Richard Fiske, Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, Retired
Richard Fiske was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 26 March 1922. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in February 1940. Following Field Music School, he was assigned to the U.S.S. West Virginia (BB-48) as a Marine Private bugler on 6 July 1940.
On 7 December 1941, Dick was on the quarter deck when the attack began at 07:55. He witnessed the Japanese planes coming in and launching their torpedoes towards his ship. There were nine torpedoes and two bombs that would eventually destroy the West Virginia. After the first torpedo hits, Dick rushed to his battle station which was on the navigation bridge. A few minutes later, he witnessed the captain’s death. At about 0930, the men were ordered to abandon ship and he swam to Ford Island.
Dick remained assigned to his ship until January 1944 when he was promoted to Field Musician Sergeant and was transferred to the 5th Marine Division. He participated in the landing and the bloody battle for the Japanese stronghold on Iwo Jima in 1945.
After the war, Dick enlisted in the newly established U.S. Air Force in 1948. He served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as a Crew Chief. He retired from the Air Force in 1969 with the rank of Master Sergeant.
Today as a Pearl Harbor survivor, Richard Fiske has been a volunteer at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial since 1982. Often referred to as one of the park’s many goodwill ambassadors, he has a special duty that he performs. Dick was given the honor to dedicate two roses once a month at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial on behalf of Mr. Zenji Abe (a Japanese pilot who participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor). After placing the flowers in front of the names of the U.S.S. Arizona casualties, he plays “Taps” on his bugle. The flowers are paid for by Mr. Abe and Dick will continue to do this special tribute for as long as he can.
Dr. Rex Gunn, Lieutenant (j.g.), U.S. Navy Reserve, Retired
Rex Gunn was born in 1920 in Little Rock, Arkansas. In August 1940 he enlisted in the United States Army. On 7 December 1941, he was a member of the Signal Corps, Aircraft Warning Company, Special. This first Radar Information Center in the Pacific was headquartered at Fort Shafter, Oahu. Rex was on duty in a supply room directly below the information switchboard room when the call came in from Opana tracking station on the north shore indicating the flight of the Japanese attack planes. During the attack, Rex took an oscilloscope up to a radar station above Fort Shafter.
Later during the war, Staff Sergeant Gunn became a GI war correspondent for the 7th Army Air Corps picture magazine, Brief. He covered the military campaigns in the Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands and Marianna Islands. He also flew in raids over Iwo Jima and Truk.
After the war in 1949, Rex joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and ended his military career as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in 1965. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern California.
Today, Rex Gunn continues his passion for writing, as he has written several books on World War II history. He works as a volunteer at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, sharing with many visitors his personal experiences of the war. Rex is also a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Aloha Chapter #1, Hawaii, #21, Palm Springs, and The Reserve Officers Association.
Richard C. Husted, Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired
Richard Husted was born 17 February 1921, in Des Moines, Iowa. He enlisted in the United States Navy on 16 June 1940, and attended naval boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. After training, Richard reported aboard the U.S.S. Oklahoma in October 1940 at Bremerton Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
On 6 December 1940, the U.S.S. Oklahoma arrived in Pearl Harbor to be part of the Pacific Fleet. On 7 December 1941, Richard was a Seaman First Class. He was on shore leave visiting with relatives when the attack began. When Richard got back to Pearl Harbor, the attack was still under way. He was hastily given duties in a torpedo shop and patrolled the piers at the Submarine Base that evening. Due to the loss of the U.S.S. Oklahoma on 7 December 1941, Richard reported aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Dewey (DD-349).
In March 1942 he returned to the United States for more training. He was later assigned to the staff of the Commander of Task Force 24, North Atlantic and Fleet Air Wing 7 in southern England for anti-submarine patrols aiding Allied shipping convoys.
After the invasion of Normandy, France, Richard attended intelligence training on the way to China where he remained until the conclusion of World War II. In November 1970 after more than thirty years of service to the U.S. Navy, he retired at the rank of Commander.
