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.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

USS Utah Survivor Dies in 2013: Louie "Pete" Underwood

From the Jan. 23, 2013, Southeast Missourian "Pearl Harbor survivor buried in Scott City" by Keith Lewis.

Louie "Pete" Underwood was buried January 22, 2013.  He had just returned from the Pearl Harbor 71st Reunion at Pearl Harbor for his ship, the USS Utah.

During the attack, he was ordered to remain below deck but disobeyed after a torpedo hit his ship and it began to list.  He made his way topside and jumped into the harbor where he remembered being strafed.  The Utah lost 54 men that day.

Mr. Underwood was in his underwear.  He found an officer's quarters and took his clothes and drank his liquor because, as he said, "They'd had a rough morning."

Afterwards, he was assigned to convoy duty on the USS Detroit and served in the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns.  he was on another ship that was sunk, the USS Helena.

--GreGen

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