Pearl Harbor Survivor Harold Bruschwein Turns 100-- Part 1: No More Morning Inspection That Day

From the May 4, 2016, Wahpeton (ND) Daily News "Pearl Harbor Survivor" by Kathleen Leinen.

Harold Brushwein recently celebrated his 100th birthday and was presented with a certificate of recognition by the Wahpeton VFW.

He wrote about the attack:  "On the morning of Dec. 7, the 1st Sgt. and I were doing morning inspection as usual and heard these loud explosions in the area of Pearl Harbor and thought they were doing practice firing.  Then, we saw this low-flying plane come right over the bay.

"He went off to one side and when we saw the anti-aircraft guns going off we commented that was very realistic.  The plane then made a right-hand turn and we saw the wings and knew the insignia wasn't our plane.

"That was the end of our inspection that morning.

"Later we found a mini-sub had washed up on the north shore of Oahu and a Japanese soldier was in the brig.  That was the closest I came to a Japanese soldier until later in the war."

--GreGen