Robert C. Verbeten US Navy Ford Island |
Verbeten was on duty station at the Ford Island Naval Air Station when he and an officer heard a plane approaching. "We went to go outside. When we got to the door, we saw the meatball on the side of the plane. The officer said, 'Robert, that's a Jap.' We knew right then we were at war." MOST VIVID MEMORY: Verbeten made his way to the mess hall, that had been turned into a hospital. "There were men in there that had jumped off the damaged ships into pools of burning oil. Their skins were falling off them. It was the most horrible sight I ever saw." I was stationed at the Naval Air Station, Pearl Harbor which was near where the USS Arizona was moored on December 7th. My commanding officer and I heard some air craft so we looked out the door and saw the rising sun on the wing of an airplane. It did nto attack us because we thought after the attack was over they weren't looking for buildings, but aircraft and ships. When after all was said and done, they did a good job for their side. When we saw that meatball on the wing of that aircraft we knew we were at war and had to buckle down. |
Information provided by Robert C. Verbeten. |
