John Land US Navy USS Maryland |
Information provided by John Land. |
I was on board the USS Maryland on Sunday, December 7, 1941. Our ship was moored on battleship row. We were just 2 ships ahead of the Arizona. I was out on deck when the attack came and in just a few minutes I saw the Arizona literally explode when hit by the Japanese planes. By that time all the battleships were in the middle of burning oil and intense smoke and we were preparing our guns and ammunition to shoot back at enemy planes. A majority of the men on the Arizona lost their lives almost instantly. Our ship received two bomb hits, but it was very little compared to the Arizona and most of the other ships. I was transferred to an escort carrier in November of 1943 and stayed until peace was declared in September, 1945. |
John Land (Right). |
