In my times of quiet and relaxing, two of my favorite hobbies are writing cards or letters and reading. I just finished an excellent book entitled, “ All The Gallant Men” by Donald Stratton, one of a handful of men surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. If you enjoy learning about history from someone who was there and actually lived it, I would recommend this book to you. As I think about our celebration of Presidents Day this week, this book, of course, gives an account of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s actions and words during that time.
Mr. Stratton grew up during the 1920’s and 30’s, during the years of depression. His family lived in southern Nebraska, and the times got tougher as the years passed on. He describes Red Cloud, Nebraska, with such vividness, detailing the hard times of the depression years and his growing up. I just had to get the atlas out and search out this little town on the map! After graduating in 1940, he and many other young men joined the “service” because they were hungry, their families were hungry, jobs were scarce, and a regular paycheck of 21 dollars a month would be steady.
The author says he thought about joining the Army like his father had, but after he thought about long marches and crawling through mud, cruising the high seas on a ship sounded better. So the Navy it was! After basic training he ended up in Bremerton, Washington, to his new home, the USS Arizona. It was 33,000 tons of tempered steel, bolted and welded together into a massive machine of war. It was one of two of the largest battleships in the Navy’s fleet. It was two football fields long, and something only imagined by many of the men who were going onboard.
That Sunday morning, etched in our country’s memory, is painted in memorable words by Donald Stratton. He takes his readers through that terrible day step by step, using time frames that illustrate how such a catastrophe did occur. The damage that ensued, both to our Navy fleet and to the men serving there is painstakingly remembered throughout the book. The long road to healing by so many, with others losing their battle with life and death, is explained and related in careful detail.
In his book, Mr. Stratton lists four of his buddies that are still alive from that infamous day. These men were with him on the battleship, USS Arizona. The only reason they had a chance to survive is because they carried themselves across the burning water to another smaller ship moored beside them. The Arizona was burning and sank within 9 minutes of the explosions. The six men, burned over much of their bodies, went hand over hand across the 100 ft. expanse to the smaller ship, the Vestal. Eighty feet below them the water was burning with leaked oil, so jumping was not an option.
In December, 2016, the 75th remembrance anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor was held at the wreckage of the sunken ship. Five of these six men are still alive and met maybe for the last time to view the burial grounds of many of their shipmates. All of them are in their middle 90’s, so it is unlikely that they will make this long trip another time. The bravery and allegiance to their country was amazing as many of them came home to heal after Pearl Harbor, but then returned to serve again by 1943.
It is a great book, giving us a look back into the history of our country. I am so glad that there are those who are willing to take the time to preserve these memories for the rest of us coming behind.
President Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor, carried with her until her death a poem that ended this way…” Am I worth dying for? “ Something for us all to think about as our servicemen and women fight and some give their lives for us to live in freedom back home.
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