Several bombs hit the USS Arizona. The largest hit the starboard side and caused an explosion in the munitions cache. "It blew 110 foot of the bow of that ship clear back to the base of number two turret," said Don Stratton.
Badly burned, he and a group of men ran toward the rail on the port side where the USS Vestal was moored and "attracted the attention of a seaman on board (that ship) named Joe George, we found out later, he threw us a heaving line and tied the heavy end line on it and we pulled it across, tied it off on the Arizona and we preceded to go hand over hand across the line."
It was decades before he learned George's name. Ever since then, Don Stratton has tried to get George recognition for his heroism..
Joe George died in 1996. Mr. Stratton related, "The Captain and the Admiral received the Medal of Honor and the Captain of the Vestal received a Medal of Honor posthumously, so I don't understand the deal."
The Navy declined requests for recognition because of lack of documentation.
Mr. Stratton is currently involved with raising money to send the few remaining USS Arizona survivors to Pearl Harbor for the 75th anniversary later this year.
--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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