Today, Richard Husted spends half the year in San Antonio, Texas, and half the year in Hawaii. When he is in Hawaii, Richard is a volunteer at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, sharing his personal accounts of 7 December 1941, with visitors.
Everett Hyland, Radioman 3rd class, U.S. Navy, Retired
Everett Hyland was born on 17 March 1923 in Stamford, Connecticut. He enlisted for naval service in November 1940, and went on active duty in January 1941. While awaiting trade school, he lived aboard the original U.S.S. Constellation in Newport, Rhode Island. He achieved “sea duty” on the historic ship. Later, he went through radioman’s school in San Diego, California.
On 7 December 1941, Everett served aboard the U.S.S. Pennsylvania (BB-38) as a Seaman of antenna repair. The “Pennsy” was in Dry Dock #1 on that morning. During the attack, he was carrying ammunition for the ship’s 3-inch/50-cal. guns on the fantail. He was severely wounded when a Japanese bomb exploded near his battle station. Everett was so badly wounded that he was almost given up for dead. He did not recognize his surroundings until Christmas 1941.
After months of recuperation from his wounds, Everett never went back to the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, but served aboard the U.S.S. Memphis and later at NAS Charleston, South Carolina. After his discharge from the navy as a Radioman 3rd class in November 1945, he attended several universities in the states. He has been honored with seven distinguished medals including the Purple Heart.
Everett Hyland eventually retired as a science teacher. He has been a crucial element in interpreting the Pearl Harbor attack story to thousands of visitors to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial since 1995.
Stanley E. Igawa, Major, U.S. Army, Retired
Stanley Igawa is a third generation (Sansei) Japanese-American born in Kona, Hawaii. At the time of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, he was only 14 years old and living on the U.S. mainland.
As a result of Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February of 1942, approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans were removed from their homes and incarcerated into ten relocation centers throughout the United States. It is interesting and startling to note that of the 120,000 evacuees, two-thirds were American citizens. Stanley and his family were among those thousands of Americans whose basic liberties as citizens were not protected by the Constitution of the United States.
Later during World War II, Japanese-Americans were allowed to volunteer to join the U.S. military. After graduating from a camp school (Heart Mountain High School) in Wyoming in 1944, Stanley was inducted into the U.S. Army and sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for basic training. After his basic training, he was sent to the Pacific Theater of the war, serving aboard the hospital ship U.S.S. Comfort (AH-6) as a medical corpsman. The war in the Pacific ended in September of 1945 and he was discharged from the Army in November of 1946.
Stanley was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry after enrolling in ROTC at the University of Hawaii in 1951. Later he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, to attend the Basic Infantry Officer’s Course. Upon graduation, he volunteered for Airborne School, also at Fort Benning. During the Korean Conflict he served with the 40th and 7th Infantry Divisions in Korea and later as an interrogator of prisoners of war. His final years in the Army were with the 1st Special Forces (Airborne).
Today, Stanley works side-by-side with Pearl Harbor survivor volunteers at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Like other volunteers, he shares his war experiences with many of the visitors.
Robert G. Kinzler, Captain, U.S. Army, Retired
Robert Kinzler was born in Newark, New Jersey on 7 March 1922. He enlisted in the United States Army on 24 June 1940, and arrived in Hawaii in September of 1940.
On 7 December 1941, Private Kinzler was a radio operator (Morse code) assigned to Headquarters Company, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry (Tropic Lightning) Division, at Schofield Barracks. (Schofield Barracks was not really the target for the Japanese planes, but rather Wheeler Air Field nearby.) During the attack, his company was ordered to move to and set up a battle station at Roosevelt High School football stadium in Honolulu. On their way to Honolulu, they got their first look at the destruction that took place at Pearl Harbor.
During World War II, Bob served in the South Pacific, the continental United States, and Canada. After over twenty-two years of military service, he retired from the U.S. Army on 2 October 1962, at the rank of captain.
Joining the National Park Service Volunteer in the Parks program in 1985, Robert Kinzler is one of the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial’s longest serving volunteers. He has provided thousands of park visitors with his articulate and personal interpretation of 7 December 1941.
