I woke up 6:00 that morning. I was one of the lucky ones. I was a lieutenant on the U.S.S. California. Around 7:00, I was laying awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. I guess I had a little too much on my mind, the war in Europe and all, and rumors about it spreading to our country. Guess we just had to wait and see. A bit after 7:30, I went to the bathroom. When I came back, I refused to get back into bed because I wouldn't wake up until nine. So, I started getting dressed and getting my teeth brushed before the bathroom was full of knuckleheaded rookies. I was getting my socks on when our captain ran into the room. You see, back then we hated our captain and the feeling was mutual. He thought we were good-for-nothing, gun-ho trigger jockeys, and those were his actual words. And the morning of December 7,1941 wasn't all that much different, or so I thought.

I heard a bang. Well, it wasn't really a bang, more like a boom. Either way, it woke up the other soldiers bunking in this room, along with the rest of the ship. I hurried to get my socks on as our captain started to yell. "Up and at 'em maggots, we got some Japs on American soil looking to start some trouble. We got a job to take 'em down. Meet me topside by 0800." Then he left. I glanced at the clock. 7:55, typical captain. I hurriedly tied my shoelaces and ran through the door into the narrow hallway. I felt claustrophobic because of all the people in the hall at once, even after all those drills we ran getting ready for something just like this. Another bang shook the ship and knocked me off my feet.

"Got damage in the aft of the boat, Japanese subs in the harbor," I heard someone say over the ships loudspeakers. I hurried my pace to get topside, dodging fumbling newbies and other obstacles. I got topside and another explosion shook the ship and I flew sideways, hitting the guardrails of the ship and flying over the side, hanging on for dear life. I looked down and saw the damage caused to the ship. A huge hole was blown in the front and aft of the ship; it was a wonder this boat was still afloat. I was losing my grip with a three-finger hold with one hand. Two fingers; and then I lost grip completely.