Richard G. Hackett US Navy US Navy Shore Patrol |
Information provided by Jerry Halterman. |
I was sleeping soundly when we were awakened by a loud voice saying, "Fall out to the back of the building on the double". Myself and others like me had been up most of the night wrestling drunks and maintaining the peace in down town Honolulu. During the day on Saturday, I had been in Police School with the Honolulu Police Department. They allowed a few sailors and Marines to attend their classes. Future candidates for the department. We were on our own time off. As we mustered outside the Old Naval Station, the Japanese planes were banking over our head on the run to Pearl. We could see the one pilot clearly. I was assigned to visit the houses of ill repute and see that all servicemen were on the way back to their bases. I was cutting through to the Rex Hotel, which you all remember. As I went around the one corner on a dead run there was an explosion behind. I went back to render aid to people who had been standing outside a building. One man had lost his leg below the knee and told me to help others. He was in shock and didn't even know he had been hit. I stayed until more help arrived, then continued on my rounds. Later that day, we were sent to hunt for parachutists as the rumors were rampant. We didn't look too hard as we had no weapons till later. The Marines were cleaning and checking the trusty old Springfield's Model 1903. As soon as they could get them ready, we were issued a rifle, bayonet and two bandoliers of ammunition. Then we were assigned to various road blo9cks and other areas as needed. From about here on it is pretty much a blur for a few days. Martial Law had been declared, so I was assigned to a patrol car with a regular policeman, a reserve policeman and a football player, armed with a shot gun. If I remember correctly, I think the football player was from the University of Santa Clara. In one instance about this time, we got a call to investigate a house up in Kiumaki. When we reached the residence, everything in the city was blacked out. We found the house was ablaze with light. The football player covered the back and the Officer the front, while I went into the house with the reserve officer. I looked back and he had his gun out and pointed at the middle of my back, while shaking like a leaf. I had a few harsh words for him. No one was at home so we blacked out the house and left. I don't know about other people, but I have a special soft spot for the Salvation Army. Where ever we were, here would come a couple of ladies with coffee and doughnuts. They had an area set up and we would go in and sleep for an hour or so, then take off again. They always had sandwiches ready. After the first few days things settled down to a more routine schedule and we operated out of the Old Naval Station and the Police Station on Bethel Street. After a few weeks all of us who were from the artificer branch were transferred back to other duty stations. I went to the Receiving Ship at Pearl and unloaded ammunition from the USS Utah, while working in water up to our necks, until I was assigned to Palymra Island. |
