Where were you when you heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor?

[SidneyP]

In my effort to collect family stories of WWII, I could not believe I had failed to ask the question of my own Mother!

 

She had great recall of the days events -- some details and side comments perhaps only important to family -- but she talked about walking home from a neighbors house with her step mother and younger sisters. Their house was in the country and they were met on the front porch by her Dad. He had the radio on and told them about the attack. Mom had two older brothers who were already in the Navy serving in the Pacific. From that day on, the radio was only on for the news reports. The radio took a large battery which would only last about three weeks.

Her other two brothers would eventually join the Navy and her oldest brother would be lost on the USS Ashville.

[RustyCanteen]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing.

 

I certainly wish I had asked more relatives before they passed.

[12thengr]

Well, I was eleven years a borning, but as my Dad told the story he was playing pool in the dayroom of the barracks compound, 148th FA Ft. Lewis Wa. When the attack was made public and recognized as such: military havoc ensueded and as those who have been through the alert process, load-out and particular goat-rope will understand,they were on the road in 4-5 hrs.

My Dad's convoy headed north towards The Canadian border on old Hwy.99 His driver (1 1/2 ton hauling a75mm field piece) repeatedly stopped short to try and put the gun muzzle through the windshield of the car following. After several hours they arrived in Bellingham Wa. and moved their guns up to the Southern heights over looking B'ham Bay Edgemore. Unfortunatly if the Japanese fleet had sailed into the bay via Hale's passage the 148's old 75s would have only reached to the middle of the bay.

[patches]

Here's a more extensive talk on this.

 

ERRATA on my post, for my Father on Pearl Harbor Day, it was the Brooklyn Dodgers who were up against the New York Giants rather than the Washington Redskins (yes there was a Dodgers NFL team then)

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/129245-share-your-ancestors-december-7-1941-memories/

[Ngrovcam]

My grandparents were on the front stoop of my grandma's house in Park Slope neignorhood in Brooklyn, NY. It was their first date or ratherit was supposed to be....he was explaining he had to go to a funral in New Jersey instead fo a date becuase his Aunt died when the radio came on.....in reality he lost his money in a crap game trying to win her a fancy dinner but thats another story before 70 years of marriage. He went to the USMC recrutier that day with 8 buddys... 7 of those 8 were killed and the other was wounded badly and crippled for life. He was denied because hewore glasses and ended up getting drafted into the Army. One heck of a story for Dec 7th, 41