Joe Morgan, Lieutenant Commander, CHC, U.S. Navy, Retired
Joe Morgan was born on 19 August 1922, in Tyler, Texas. He enlisted in the United States Navy on 1 October 1940, and received his basic training at USNTS San Diego, California. After he completed Class A School (Electrical Ordnance) at San Diego, in March 1941, he was later assigned to Utility Squadron Two (VJ-2), NAS Ford Island in Pearl Harbor in September 1941.
At the time of the attack, Joe was an Aviation Ordnance Man 3rd class and was stationed at an ordnance shack. When bombs started to fall around him, he fought with himself over whether to hide or to fight. He soon overcame his fears and took a position in a Catalina patrol bomber plane. There in a waist hatch, he fought back with a .30 caliber machine gun.
As a result of the attack he made a promise to God that if he survived the war, he would become a preacher. Joe separated from the Naval service on 24 September 1946. He enrolled at the Oklahoma Baptist University and graduated in 1950 with a BA degree, cum laude. Keeping his promise, Joe in 1951 entered the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and earned a BD degree in 1954 (later converted to an MDiv in 1973). After serving as pastor of churches in Hawaii, he received a commission in the Navy Chaplain Corps. Joe once again entered active duty in the U.S. Navy in March 1962 and served until his retirement in June 1970 as a Lieutenant Commander of the Chaplain Corps. For his military service, Joe received nine highly distinguished medals. After his retirement he earned a Doctor of Ministries degree from the California Graduate School of Theology.
Today, since 1990, Joe Morgan shares his personal experience with many visitors at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial as a National Park Service volunteer. On many of the park’s Memorial Day and December 7 ceremonies he serves as chaplain as well as for U.S.S. Arizona Survivors interments. He is also a chaplain for the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Aloha Chapter 1, and for Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 1.
Warren E. Verhoff, Senior Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy, Retired
Warren Verhoff was born on 4 April 1921, in Denver, Colorado. He joined the United States Navy on 1 October 1938.
On December 1941, Warren was a Radioman 3rd class assigned to the U.S.S. Keosanqua (AT-38). His ship was one of many that was under attack and returned fire with a .30 caliber machine gun. After the attack, the Keosanqua spent the rest of the day salvaging, sweeping for mines, and searching for enemy submarines.
Fortunately, Warren survived the tragedy of 7 December 1941. He was reassigned to the U.S.S. Bush (DD-529) during World War II. Later, during the Korean War he was assigned to the U.S.S. New Jersey (BB-62) and the U.S.S. Wisconsin (BB-64) battleships. During the Vietnam War he was assigned to the U.S.S. Ranger (CVA-61). After more than thirty-two years of military service, Warren retired on 6 April 1970, as a Senior Chief Radioman.
A Pearl Harbor survivor, Warren Verhoff joined the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial National Park Service volunteer program in 1991. His clear reflections of that day provide park visitors with accurate first-hand accounts of the tragedies and the human triumphs of “A Day That Will Live in Infamy.”
Herb Weatherwax, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired
Herb Weatherwax was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on 3 June 1917. He was drafted into the United States Army on 6 June 1941. After military basic training he was assigned to the 298th Infantry Regiment located at Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii.
On 7 December 1941, Private Weatherwax was on a weekend pass when he heard an announcement over a local radio station that Pearl Harbor was under attack by Japanese forces and that all military personnel should report to their duty stations. On his way to Schofield Barracks, he witnessed the destruction at Pearl Harbor and at Wheeler Air Field.
In 1944, Herb left Hawaii for more infantry training and was reassigned to the 69th Division, specifically to the 272nd Infantry Regiment stationed at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The 69th Division was sent to Europe in 1944 and entered combat at the Eiffel Forest, Belgium. From there his regiment moved on further to join up with Russian troops at Torgau located on the west bank of the Elbe River.
Herb Weatherwax joined the National Park Service’s Volunteer in the Parks program in mid-1996. He enjoys sharing his war stories with the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial visitors.
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