Thomas "Tom" Davey
My father was a Lieutenant, USN, and stationed on Ford Island. We lived in the officers quarters on the eastern end of the island. Our house was 1500 feet from Battleship Row.
On the morning the attack started, one of my brothers and I were playing in our bedroom. After the first sounds of planes and explosions we ran out to the backyard. Torpedo planes finishing their runs flew directly over our house. One in particular, just barely cleared the tree in our yard. I/we clearly saw the pilot give a hand motion (a wave?)as he flew by.
My father eventually came out and dragged us back into the house. About this time the Arizona blew up (we didn't know what ship at this time) and it was the loudest noise I have ever heard. Windows shattered and some china dishware fell out of the cabinets. Father put us in the back bedroom and covered us all, mother, grandmother and the 3 of us boys with matresses.
When things quieted down (1st attack had ended) father put us in our car and took us to Admiral Bellinger's quarters about a couple of hundred yards away. There was an old battlement/gun fortification just below these quarters that us kids called the "dungeon". This was my first exposure to men (sailors) covered with oil, burned, wounded and crying out in pain.
All of the kids in our area (not that many), were put into one of the gun/artillery rooms where we viewed the second attack. Later that day we were moved to the BOQ (Bachelors Officers Quarters) about 1/4 mile away where we spent a few days before being allowed back in to are own quarters. A couple of days at the BOQ were spent loading machine gun belts with .50 caliber bullets for the Army and Marines. This is a brief description of my experiences and recollections of that fateful day. I was 9 years old at this time.
