His Pearl Harbor Death Was Highly Exaggerated-- Part 5: A Real Fast "Star-Spangled Banner"

When Hamlin reached the main deck he caught sight of what he thought "was the biggest submarine I'd ever seen."  It was the overturned USS Oklahoma.

Before jumping into the water, he saw musical instruments scattered all over the California's teak wood deck.  A musician later told him "they had just started to play the National Anthem when the Japanese planes started coming in.  he said they never played faster in their lives and finished."

He swam to a life boat, arriving just as a plane strafed it and immediately decided to swim the rest of the way to Ford Island.

--GreGen