From the Sept. 28, 2011, Contra Costa (Ca) Times.
Seven Pearl Harbor survivors lunched together for the last time as an organization at a Cupertina restaurant. "They had outlived almost everyone and everything--their shipmates and ships--and felt no need for drawnout goodbyes or speeches."
"It's already been said!" Ken Butts, 90, declared. He was on the USS West Virginia, "I'm not supposed to be here." His station was at the ship's boilers, deep down. The boiler crew said they didn't need him and he went to a higher deck. Minutes later, the "Wee Vee" took seven direct torpedo hits.
He managed to scamper up to the deck and swim to shore. Weeks after the attack, the bodies of 66, many from the boiler, were recovered. By notes left, three had lived until December 23rd.
Sad to Be Losing These Men and PHSA (Pearl Harbor Survivors Association) Chapters. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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