Two More Pearl Harbor Survivors Die: George Larson and Walter Borchert

December 23, 2019

**  Pearl Harbor survivor George Larson dies at age 101.  He was a radio operator in the U.S. Coast Guard stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack. 

The first thing he knew about the attack was seeing three planes flying about 500 feet above him.    He held his post as bombs fell.  Messages rolled in and it was his job to sift through them.

After the attack there was fear that the Japanese would land troops on the island.  He said:  "I was put on patrol around the lighthouse.  I walked around the water's edge with my .45 revolver cocked and loaded."

**  Walter Borchert, Pearl Harbor survivor died.  U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class was aboard the destroyer USS Worden which was anchored near Battleship Row and saw the USS Arizona blow up.

After the attack, his ship went out to look for the Japanese fleet.  When his ship returned to Pearl Harbor he helped pull dead bodies out of the water and said, "It wasn't a pretty sight."

His ship later fought at Midway, Coral Sea, Mindanao and Tulagi Island.

He was the last Pearl Harbor survivor of the Lakes Region area.

--GreGen