Remembering Pearl Harbor: Event honors WWII heroes, heroines

  • Published
  • By J.C. Corcoran
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
President Franklin Roosevelt described Dec. 7, 1941 as "a day that will live in infamy," for Americans. On that early December morning, the Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor and, to paraphrase a line from the movie "Tora, Tora, Tora," awoke a sleeping giant.

For those who were there and who fought for the U.S. during World War II, memories of that time are as strong today as they were then.

Sixty-five years after the Pearl Harbor attacks, three organizations gathered to commemorate the day at Hanscom. The Order of Daedalians -- Minuteman Flight; the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, Lexington-Concord Chapter; and the Charles E. McGee chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen met at The Minuteman Club Dec. 7 to salute some of those American Heroes of World War II.

The evening's honorees included veterans of every service: members of the Tuskegee Airmen; members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots; a veteran of WWII and member of the Royal Air Force; as well as members of the Army Air Corps, the Marine Corps, and the Navy.

During the evening, many of the veterans were asked to tell about what life was like for them during that time.

Then Marine Corps Second Lieutenant Nick Sisak, who was at Pearl Harbor, remembered how grateful he was that the Japanese commanders didn't send a third attack wave. He is convinced that this decision was a major mistake made by the Japanese command.

Mr. Sisak was responsible for guarding the fuel farm at Hickam Field, Hawaii -- a large repository of fuel which was used by America's Pacific Fleet.

Had it been destroyed, "I believe the war would have gone on for a few more years because our ships would have had to travel all the way to the west coast to be refueled," he said.

Army Air Corpsman Bob Andrews, who was also at Pearl Harbor and later served as a bombardier flying B-17s in Europe, spoke about finding out that he and another honoree had a lot in common.

Incredibly, both Mr. Andrews and Joe Lovoi, a B-17 navigator with the Army Air Corps, were in the same prisoner of war camp at the same time.

One was held in the northern part of the camp while the other was held in the southern end. Although they never met as POWs, their experiences were very similar.

As each of the honorees related a story throughout the evening, the audience sat in quiet amazement, listening and getting just a glimpse of what these heroes had experienced -- the good and the bad.

During his remarks, Col. John Pardo Jr., Order of Daedalians flight captain and master of ceremonies for the evening, quoted an anonymous person as saying, "Poor is a nation that has no heroes. Bankrupt is the nation with heroes, but chooses to forget them."

As the Air Force begins its year-long celebration of its 60th birthday, many in the room were honored to be with heroes and pioneers who now are a part of Air Force history. Chris Hitchcock, Order of Daedalians vice flight captain said, "America has many heroes -- some of them from years past who are with us tonight, some are yet to be known. All, will never be forgotten."