One of South Florida's Last Pearl Harbor Survivors Dies in 2019, Edward Hammond: "I Think That Will Remain In My Blood Forever"

From the November 19,2019, Valliant News

Edward Hammond fired his first rifle at age 17 on December 7, 1941, as a Navy machinist.  He died September 15 at age 93.  His friends called him "Pearl Harbor Eddie."  There are thought to be around only 2000 Pearl Harbor survivors still alive.

He was always reluctant to talk about the war.  Hammond grew up in Cleveland and returned there after the war and moved to Florida about 35 years ago, living mostly in Deerfield Beach.  A member of American Legion posts in Deerfield and Pompano Beach, he had a close circle of friends.

As for his experience at Pearl Harbor that day, he said he had no idea what was happening and that he had never fired a rifle before, but he had that rifle and intended to defend a ball field from Japanese parachuting in.

Even to his last days, he said, "To this day, if I hear a prop (propeller) plane, I'm waiting for a bomb to go off.  I think that will remain in my blood forever."

After Pearl Harbor, he spent much of his time on an attack transport shuttling troops to places in the Pacific Theater.

Another One of the Greatest Generation.  --GreGen