PIERRE, S.D. (KELO AM) - President Obama has called for flags to be flown at half-staff today in observance of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
The President has issued a proclamation in recognition of the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attacks that killed American patriots at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.
Flags are to remain at half-mast through Dec. 7 until 12 a.m. on Dec. 8.
Below are two accounts of December 7, 1941 as told by heroes who were there:
It’s 7:00 am and North Carolina native Bob May is coming off of guard duty at Headquarters Pacific Army Air Corps Hickam Air Base, Hawaii. All he was thinking about was to turn in his weapon, get some chow and hit the rack for some serious sleep.
He debriefed the on-coming guard and decided to hang out for a while because the chow hall didn’t open until 8:00 am. As he sat dosing in a big leather chair he heard the sound of booms outside.
“When I went outside, it was total mayhem,” said May. “People were running for cover planes were flying everywhere shooting machine guns and dropping bombs.”
May took cover in an open manhole but realized quickly he could be trapped. He took cover on the side of a building and remembered he had his chrome plated pistol he wore on guard duty. He didn’t even know if the gun worked or if it was ceremonial.
“I chambered a round and took aim at a Zero passing by; when I shot, it exploded,” said May. “A guy standing behind me said ‘good shot,’ but then we realized there was about 100 other people shooting at the plane too.”
Chicago native Dick David was the Radio Operator on a B-17 winging its way to Hawaii. He had thoughts of seeing Hawaii, a place he had only read about. He found a Hawaii radio station to guide them to Hawaii not realizing another group was using the same signal.
His dreams of drinking from a cocoanut and girls in grass skirts were soon disturbed by machine gun fire from passing Japanese planes.
“The pilot turned to me and said ‘What a way to enter a war, no ammunition and out of gas” words that were used in the movie ‘Tora-Tora-Tora,” said David.
David said they belly landed the B-17 and skidded into the woods. When he opened the top escape hatch, there was a Zero shooting.
“He must have been shooting at something else but he scared the heck out of me,” said David. “We scrambled out of there and hid in the woods until we felt it was safe to come out.”
We salute those who started out what was to be a nice Sunday in Hawaii were thrust into the throws of World War Two.