December 7, 2021 marks 80 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Horace Hamilton’s parents had to give him permission to join the Navy, since he did not turn 17 until after he graduated. He did his training in San Diego and was sent to Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Phoenix.
On this day, 80 years ago, he had just finished breakfast and was sitting on the fantail of the ship when Japanese planes began dropping torpedoes and bombs.
“I remember the planes coming over and dropping bombs. I saw the ships sinking, I saw the Oklahoma turning over and capsizing. I see men in the water, oil on the water and the ships catching on fire,” remembers Hamilton.
The 97 year-old from Caldwell continues to share his story with the younger generations in hopes that they will take interest in our country’s history.
“I don’t think that the young people nowadays can remember, or even know about Pearl Harbor. Some young people don’t even know why we fought World War Two,” says Hamilton.
Tuesday morning, Hamilton placed a ceremonial wreath provided by the local chapter of Wreaths Across America on the grave of a fellow WWII Navy veteran, President George H.W. Bush.
Click below to hear comments from Horace Hamilton.
Listen to “Survivor Remembers Pearl Harbor Attack on 80th Anniversary” on Spreaker.