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Show .?GaC2(L QD88 ZI70B0d(o C3 ARBOR DAV. .Dec. 2, "Everything was on fire. The ship was on fire, the water was on fire, and there was (sic) people on the crane, and I saw them as we went, and they were up in this fire, and I thought God Almighty, how are they going to make it?' " Anderson said. On the way to the island, Anderson and his mate fished people out of the water. Once on the island, he and another sailor spotted an unmanned boat and swam to it. They operated the boat, rescuing people from the crane area of the Arizona, bringing them to the hospital pier. Anderson and his fellow sailor cruised the area rescuing men until they were sunk by a Japanese plane. Anderson swam for Ford Island. He had been hit in the back and head with shrapnel and flashburned. The reverberations of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor are still being felt today. The United States entered World War II ill prepared and fought for. the first months with weapons left over from World War I. America vowed not to let this happen again. U.S. servicemembers today are and equipped. The American military mans a sophisticated surveillance system that guards against surprise attack. Finally, the United States maintains forces strong enough to deter aggressors from attacking ancF-i- f that fails strong enough to exact retaliation. The lessons of Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona were costly. The Arizona memorial stands today as a haunting reminder of that. Survivors of the Arizona remember when the scene was not the serene memorial it is today. John Anderson was a boatswain mate second On Dec. 6, 1941, the island of Oahu in Hawaii was class aboard the Arizona when the attack started. a bastion of American strength. It was the home of Since he had been stationed in China before reportAmerica's Pacific Fleet. The Army Air Forces, the ing aboard, he knew immediately what the planes Navy and Marine Corps had air bases on the island. with orange circles on their wings meant. "I just Wafting over the island was nothing but the scent went for the quarterdeck hatch where the alarm sysof tropical flowers and the sounds of peace. tem (was) and pulled it. Nothing happened," he said On Dec. 7, all this changed. The Pacific Fleet lay during an interview with the National Park Service shattered on the bottom of Pearl Harbor. Planes in 1981. "About that time, a bomb hit back aft, and were marked by plumes of smoke as they lay burn- then I knew we were in the attack." Anderson went to his battle station, but it had ing on their air strips. The smell of explosives, oil and death overpowered been hit by a bomb and was worthless. He was atthe scents of flowers. The bark of guns, tempting to get to his twin brother's battle station and of bombs the at an howling plane engines bursting gun when the bomb that blew up had replaced the sounds of peace. the ship hit. "The bomb hit and blew me off the ladWhen the smoke cleared, 2,403 Americans were der, .and we wound up back of the crane," he said. dead, and the United States was at war with Japan. The blast had blown him almost 60 feet. The ship Was a loss, and attempts to rescue the Today, the aircraft carrier signifies the naval might of the nation. In 1941, the battleship was that survivors began. Men worked to get the wounded vessel. Moored on Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor into rescue boats. "I picked up a couple people, and were seven of the Navy 's big guns. The pride of that (their) skin slid off their arms like it was grease. fleet was the USS Arizona. At the beginning of the These people were flash burned," Anderson said. He attack, the Arizona took a bomb hit in the forward wanted to go back to find his brother, but an officer magazines, ripping the ship apart. A total of 1,177 told him that the ship was gone, his brother was sailors and Marines died in this explosion. gone, "and we better get off before everybody else Today, a memorial to those men spans the remains is killed, too." The officer pushed Anderson into the of the Arizona. The American flag flies from a pole boat, and they headed toward Ford Island the attached to the severed mainmast of the battleship. nearest land in the center of Pearl Harbor. by Jim Garamone American Forces Information Service s anti-aircra- ft anti-aircra- Holiday trcdllions sought Family traditions bring rx Q DIjODDDgO!? DS Hilltop Times 1 988 ft well-traine- d The Improved Alliance Health Benefit Plan ex- tra meaning to the holiday " season. These traditions range from simple things like stringing popcorn for the tree, singing Christmas - carols as a family or baking cookies for neighbors. More elaborate activities include making all of your own presents to preparing foods from native countries for a festive holiday dinner. . Whatever your traditions, the Hilltop Times would like to include them in our special holiday issue, Dec. 23. Tell us how many years your family has been doing this activity and, if known, how the tradition came about. We will select a wide variety of traditions for publication and would like to hear from you. Please send us a description of your family's favorite tradition(s) along with your names (including rank military or civilian) and organization and work phone numbers (in case we need fur-ther clarification). Deadline for submitting ideas is Friday. Mail entries to Hilltop Times, Ogden ALC Public Affairs Office (00-ALPA), Hill AFB, Utah 84056-599Call Exts. 77321 or 77322 for details. " 3 f '4. f.fA J if ' r J C difference! 2. Staff looking for drawings will The Hilltop Times pub- lish a special issue Dec. 23 and would like to include drawings by the children of Hill AFB's military and civilian workers. Children are asked to submit, single drawings on 8Vt" xll" white paper. Drawings could depict family traditions, what the child wants for a gift, or what the child feels is the meaning of the The National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees' improved plan offers: Efficient claim service Prompt personal service Choice of two health plans Excellent health care protection Olir StCJltbrd Option Pfcn covers 100 of covered hospital charges after the admission deductible has been met, in participating Blue Cross and Blue Shield hospitals; mail order prescription drug program; dental benefits; and catastrophic coverage. The Standard Option Plan helps you save money through built-i- cost containment features. n Look at Our Stcnrkrd Option Rates holidays. All drawings should be sent flat (or personally vered during duty hours, 7:30 a.m.-- 4 p.m.) to the Hilltop Times office, Bldg. 1102. Room 118. Please note that in order to ensure the drawings reproduce well, encourage children to use felt markers or crayons. Light colors will not show upr All drawings should include the child's full name and age. Deadline for all entries is Friday. Call for more details. 777-732173- Di-wcc- deli- kly POSTAL EMPLOYEES Self $2.35 NON-POSTA- L Sdf $930 F.t$6.32 For full details about benefits, rates, limitations and exclusions, contact your personnel office for a copy of the Alliance Health Benefit Plan brochure. For more information, immediately call: FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Fer.:iy $25.27 District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico (202) 479-176- 0 High Option Rates Federal Employees Postal Employees Self $31.66 Family $105.50 Self $2030 Family $80.63 Non-Post- al Blue Cross o tfw NMwnM Capital Am - I |