On Dec. 7, 1941, U.S. Navy Fireman 2nd Class Joseph William Carroll was on the USS Oklahoma battleship at Fort Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
On that fateful morning, the mighty battleship was one of many American ships attacked by Japanese aircraft. The Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, causing it to quickly capsize.
kAm%96 !62C= w2C3@C 2EE24< 4=2:>65 E96 =:G6D @7 >@C6 E92? a[c__ p>6C:42?D — :?4=F5:?8 cah 4C6H>6? 23@2C5 E96 ~<=29@>2]k^Am
kAmr2CC@== H2D 2>@?8 E9@D6 D2:=@CD H9@ =@DE E96:C =:G6D[ 3FE @FE @7 E96 cah 4C6H>6? H9@ 5:65[ bgg C6>2:?65 F?244@F?E65 F?E:= >@C6 E92? f_ J62CD =2E6C]k^Am
kAmq68:??:?8 :? a_`d[ E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 s676?D6 3682? 6I9F>:?8 C6>2:?D @7 D2:=@CD 2?5 |2C:?6D H9@ H6C6 <:==65 @? E96 ~<=29@>2 :? 2? 2EE6>AE E@ :56?E:7J E96>] $:?46 E96?[ ?62C=J be_ 92G6 366? :56?E:7:65 — :?4=F5:?8 y@D6A9 (:==:2> r2CC@==[ H9@ H2D 244@F?E65 7@C @? pF8] `h[ a_`h]k^Am
kAm}@H[ r2CC@== H:== 7:?2==J 36 =2:5 E@ C6DE (65?6D52J[ pF8] a` 2E E96 }2E:@?2= r6>6E6CJ @7 E96 !24:7:4 — E96 “!F?493@H=” :? w@?@=F=F]k^Am
kAmr2CC@==’D 4@FD:? }2?4J {6:89 r2CC@== s6 {2 rCFK[ @7 $E@4<3C:586[ 2=@?8 H:E9 96C 9FD32?5 t?C:BF6 2?5 52F89E6C q2:=6J[ H:== 36 E96C6 7@C E96 46C6>@?J :? w2H2:: 2D 9:D ?6IE @7 <:?]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :E’D 8C62E[” }2?4J s6 {2 rCFK D2:5 @7 36:?8 23=6 E@ 7:?2==J =2J 96C =@G65 @?6 E@ C6DE 2?5 E@ 9@?@C 9:D D24C:7:46] “~?6 @7 E96 C62D@?D H6 49@D6 E@ 2==@H 9:> E@ 36 C63FC:65 E96C6 H2D 3642FD6 96 H2D 2=C625J E96C6 7@C D@ =@?8 H:E9 2== 9:D 4C6H >6>36CD 96 A2DD65 2H2J H:E9] x 76=E =:<6 96 H2D 2=C625J E96C6 2?5 H6 >:89E 2D H6== AFE 9:> 324< H96C6 96 H2D — H:E9 9:D 7C:6?5D] $@>6 @7 E96> ?6G6C 8@E :56?E:7:65]”k^Am
kAm}2?4J’D 72E96C[ %9@>2D r2CC@==[ :D 24EF2==J y@D6A9 r2CC@==’D 4=@D6DE =:G:?8 C6=2E:G6] w@H6G6C[ D96 D2:5[ 3642FD6 96 :D :? 9:D g_D[ 96 H@?’E 36 23=6 E@ >2<6 E96 EC:A D@ }2?4J 2?5 96C 72>:=J H:== 92G6 E96 9@?@C @7 A2J:?8 E96:C C6DA64ED E@ E96:C 72==6? 72>:=J >6>36C]k^Am
kAmy@D6A9 (:==:2> r2CC@== — =:<6 D@ >2?J J@F?8 >6? H9@ 6?=:DE65 2?5 D6CG65 — H2D?’E >2CC:65 2?5 5:5?’E 92G6 2?J 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ :?7@C>2E:@? 7C@> E96 (6DE ':C8:?:2 pC49:G6D[ 96 H2D E96 D@? @7 s6==2 r] r2CC@== 2?5 y@D6A9 r2CC@== 2?5 H2D ?:4<?2>65 “y@6 q:==]”k^Am
