Bill Speer US Navy USS Honolulu |
Information provided by Lester Ritchie. |
Bill Speer of Owensboro, Kentucky was a 23-year-old 2nd class Yeoman aboard the USS Honolulu on the morning of December 7, 1941. I slept in the Executive Officer's office where I worked. Therefore, I could sleep later that means I could sleep until seven o'clock. Reports often say the Japanese caught us asleep. If they didn't, it had to be officers and those who were hiding out, as reveille was at six o'clock, late sleepers at seven, with breakfast also started at seven. I had just taken my shower. My last fresh water shower until after the war as showers were converted to salt water to conserve the fresh water for drinking, cooking and machinery. After my shower, I went back to the EX office where I kept some of my clothes in a file drawer. When I heard the planes I looked out the port wondering what the Army was doing holding exercises on Sunday morning. I saw a plane drop a torpedo and then saw the "meat ball." About this time, General Quarters (GQ) was sounded and I ran to my GQ station. I spent the entire time there in only my skivvies (underwear). My GQ was on the communication bridge and I saw most of the devastation. Our ship had been damaged and we were unable to get underway. A bomb went through the dock, putting a hole in the side of our ship and busting the fuel line. There were no casualties. We all stood on the bridge, helpless, with tears in our eyes seeing the destruction of personnel and ships, but unable to help them. Over the phone someone asked the Captain's Talker: "What is going on?" The talker tried to describe it to the Engine Room and told them, "The Captain has tears in his eyes." Our ship did a lot of firing but we do not know if we hit anything. We stayed at our GQ station until late in the afternoon when the cooks were allowed to return and fix something to eat. Half of the crew stayed on watch and half went down to eat, the other half and hour later. Then we went on watch for four hours, eight hours off. That night, shortly after dark, some of our planes cam in to land on Ford Island and someone started shooting. We went back to GQ until we found out what was going on. By the time four or six of our planes had been shot down. For the rest of the War, we were on watch for hours and eight hours off. |
