From the November 12, 2016, Oklahoman by Tim Willert.
Art Gruber, 93, was on the USS Tennessee that day and leaning against a wall far below deck when he was blown about four feet into the air. He was waiting for the Tennessee's boilers to heat up when the USS Arizona exploded.
"I thought, 'Oh my gosh, we've run aground.'" More than four hours later he learned that the Japanese had attacked. The Tennessee was the only battleship in the harbor not sunk.
He later found out that the ship's commander had ordered the boilers turned on to get the propellers moving to move the oil floating in the water away from the ship.
Mr. Gruber gave his talk at the Cleveland Elementary School along with 40 other veterans.
It Is Always Great When School Kids Get to Hear a Veteran Speak, Especially a Pearl Harbor Survivor. --GreGen
My Cooter's History Blog has become about 80% World War II anyway, so I figured to start a blog specific to it, especially since we're commemorating its 70th anniversary and we are quickly losing this "Greatest Generation." The quote is taken from Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Curre, who was on the USS Tennessee that day. He died Dec. 7, 2011, seventy years to the day. His photo is below at right.
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