kAmw6 8C25F2E65 7C@> u2:CG:6H w:89 $49@@= :? `hbh]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2GJ[ 96 6?=:DE65 :? q2=E:>@C6[ |5][ @? yF=J ``[ `hc_ 2?5 H2D 2DD:8?65 E@ E96 }2G2= %C2:?:?8 $E2E:@? :? }@C7@=<[ '2] @? yF=J `a[ `hc_]k^Am
kAm~? ~4E] h[ `hc_[ 96 H2D 2DD:8?65 E@ E96 &$$ ~<=29@>2 2?5 D6CG65 2D 2 7:C6>2?]k^Am
kAmw:D 2H2C5D 2?5 564@C2E:@?D :?4=F565 E96 !FCA=6 w62CE[ r@>32E p4E:@? #:33@?[ p>6C:42? s676?D6 $6CG:46 |652= Wu=66E r=2DAX[ pD:2E:4 !24:7:4 r2>A2:8? |652= WH:E9 qC@?K6 $E2CX 2?5 E96 (@C=5 (2C xx ':4E@CJ |652=]k^Am
kAm}2?4J s6 {2 rCFK D2:5 D96 2AAC64:2E6D E96 }2GJ E2<:?8 E96 E:>6[ >@?6J 2?5 677@CE E@ :56?E:7J E96 D6CG:46 >6>36CD 2?5 2==@H:?8 72>:=J >6>36CD E@ 9@?@C E96:C =@G65 @?6D H9@ A2:5 E96 F=E:>2E6 D24C:7:46]k^Am
kAmx? 9@?@C @7 E96 72>:=J’D xC:D9 96C:E286[ D96 D2:5 328A:A6D H:== 36 A=2J65 5FC:?8 E96 7F== 3FC:2= D6CG:46] w:D ?2>6 H:== 36 A=2465 @? 2 A=242C5[ 2?5 3642FD6 96 H2D r9C:DE:2?[ 2 4C@DD H:== 36 A=2465 36D:56 9:D ?2>6]k^Am
kAm“(6’== 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 9@?@C 9:D >6>@CJ 2?5 7:?2==J AFE 9:> E@ C6DE 27E6C ff J62CD[” D96 D2:5] “%92E’D 2 =@?8 E:>6[ 3FE 2E =62DE :E H:== 36 5@?6]”k^Am
kAm%96 }2GJ 4@G6CD 2== AC:>2CJ >@CEF2CJ 6IA6?D6D H:E9 E96 :?E6C>6?ED 2=@?8 H:E9 72>:=J EC2G6= 2?5 =@58:?8 7@C FA E@ E9C66 72>:=J >6>36CD]k^Am
kAmp 7F== 7F?6C2= 56E2:= WC:7=6 D2=FE6[ 3FC:2= E62> 2?5 %p!$X :D 2=D@ @776C65 E@ 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAm“q6:?8 23=6 E@ C64@G6C 2?5 :56?E:7J E96 C6>2:?D @7 E96D6 D2:=@CD 2:5D :? E96 4=@DFC6 E@ E96D6 72>:=:6D[” D2:5 r2AE] y677 sC2F56[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 }2GJ r2DF2=EJ ~77:46] “{:<6 2== 7@C46D :? E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 s676?D6[ :E :D 6DA64:2==J :>A@CE2?E E@ E96 }2GJ E@ 9@?@C @FC D2:=@CD 2?5 |2C:?6D H9@ A2:5 E96 F=E:>2E6 D24C:7:46 :? 8:G:?8 E96:C =:G6D 7@C @FC 4@F?ECJ]”k^Am
Recommended for you
Henry County held its 9/11 Memorial Ceremony Wednesday morning in the Jason T. Harper Arena at Heritage Park. Here are some scenes from the ceremony. Click for more.Henry County Remembers 9/11
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.