The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Two Local Pearl Harbor Survivors Die Over the Past Year-- Part 2

David Roessler was born June 17, 1921, and grew up in Shoshone. He joined the Army at age 18 and served in the Pacific in the Army's 24th Division Signal Office as chief clerk at the Schofield Barracks.

In 2008, he told the Times-News that he was awakened that day by the sound of a plane going down and ran out of his barracks and saw about 16 two-seat Japanese planes bombing Wheeler Field about two miles away.

He ran across an open field to his duty station and emptied his 45-caliber handgun at a Japanese plane just 50 feet above him and said, "You knew it wouldn't do any good. But, it made you feel better."

There are only about 1,000 Pearl Harbor survivors still alive as of December 7, 2012.

Sorry to Be Losing Them. --GreGen

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