation. They are our Military Heroes.”
Greatest generation we’ve ever had.
Had two uncles who fought in that war. And a few distant relations.
Both fought in the Pacific theater, one in the navy who was aboard the USS Missouri during the surrender and the other in various islands fighting.
The one in the navy would talk about it, the one in the Marines wouldnt.
Dad talked to me in great depth and detail - once and only once - about the terrible things he and the 33 men in his platoon squads had to do to, and went thru in those 3yrs he was in the War in Europe. “War is necessarily that way”, he said.
If you’ve ever seen “Band of Brothers”, you know what I mean.
Sorry for your loss. God bless him and thank him for his service.
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