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.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Pearl Harbor Survivor's Death Was Highly Exaggerated-- Part 3: This is No Drill

James Hamlin went to breakfast and then headed topside afterwards and bought a copy of the Honolulu Advertiser from "Sweatshirt" Clark, the only unofficial "paperboy" when the USS California was in port.  He found a shady spot under the big canvas awning, by the No. 1 14-inch gun turret, which was set up for church service.  The breeze, however, made it hard to turn the pages so he went below.

At 7:55 a.m. the ships' air raid siren sounded.  Said Hamlin, "I thought it was a heck of a time to have an air raid drill.  But, it didn't take me long to realize it wasn't a drill.."

The torpedoes shook the ship and dust started falling off overhead and they thought they were being gassed.

--GreGen

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