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Show 4 THE GREEN SHEET Thursday, December 4, 1986 Zachary Sundin Honored - Award Pays Tribute To Young Man's Courage Murray swimming coach Larry Swim presents Most Inspirational Award to Zachary Sundin during a break in action from Thanksgiving Invitational the Murray club hosted Friday and Saturday. Sundin was injured in a climb MUCH DESERVED . . . ing accident back on May 17 and was only recently released from the hospital. He was accompanied by his mother Karen, other members of the family and numerous friends. Pearl Harbor Survivors Continued from page 1 auxiliary ships moored on the other side." he went on. "Then they strafed a nest of mine sweepers and auxiliary ships just ahead of where the Utah was. When the strafing attacks were over, the high altitude bombers McDonald came, continued. Ironically, the bombs they were dropping on the ships in dry dock armor piercing projecwere tiles that had fins welded to them. They hit the USS Pennsylvania, the USS Shaw, the USS Downs and blew up the USS Cassen, and as they came along dropping bombs on Battle Ship Row," one went down the stack ol the Arizona. There were no survivors from below the third deck There were machine gun stations up on the masts, and as the fire from the burning oil on the water began to inciease, it began burning the guys on the masts, who dove into the w ater topped by the burning oil. As we came along side of the Arizona, I remember so goddamned clearly a kid sitting spraddle-legge- d on the deck trying to put his guts back in. he added in a voice choked with emotion Meanwhile aboard the USS Regal, organized chaos reigned. Thomas Borland had been in bed when ithap-pene- d and Russel Clegg had been reading the newspaper. Of course neither of them knew what was happening, so they rushed up the hatch to find out w hat was wrong, but they were pushed back and told to stay below decks because they were being attacked by the Japanese. Not content to remain there, h Borland went through the passageways in the bowels of the ship until lie reached the top deck. He could see the Oklahoma and the Arizona burning and there was burning oil all over the water. At this point, the attack ceased to be a spectator sport for Borland because he was thrust into duty in a motor whale boat to rescue the men floundering in the burning oil. Some we would lift out of the water, only to find that they were blown all to hell, so we would let them sink back and concentrated on rescuing the live ones, Borland said "We didn't have time to get scared." he added. In fact there was a kind of artificial high that carried us through all the excitement. He went on to say that although it was dav light the sky was red with tracers Even some of the American planes that flew over the top of the ships were shot at because there was such organized confusion that no one knew what they were doing. Some of the guys, who lived ashore in the naval housing a half mile from te base lost their families in the attack and the Japs machine gunned the cars of servicemen who tried to get back to their ships. I watched a ship called the USS Borland conOglala roll over, tinued, and although I didn't know it then, Brent Erickson, a former Justice of the Peace in Granger, was one of the men on board. Seven men on the Regal died in the stern. Two bombs dropped to the forward of my ship, but neither one detonated. One went through the midships of one of the motor whale boats and buried itself in the mud, and the other through the focsal (forward part) of another whale boat. The one that hit the water on the side of the Regal wasn't that close, but when it blew up, the shrapnel fragments got the guys in the stern. We counted 152 holes in the stern when it was all over. From Cleggs vantage point on the Regal, he remembers seeing the big red rising sun painted on the wings ot the Japanese planes, and the flames that shot 15 or 20 feet in the air from the burning oil on the water. Both he and Borland were involved in cleaning the mud and blood from the motor whale boats in the days following the attack. We couldnt write home to let our folks know that we were all right, h saul because the censorship wa.