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Show Local Officer Among Those Aboard lll-Fated Carrier During Disaster Lt. Kenneth T. Ahlstrom, son of Alfred and Opal Hatch, was aboard the USS Enterprise, when fire broke out and bombs exploded on the flight deck. In a letter home, he stated: I was up on the bow when the first explosion hit and went immediately into the island of the ship to assist in passing the word about how to take care of the "Ordnance" that all loaded on the air planes. Luck and the good Lord saved me on that day, because I had just finished my final in-specion of all the loaded Ordnance. I had Just seconds before gone forward, when it happened. We were very lucky, and had some real good men on the ship or we would have lost the whole thing. I stayed on the flight deck until the Ordnance was taken care of and then went to my office to clean up and change clothes . . I discovered I was black and blue from my waist down, but alive. My crew did a heroic job, these young kids grew to manhood in seconds under pressure. I was very proud of every one of them. We will be in Pearl Harbor three months repairing and replacing the gear aboard the Enterprise. We will complete our cruise in July . . See you then. The Lord was certainly with us that day. We could so easily all have been blown up. Our hearts are heavy and sad for those who were and for their families .... Kenneth's wife Patricia Is living at 205 Encore Drive, Hanford. Calif. She kept the Hatch's Informed by phone how Kenneth was, etc. |
