Pearl Harbor Heroes

Donald Stratton, USS Arizona Survivor, Has Died

February 19, 2020 ·

On the morning of December 7, 1941, six sailors were rescued from the burning and sinking USS Arizona (BB-39) by Joe George, a crew member of the repair ship USS Vestal (AR-4). On February 15, 2020, one of those men, Donald Stratton, passed away after spending years working to gain recognition for the hero who saved […]

New Aircraft Carrier To Be Named for Doris Miller

January 20, 2020 ·

Many of the heroes of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor have been honored with medals and citations. Some have even had US Navy ships named in their honor. One notable figure from the attack, however, is receiving an unprecedented honor. According to Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly, the United States […]

Another Honor for Pearl Harbor Hero Kenneth Taylor

October 30, 2019 ·

On October 26, 2019, a man who became a hero on December 7, 1941 was again recognized for his bravery and selflessness in the face of the ferocious Japanese assault. Second Lieutenant Kenneth Taylor succeeded in doing what the attackers had hoped would be an impossible feat: taking to the skies to fight back. For […]

Pearl Harbor Survivors Tell Their Stories

October 19, 2019 ·

Before embarking on a Pearl Harbor tour, it's a great idea to get some background about the December 7, 1941 attack. First-hand accounts are the best way to get a feel for the events of that fateful day and the war that followed, but the number of Pearl Harbor survivors is dwindling all the time. […]

Heroes of the Harbor: John Finn

August 29, 2019 ·

The Medal of Honor isn’t an award given without careful thought and consideration, so those who are chosen to receive it are known for having gone above and beyond the call of duty. In 1942, a US Navy Chief Petty Officer named John Finn became the first serviceman to be awarded the Medal of Honor […]

The US Navy Pearl Harbor Shuttle Boats

June 29, 2019 ·

Standing on the shoreline at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, you see that you’re separated from the USS Arizona Memorial by a stretch of water. Though you know that the memorial is included in your Pearl Harbor tour, you might be wondering how you’re going to get to it. Then you see the white Pearl […]

The Civilian Pearl Harbor Hero

June 04, 2019 ·

When George Walters reported for work on the morning of December 7, 1941, there was no way he could have been prepared for the dramatic turn his day would soon take. Walters wasn’t a trained member of the military like many of those with whom he worked. He was a civilian working a living as […]

Navy Ships Named for Pearl Harbor Heroes

May 18, 2019 ·

On December 7, 1941, the United States was attacked by forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy. More than 2,400 Americans were killed during the raid and a legacy was born. Part of that legacy, commemorated annually on the anniversary of the attack, are the servicemen who lost their lives that morning. All of those men […]

The Only Mission of USS Liscome Bay

February 22, 2019 ·

On December 9, 1942, just over a year after the United States suffered the attack on Pearl Harbor, the keel of a new Casablanca–class escort carrier was laid down at the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company in Vancouver, WA. Launched in June of 1943, the new ship was christened USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), and commissioned into the U […]