For Utah vets, Pearl Harbor memories still vivid

Yes, It's Pearl Harbor Day, and the first part of this article is near and dear to me, because I am a Registered Nurse.

From The Salt Lake Tribune:

Twenty-one times the bell tolled, once for each Utah serviceman who gave his life defending his country during the surprise Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor 67 years ago.

It was a quiet Sunday morning on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese planes suddenly appeared in the sky over the U.S. Navy's Hawaiian base, bombing and torpedoing most of America's Pacific fleet in an attack that would draw the country into World War II.

For the Utahns who survived the attack, memories of that day are still vivid -- the carnage on Battleship Row where the USS Arizona burned, the bravery of their comrades who fought back and others who rose up in quiet valor against the assault.

Utahn Bob Pierce, of Providence, nursing a broken ankle from a baseball game, was outside the base hospital and on his way to church when he saw the first Japanese plane overhead.

"At first, I thought it was a mock attack," Pierce said, addressing a small crowd that had gathered Sunday for the annual memorial service held by the Utah chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. "It quickly became apparent, though, that wasn't the case."

One memory stands out for him. It is the image of the hospital's nurses who were housed in a Quonset hut near the hospital. As the sound of exploding bombs thundered all around, the nurses began spilling out of the hut's doors.

"They were all in a tizzy and didn't know what to do," Pierce said, adding that just a few minutes later the first flat-bed truck showed up with wounded. " The moment they saw the bodies, everything changed. They didn't hesitate a moment. They knew what needed to be done."

Please read the rest; there is something for everyone to remember at this time. Folks there is truth in the saying "somethings change and some things stay the same" 911 comes to mind. Go with God all our brave soldiers.
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