-m place jet and I never returned to the United States for three full years In fact, he added, after I went through five years of war, I was so ni (( glad to be able to put my feet on the alkaline soil of Magna that I swore I would never leave home again. I joined the Navy for adventure, Clegg said, but I became so disenchanted with the service that I would never recommend anyone going into it unless they were drafted, and then only as a last resort for an education or a way out. J. R. Clegg is not a military-minde- d man, Clegg continued. I would like to protest the nuclear testing and I wish that the people who say that it is a right war - the diplomats, politicians and the profiteers - could be put on the front lines. Then maybe they might not be so eager to put a bayonet in somebody else's hands. Ronald Reagan talks about the new patriotism, but I'm still loyal to the old, Clegg went on. I live in America and I buy in America. I thought that we won the war, he added, but we might as well declare now - 45 years later - that we are still prisoners of the Japs because they have buried us with their merchandise. The Phoenix, with McDonald aboard, went through every major action in the Pacific except three, and although he stayed in the Navy for 10 years, he too expressed some bitterness , about today&ioreign N r, ..j policy..,. This is the first time in history any nation has turned around and helped the country that they fought, he said. We helped both the Germans and the Japs rebuild their countries and weve not been paid one penny back. We have educated those bastards and shared our technology with them and theyve beat us to death with it. At some point in time we will be battling those nations again, he added, and for this reason, I nevery buy anything that is made in MURRAY. Zachary Sundin didnt swim a stroke in the annual Thanksgiving Invitational staged at Murray high school, but he protpbly ended up netting the most prestigious award passed out during club event. the two-da- y Zack wasnt expected to live when he was wheeled into hospital last May 17, having sustained severe injuries in a climbing accident on Storm Mountain. For nearly six months, Zack remained on deaths doorstep, trapped in a coma. But on Friday, with tearful family members, friends and former teammates looking on, Zack returned to the Murray high pool. His coach, Larry Swim, paying tribute to the young mans courage and determination, handed him a much deserved Most Inspirational Award. I feel great, he said following This is a great the presentation. award. Though still restricted to a wheel chair, Zack has retained the same cheerful attitude he displayed before the accident. In fact, his mother Karen reported, throughout the ordeal he has never become resentful or sorry for himself. Hes so motivated," she added conlidently. He says hes going to walk again. His mother believes the same kind he acquired of through his swim training has helped him battle back from his injuries. In his remarks, Coach Swim described Zacks fight in swimming terms. The kind of prgress hes made so far, Swim stated, if you compared it to swimming, would be like going from novice to senior national. Only a couple of weeks ago, Zack returned home for the first time since May 17 only a couple of weeks are months in a coma and several operations. Ahead is many months more of painful physical therapy. Hes determined to do whatever He Swim continued. it takes, hasnt backed away from anything, just because hes facing a tough ago. Behind fight. In a way, Zack is kind of lucky. Most of us go through life never knowing just how stout of stuff were made of. Hes already made more progress since May 17 than most people do in a lifetime. Run Set Saturday COPPERTON. Area runners are being reminded that the third annual run will Nick Yengich be held Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. at the old Bingham high school here. The entry fee will be $6 for those who and $7 on the day of will be awarded to the race. all finishers. Ron Yengich, a Salt Lake defense lawyer sponsors the annual run in memory of his brother, Baltimore pre-regist- Evening Sun reporter Nick Yengich, who died in 1984. Yengich has named the race the Nick Yemch Freedom of the Press Run, because he feels that his brother embodied all that is good about the media. Last year proceeds from the race were donated to help pay medical bills for shooting victim Michelle Nicolleti, who was wounded in an unsolved incident in Copperton two QCBaiS(giiIiEBQlIC)Gt3iS9ginmnEB(niSQffll3im?gt3P Year -- -- Japan. A veteran of the Navy, Tom Borland echoed the sentiments of his friends, as far as U.S. foreign policy is concerned. It is hard to conceive all the atrocities that were perpetrated by the Japanese, Borland said, but if I had any advice to give to future generations, it would be to buy American goods - and to remember Pearl Harbor." NOTE: An interesting sidelight to the story is that one of the Japanese pilots that was shot down at Pearl Harbor was wearing a 1939 Cyprus school ring. In searching for lost class members this summer for the class reunion, it was discovered that a Japanese member of the class of 39 had gone back to Japan and had died fighting for Japan in World War II. Holiday or Hours Layaway for 6400 So. Store Open til 9 pm Our other Stores Open til 6 pm Christmas the person on your list For who has everything hut . 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