William E. Clothier US Marine USS Nevada |
I was one of about 80 US Marines on board the USS Nevada on December 7, 1941. We were moored just behind the Arizona. When she exploded, some of the burning debris set fires on the bow of the Nevada, just before we pulled out and began our run down the harbor. I was a member of a 5", 51 caliber broadside gun on the port side of the ship so I did not see the Arizona explode but I saw her son after, burning like a Christmas tree which seemed odd because she was a huge, steel machine which should not burn (it was the paint, teak deck, etc. which fueled the flames, but it became hot enough to melt steel.) As you may know, the Nevada was the only battleship that got underway that day and we (the Marine machine gunners) shot down 3 Japanese planes. We took a heavy pounding as we chugged down the harbor and were beached at a place called Hospital Point to prevent us being sunk in the harbor (the Japanese had that in mind as they rained about 100 bombs on us as we were underway. Only 5 of them hit us.) Later on, some Navy tugs pushed us across the main channel where we were beached again as a place now called Nevada Point. We suffered 50 sailors and 7 marines killed, more than 100 wounded. Certain members of the crew received 2 Congressional Medals of Honor and 15 Navy Crosses, plus a considerable number of letters of commendation signed by Admiral Nimitz. The Nevada went on to serve as a major shore bombardment ship at Normandy, southern France, Iwo Jima and Okinawa where she was struck by a suicide bomber, killing another 7 marines and a number of sailors. Her final days consisted of being the target ship for the atomic bomb tests where an air burst and an underwater explosion failed to sink her. After months of letting the radiation die down, she was towed back to Hawaii and sunk by Navy torpedo bombers about 60 miles out of Pearl Harbor a rather sad ending for a great ship. |
Information provided by William E. Clothier. |
