From the August 18, 2015, Rockdale (Ga.?) News "Veteran's Story: A Pearl Harbor Story: Centenarian recalls day of infamy" by Peter Mecca
Wayne Shelnutt, 100, had a special ceremony for himself in Rockdale County.
He was on the USS California that fateful day and nursing a hot cup of coffee after breakfast when he heard someone yell, "What is that airplane doing up there?" He walked a few steps to the door and looked up and saw a plane with big red balls on its wings pass over the California and drop a bomb on Ford Island.
General Quarters sounded and everyone ran to their battle stations. One hundred of the crew died and sixty-two were wounded..
Mr. Shelnutt was born in 1915 and joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 and served for a year before joining the Navy in 1934.
The California had been at sea for exercises and was just returning to Pearl Harbor on December 5 when someone had said they'd seen a submarine. They stayed up all night searching for it but didn't find anything.. They entered Pearl Harbor and tied up at Fox Birth One.
The ship opened all hatches and the double bottom of the hull for an inspection by the admiral on Monday so the ship's water tight integrity had been compromised. he was the only one from his gun crew to survive.
It is so good to write about Pearl harbor survivors and have them still be alive these days.
--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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