Marvin W. Recknor US Navy USS San Francisco |
Marvin W. Recknor was born on January 26, 1919 and joined Navy June 14, 1938. After boot camp in San Diego, reported aboard the USS San Francisco (CA-38). In 1939, the ship went to the East Coast and made a goodwill tour all around South America with Radm. Kimmel aboard as COMCRUDIV Seven. The Frisco had been stationed in Pearl Harbor about a year when the Japanese attack came on December 7. As a QM2, Recknor's battle station was on the bridge and from there he had a good view of battleship row. The most unbelievable sights to him were the Oklahoma turning over and the Arizona blowing up and burning all day. Retired 1964 as a lieutenant commander after 26 years in the Navy and joined Wells Fargo Bank to serve as Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager until retiring again in 1981. Active in Pearl Harbor Survivors Association as president of local chapter and co-chairman of California State Convention 1990. Letter to the Alameda Journal 02/15/02 A couple of months ago I was fortunate enough to attend the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It was a grand affair with many large gatherings, ceremonies and banquets, but what impressed me most was the reception we received from the public. For instance, one afternoon while wearing my Pearl Harbor Survivor uniform hat, I took a walk through a shopping mall with Alice Wohlfrom (her husband was a shipmate and a Pearl Harbor Survivor) and we were literally stopped 15 or 20 times by well-wishers. Some just wanted to shake hands, some to take pictures, but all had something nice to say. One very large fellow got right in front of me and when I stopped, he put out his hand, saying, "I just wanted to thank you for what you did for our country 60 years ago." You just have to forgive a big fellow for an interruption like that. One little girl about 7 sat on my knee for a picture and asked me if I had saved anyone that day. I told her that I didn't know of any but felt lucky to have saved myself. A trip to the memorial above the USS Arizona is always an emotional experience just to look down at the ship in the shallow water, unmoved all this time, and realize there are still 1,177 of American's finest young men aboard "being embraced by the ship's hull" as President George Bush said 10 years ago at the 50the anniversary Many, if not most, of the Pearl Harbor Survivors stated at interviews that this was their final trip to Hawaii. One of the reporters asked me if this was my final trip and I told him that I would be most happy to return in ten years for the 70th reunion. He smiled at me and said, "I bet you do." I hope he's right. |
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