William M. Gittleson US Navy USS Pennsylvania |
Information provided by Julie (Gittleson) Molloy. |
I wish I had some information of historical significance regarding Pearl Harbor but Dad spoke of it rarely. I guess this was true of many who experienced it. I remember he never liked to sit close to the ocean when he took us to the beach...I guess six years of naval duty during a difficult war can do that. My Dad was a gunner on the Battleship Pennsylvania at the time of the attack. He woke shortly before the attack...and thankfully...as the area where he had been sleeping was bombed. Although "The Pennsy" sustained some damage, it was one of the ships able to continue on in the war. He spoke of the chaos and the thick black smoke which made it difficult to see the planes until they were on top of you. Ironically, all that same black smoke from our burning ships also afforded some protection from the second wave of the Japanese attack. The Kamakazi planes were a great shock to him--he never got over that the Japanese pilots were flying directly into our ships. My Dad eventually became a Chief Petty Officer...Chief Quartermaster. Although he never told me, a veteran in my small town told me it was the highest rank an enlisted man could achieve at the time. So like my Dad to be humble. At each Veteran Day school event my children and I bring this picture of him in to their school along with information on his service (the school sets up a special table for veterans.) My Dad is my hero and always will be. Both my parents were extremely patriotic and we grew up appreciating our good fortune to live in the United States. I teach my girls the same. My mom was from a large family-- her brother Joe was in the Navy and was at Guadal Canal, and her brother Jack was at the Battle of the Bulge. My father-in-law was involved in the invasion of France. So many lives touched by the war. |
