On the 70th anniversary of the attack in 2011.
LESTER SILVA, 88 of Virginia Beach, Va..
He was on the quarterdeck of the USS Detroit, chatting with the ship's bugler and saw enemy planes. Seconds later they were under attack. Unable to get to his battle station at the forward machine guns, he donned a pair of headphones to help gunners fire at their targets. Ships all around the Detroit were sinking.
"Sailors were flying through the air. People are jumping into the water. It was complete helter-skelter.
One plane came so close, if I'd had a monkey wrench I could have thrown it and hit it. The pilot was wearing a red scarf. I'll never forget it. he waved at us! So I waved back."
he was hit by pieces of shrapnel in his leg and carried to the sick bay. By the time he got back, the attack was over and the Detroit underway. It nearly collided with another ship getting out of the harbor.
Getting These Stories While I Can. --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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