The firsthand experiences of Hechler (187), Masterson (172) and Brittin (190) on the Pearl Harbor attacks provide an idea on the extent of the devastation inflicted by the Japanese military on the United States (US) military facilities in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with emphasis on the fate of the USS Arizona. Hechler (187) described how the US battleship USS Arizona sank due to the attacks by the Japanese military. Describing the USS Arizona as being “wracked by a tremendous explosion,” Hechler (187) spoke about how his own life was at risk of being diminished by the aerial bombs and bullets released by the Japanese military. At the same time, Hechler (187) witnessed how a Japanese torpedo plane came down crashing on the deck of a seaplane tender. At first, Hechler (187) and his crew thought that the Japanese torpedo plane is crashing towards the ocean, but they were left awestruck by how it deliberately destroyed Curtiss, which resulted to several casualties from their ranks. Masterson (172) detailed at how lucky he was in escaping the devastation at Pearl Harbor by not boarding on USS Arizona at the time the Japanese military attacked. Having witnessed the destroyed USS Arizona, Masterson (172) expressed his shock over the fact that most of his crewmates were on board it. Brittin (190), from his porthole on the USS Aylwin, saw for himself the “mass of flames” that covered much of the sky after the USS Arizona exploded due to the attacks by the Japanese military. All of the foregoing accounts were consistent with describing the fact that the Pearl Harbor attacks were destructive, as it caused the deaths of numerous people, particularly from the US military.
Works Cited
Brittin, Birdick. "We Four Ensigns." Air Raid, Pearl Harbor! Recollections of a Day of Infamy. Ed. Paul Stillwell. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute, 1981. 190-194. Print.
Hechler, Ted, Jr. "Like Swatting Bees in a Telephone Booth." Air Raid, Pearl Harbor! Recollections of a Day of Infamy. Ed. Paul Stillwell. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute, 1981. 186-189. Print.
Masterson, Kleber. "Arizona Survivor." Air Raid, Pearl Harbor! Recollections of a Day of Infamy. Ed. Paul Stillwell. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute, 1981. 171-175. Print.
