MY FATHER

Sgt. George Sawyers
December 1942
Sgt. R.A. 15017985
Hickam Field - Pearl Harbor - Hawaii

My Father was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. The following is a excerpted compilation of two newspaper articles from May 17, 1972 and December 9, 1981 by the "NEWS LEADER" Richwood, WVA, along with my own comments and that of my Father.

There are few survivors of Pearl Harbor left. This date in the year 2001, marks 60 years since that "Day of Infamy."

My Father was born and raised in Nicholas County, WVA and in early 1941 he enlisted in the Air Force. He was stationed in Hawaii at Hickam Field when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. He recalled at the time, he was not old enough to register for the draft. "In 1940 you had to be 21 to do that," he said. He was sworn in at Ft. Hayes, Ohio, then sent to Ft. Slocum, New York, where he was issued clothing and shots and April 18, 1941 found him at Hickam Field where he served with the aviation ordinance with the bomber squadrum service crew. His duties included servicing machine guns and loading bombs, among other things. Those days servicemen received the magnificent sum of $21.00 per month pay when they entered the service.

George remembers the morning of the attack, the first wave came at around 7 or 8 a.m. with enemy planes bombing and strafing the buildings, dropping 500 pound bombs, destroying ships and planes. It was early and men were still sleeping in their bunks in his barracks when the planes came and his barracks was destroyed and "lots of guys were killed in their beds," George, who was taking a short cut to the mess hall and wasn't in the barracks and escaped death. "It was the ones still in their bunks that were killed. There wasn't a mark on them - the concussion inside the building when the bombs hit is what killed them."

During the second attack wave, he had gone under a theatre building for refuge and for some reason he couldn't understand, he came out and just as he did an incendiary bomb hit the building and demolished it. "Someone was looking out for me, I guess," and it certainly seemed that way as some of the men had gone into a walk-in freezer to escape the attack and told him to come on, but he said he wasn't going in there and the place was hit and those men died.

The enemy hit the Army Air Base at Wheeler Field, Kancohe Naval Air Base and the still uncompleted Marine Air Base at Ewa, close to Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field destroying Flying Fortresses, Liberators, Consairs and Lightenings. 150-200 enemy planes, mostly dive bombers, attacked and more than 28 of these were shot down and more by pursuit planes that managed to take off and the 18 Navy scouts returning from their task force carrier during the height of the attack.

They bombed and strafed, leaving Pearl wounded and bleeding to count the losses. Heros were made that day, who will go unsung, soldiers who ran out, some clothed, some not, rushing to battle on the nearest gun or fire fighting, incidents such as two Lieutentants who sped in a car to the airfield to their planes and up they went to fight with 30 calibre machine guns against more than a dozen battle planes. The stories could go on and on. "I was scared when it was all over," said George, when asked about that day. It seems he was kept too busy staying alive to get scared. It was common for officers to come along and say "come with me soldier" and take them to where they were needed and so George ended up digging trenches right on the harbor and it was three weeks before he was able to get back to his outfit and discovered he had been reported missing in action. Life for the rookie was rough...you did as you were told or get your head knocked off. The equipment was obsolete, old World War I gas masks and rifles. The better equipment and best weapons and aircraft were sent to the European theatre.

Continuing George's recollection of the bombing attacks, he said "After the first planes went over we ran to the ordnance buildings to grab what little equipment there was available. We fired the locks off the buildings but all there was inside was what was left over from World War I. They were stocked with 1903 Springfield rifles, 103 English Enfields and even leggings from World War I. We had to use those leggings in field dress after that. The Jap planes came back within 40 minutes or so for the second attack.

Asked whether he remembered the fear that struck him during the first bombing attack, George said, "At that age you didn't have sense enough to be scared. We were not scared until it was all over. Eighteen or 19 year olds make the best soldiers. They do as they're told. They don't know any better.

George paused reflectively and said, "You know, I've always been sort of superstitious. I still carry my original dog tag on my key chain. It was issued to me when I enlisted in March 1941 and was around my neck at Pearl Harbor. I've carried it ever since."

On the front of the tag it has his number. On the reverse side is his name and the letters USA. "That's because I was a volunteer. Anyone drafted has the letters AUS (Army of the United States) on his dog tag." he said.

George was later sent on to the Solomon Islands. He was made a sergeant in 1942 and was a Tech. Sergeant when his service time was up. He was awarded the American Defense, Asiatic-Pacific with battle star for Pearl Harbor and the Good Conduct Medal.

Dad never talks much about that day....most who have seen war, don't - they prefer to remember the good times...such as when Dad recalls they had a little West Virginia Club at Hickam Field and they would get together every chance they could....there were several young men from Nicholas County stationed in the area. They would gather at a place they called "Snake Ranch" - it was kind of a beer garden at Hickam Field, a PX run by the government. They sold beer called Premo for 10 cents a bottle....those are the memories they prefer to discuss - young men, friends and comrades who gathered together at place call Pearl......serving this country......never realizing they would all become a part of history - that "Day of Infamy" as it will always be known. Some never to return home ever again.

Dad will be 81 in February. He often tells me "no one remembers us vets anymore. Cutbacks in military medical services and other benefits they are due, for their sacrifice to this country, continue despite the current day events.

Ask a Korean War Vet...or Vietnam.....they went, they served, thousands upon thousands and many were Native American Indian and First Nations People. They continue to serve, as they have for hundreds of years.

"I won't forget Dad," I tell him, "I won't forget."

My Father and his younger brother Ned, who also served our country with honor in the United States Coast Guard. September 2001.

We shall never forget!

With honor and respect to all those Veterans who served at Pearl Harbor and to ALL our Veterans who served and gave their lives for this country.

On September 11, 2001, this Country witnessed a "new" Infamy - 60 years later. Dad and I spoke on the phone, as we watched the horror unfold in New York City....his voice was choked, memories flooding back, as we spoke about the attack on New York, the Pentagon and the loss of so many innocent lives. Our Country is again at war, innocent lives lost, heros standing tall and strong, this Country unified in a rallying cry against the cowardly attacks against innocent civilians. We never thought it could happen again.

Sadly, it has.

Pearl Harbor