I was aboard as General Quarters was sounded and went to the #4 fire room. WT1C McCoy asked me to go and take the stack cover off. A Japanese plane was headed toward our ship. Our 3" anti-aircraft guns started to fire. I came off that stack and to this day still don't know where the stack cover went.
After we got underway, I went to the scuttlebutt to get water for the fire room gang. I looked out of a porthole. We were going by the USS Arizona. She was on fire. The flames were trying to burn the United States flag, but the flame waves were moving the flag and I never did find out whether or not the flag burned. |