Firsthand Experiences
The following are personal accounts of people's experiences during Pearl Harbor.
Madelyn Blonskey of the Army Nurse Corps
Everyone who was there was scarred for a lifetime."As I stepped out of the nurses' quarters, I had an awful feeling. Usually, the smell of gardenias and hibiscus from the garden was delightful. But that morning I smelled the odor of sulfur and burning oil. I heard some buzzing above me. There were about 20 very small planes, flying low, almost touching the treetops. "As I reached the top of the stairs--I will never forget what I saw--there were about 15-20 stretchers with injured men lying on them. They were lined up head to toe next to the railing of the porch. There were more bloody wounds--caused by shrapnel--than I had ever seen in my life. And nobody was with these patients." "Caring for the wounded and dying went on for days. Schools were made into temporary emergency rooms. The cafeteria was used for the operating room, and the kitchen was used for sterilizing instruments. There were shortages of bandages and medicines." "There was no shortage of blood. Civilians, soldiers, sailors, and Marines appeared day and night to give blood."
Robert E. Thomas Jr. of the USS Nevada
"As officer in charge of the starboard antiaircraft battery on the USS Nevada, I had to climb three decks to my station. I fought my way up through closing doors and hatches as damage control teams buttoned up the ship. I found my guns fully manned but no ammo. I had to single-handedly break open the ammo ready lockers." "I ordered, 'Take cover,' and turned my back before the bomb struck. I was engulfed in a storm of blast, fire, smoke and debris. A moment later, I noticed that I was still standing. I looked around to see a large crater in the deck just a few feet away and in the general vicinity of the now empty main-powder magazine. The bodies of my men were strewn about. I spotted one of my shipmates lying near the edge and he was on fire." "I crawled over to the edge of the crater and realized that I wasn't able to pull the man to safety."
Oswald S. Tanczos
"We turned and ran to take cover in the mess hall as he sprayed the ground right at our heels. Luckily he didn't hit any of us. This all happened in a few seconds from the moment we caught sight of the aircraft. When I got back into the building, I took cover under a double sink about six feet long and the bottom about sixteen inches off the floor. I filled the two sinks with six to eight inches of water to deflect any bullets."
Nita Johnson
That Sunday, December 7, 1941, began as an exciting day for a fourteen-year-old girl who lived for roller skating (and boys too, of course). But that day, my mind was only on roller skating. This was the day I was to take my first proficiency test on roller skates." "The judges arrived and our anxiety heightened. Right at that point, an announcement came over the loud speaker: 'Any military personnel report to the office immediately.'" "The rest of us somehow got through our tests and passed, but the test medal didn't seem quite as bright with a war hanging over our heads. However, I must add, we were so young and full of optimism that we really didn't realize the awful years ahead of us. We just assumed the U.S.A. would quickly put an end to the whole thing and our lives would go on as usual. Of course we had to revise that optimism as the months and years of war were with us through the rest of our teen years. Most of us lost a friend or relative to the war, and we lost our innocence as we realized our country was in danger."
Summary
It would be unimaginable to go through what all of these survivors experienced. And in lieu of it all, everyone kept their heads on during the days to come. Most people would get out of Hawaii as soon as they could, because everyone anticipated another attack. Instead, these military workers stayed as long as they could, and did their best to help by giving blood, repairing the damage, and caring for the wounded. They most likely stayed to help because they wanted to be rid of that feeling of helplessness. When they couldn't rescue a shipmate, or had to watch the bombs fall from the sidelines, they wanted to be able to help. That was a massive job, without a doubt, but they did make a massive difference. Everyone who was there was scarred for a lifetime.
The story of Nita Johnson was very meaningful, because it shows how naive and ingenuous young people can be. The youth of the WWII era were hit hard with reality during the war, and matured faster than any other youth living in the 21st century.
The story of Nita Johnson was very meaningful, because it shows how naive and ingenuous young people can be. The youth of the WWII era were hit hard with reality during the war, and matured faster than any other youth living in the 21st century.