Pearl Harbor survivor's dog tags?

[Der Finn]

Picked up this small group at a tag sale today. The veteran's son told me his father was wounded at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. He did not want to sell his Dad's Purple Heart or the several PH ribbons. Is there any way to verify his Dad was at Pearl Harbor the day of the attack?

[Der Finn]

Close up of tags........

[Der Finn]

Full set with religious medal.......

[dave peifer]

according to pcn-pa cable network-a series done in pa interviewing local veterans edward m ovecka was at pearl harbor w/the aac dec 7th.................dave

[Der Finn]

That was fast! Thank you very much, Dave. His son struck me as a straight shooter but sometimes you hear "stories". Thanks again.

[USMCman01]

He was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II and a Pearl Harbor survivor. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Star and Asiatic Pacific Service Medal with one Bronze Star.

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11305022

[dave peifer]

glad to help.........dave

[Der Finn]

Thanks also to you, USMCman01. The additional info is greatly appreciated!!

[USdog]

I found this article.

 

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/5363474/

 

Sergeant Edward Ovecka, Lebanon's Finjj^ Casualty In Second World War, Telk Graphically Of Brutal Aerial Assault By Japanese On Hickam Field In ~~ waii - Local Soldier Saves Own Life Applying Tourniquet A harrowing tale of the death and destruction wroui at Pearl Harbor on December 7th in the sneak attack the Japs is dramatically told by Lebanon's only known ualty in that surprise bombing from the air by the yell men. The personal data of the action .if told in a letter ten some time thereafter by Sergeant Edward Ovecka, year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Ovecka of 1315 Bra wine Street, this city. The Lebanon soldier was »ev«r wounded by the exploding bombs but is now recovering fr his injuries in a hospital in San Francisco where he waa moved along with many other wounded service men civilians sometime in December. So far as is known, Sergeant Ovecka is Lebanon'* war casualty. He was on duty an a mechanic with the U. Air Corps at Hickam Field, Honolulu, when the sneak wua made and in a letter, dramatic in its modest simpHcll the Lebanon soldier tells a soul-stirring tale of the hoi he experienced in a remarkably short time. The letter it explains his own narrow escape from death while hU 1 lost their lives all around him

[KASTAUFFER]

His Purple Heart should be numbered in the 73XXX range

 

Kurt

[Fallguy25]

Ed Ovecka has a connection to my family. My grandmother's cousin, Ted S. Faulkner, was the pilot of a spy-plane B24A that was sitting out in front of Hangar 15 at Hickam when the bombs started falling on Dec 7th.  Ovecka was inside Hangar 15, working on parts for the plane.  If you'd like to read about the mission and what happened to the plane, it's at https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2018/12/04/prologue-to-pearl-harbor-the-spy-flight-that-wasnt-part-i/.  Near the end of part II is the description of what happened to the plane, along with a photo. 

 

It's a shame that Ovecka's son didn't want to keep his father's dogtags.