Harold A. Gordon US Navy USS Vestal

Harold A. Gordon was stationed on the USS Vestal, repair ship that was moored to the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. Harold was completing repairs below decks when the attack began and came up on deck the moment the Arizona took her worst hit. He was blown flat onto the deck. The Captain of the Vestal, Cassin Young, was blown over board and climbed back up the anchor chain to countermand the abandon ship orders. Harold had retreated to the engine room, which was his duty station. Captain Young called down:  "Let's get the hell out of here!"  Although the Vestal was a very old ship, they got her moving and up onto a sandbar so as not to block the harbor. The ship had two hits, one forward and one after. She was taking on water.   Then, the abandon ship orders were given and Harold dove over board. Harold was picked up in a small boat and deposited on an opposite shore. He pulled an officer out of the boat who had both of his legs almost shot off, and they tried to hide in the sugar cane field. Later, he assisted with attempting to get men out of the USS Oklahoma and other ships who were trapped inside. He went on to the destroyer escort USS Mackenzie and finished out the war in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and off Toulon, France D-Day. Harold boxed welter weight while in the Navy.  Harold had paint chips from the Arizona embedded in his back until about a year before he passed away.

Information provided by Sandra Gordon