Death of USS Arizona Survivor Donald Stratton, 97-- Part 1: Now Only Two Survivors Remain

From the February 17, 2020, Navy Times "USS Arizona survivor Donald Stratton dies at 97" by Carl Prine.

A photo of Mr. Stratton, along with USS Arizona survivors Louis Conter, John Anderson and Lauren Bruner (4 of the 9 remaining survivors at the time) taken Dec. 7, 2014 at Pearl Harbor.

Donald Stratton survived the attack on Dec. 7, 1941, with serious burns but returned to the war and later devoted his years to the terrible sacrifices of his shipmates, died peacefully in his sleep Saturday, February 15.

A seaman, 1st class at the time of the attack, Stratton had to scale three ladders to reach his battle station  on the Arizona's sky control platform before General Quarters was sounded  amid the bedlam of the Japanese attack.  His duty was to direct four of the 5-inch guns  in his portside section.

"We were firing.  There were only 50 rounds of ammunition in the ready box behind each gun, and I could see that some of the crews had to break the locks off the boxes to load their guns."   

Most of the crew, -- 1,177 officers and men -- died on that terrible day.

Now Another Joins His Comrades.  --GreGen