My Grandpa Rogers was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. He wrote this article in 1964 for this very day. It was published in the Herald Journal in Logan.
Monday, December 7, is the 23rd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Howard L. Rogers of Logan, was one of the men stationed at the Harbor Defenses. Here are his thoughts on this disastrous event:
Just passed is the anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. Many things have been named in his honor, many words have been spoken and written, praising him. He justly deserves much of this. There have been many men die for this country, in just as shocking a manner, without any praise, or recognition. They are dying now, in the name of this country, as they have done in the past.
I remember 23 years ago... 1941. I was with the Army in Hawaii, stationed at Fort Kamahamaha in the Harbor Defenses of Pearl Harbor. A month or six weeks before December 7th we were put on a 'red' alert. At least 60 percent of the personnel were to be on the base at all times. Trouble with Japan was expected at anytime. We heard that contact with the Japanese Fleet had been lost. We were told that an attack on any of the U. S. possessions...Midway, Hawaii... was very possible.
To show our preparedness at this time, I was in an 8" Railway Battery (Mobile Guns). Our assignment was the defense of the Harbor Entrance. Our guns were not deployed, just sitting where we used them in practice. A small amount of practice ammunition was about two miles away. We had machine gun emplacements, where we stood guard duty at night... without machine guns; and no ammunition for the rifles we carried. There was some barbed wire in the surf. Our unit had little training in repulsing an enemy attack in event of a beach landing. Such were the conditions under the 'red' alert.
On Saturday, December 6th, this alert was relaxed to such a point that over sixty percent of the men could go on pass. I had gone on guard duty at midnight and was on duty until 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning, December 7th. I went to the barracks, ate breakfast, and went to bed. Shortly afterwords someone came running in, shouting that the Japs were bombing Pearl Harbor. I thought he was joking. I had heard the bombs, but as there had been blasting in the channel, I had paid no attention to the sound.
Getting up, I looked out of the window, just in time to see a Jap plane come over so low I could see the pilot's face! Another plane, following immediately, bombed the kitchen and dining area. By this time, I was completely convinced there was a war going on. I grabbed my rifle and ran to find some ammunition. There was only half a case to be divided among 280 men... I got my share, five rounds.
I went to the Motor Pool, where I had been assigned. The ordinance building was right next to it. A Japanese plane, shot down, crashed into it, killing four men. These were the first casualties that I saw. Coming over a radio were these words. "This is an Air Raid. This is an Air Raid. Take cover!" I was doing my best to comply. I was so scared that I wouldn't even swallow. I went to a fountain for a drink of water. The fountain was dry. This only made me dryer. When I finally realized that water could be obtained from seepage, and I would have all I needed, I no longer wanted any. I can remember as if it were today, the chaos, the fear, that I and others felt, having no adequate means of protection. The main ammunition supplies were at Salt Lake Crater, 15 to 20 miles away. Hickam Field and Pearl Harbor were now ablaze. (These two blazes were situated side by side with only a chain link fence separating them.) On Hickam Field, all the planes, lined up for an earlier inspection, were destroyed, without exception, as were the hangars, barracks and many men.
My reasons for bringing this up is that I feel very keenly the indifference that people feel towards unpreparedness. The same situations exist today as did in 1941. I'd hate to see the U.S hit again.... and be as unprepared as they were at Pearl Harbor.
This is only a small part of the things I saw, experienced, felt and remember. So many cannot adequately be related. Had the thousands that died at Pearl Harbor --- and in other wars --- been remembered as has our late president, we would not be found unprepared.
These are pictures of the plane that was shot down. We didn't know these pictures or article even existed until a few weeks ago when we started going through some of my grandpa's things. He died in 1969, and I've always wanted to hear his stories of being at Pearl Harbor. I only wish I could have heard more.
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