On a Sunday morning, a surprise attack occurred on the Navy's Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II.

Ted, thanks for noting that historical occasion.

My profound thanks to all that served and specifically those that made the ultimate sacrifice. Well done, we will always be grateful for your sacrifices, all of you, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, everyone.

My Father served in the US Army Eight Air Force flying a P-51's fighter during bombing raids against Germany from bases in England.

He left his job at the NYCRR in 1942 to serve and then returned in 1945 to become a passenger qualified steam locomotive engineer. He retired in 1989 after 49 years of RR service.

I hope we all remember those guys and gals that kept the USA a free nation, the final outcome was very much in doubt for a few years.

RIP, all the hero's at Pearl Harbor and everywhere else.

Kevin.

There is another story involving the RR's during/after WWII. This involves the unions, the management and the veterans.

Back in the old days your "hiring out date" set your seniority and determined what RR jobs you could "bid" on. If someone had an earlier "hiring out date" they could "bump" you off a more desirable job and you had to settle for the overnight local train to "left overshoe" and back.

Turns out that after WWII those employees that hired out after the war started and "stayed behind" to run the trains wanted to keep their "hiring out dates" intact. Some of these folks did not have to serve because of "deferments", IE your could get a friendly doctor to write a letter and say "he can't serve in the Army because of "flat feet", etc. In fairness some of these folks may have had a good reason that they they could not serve in actual combat.

So, my Father's "hiring out date" was 12/12/1941... He worked on the NYCRR from 12/1941 until late 1942 when he enlisted. Then after serving "His Country" (and getting his hind end shot at by the Luftwaffe for six months) the guys that "stayed stateside" wanted him to "hire out" as a "new man" in 1945 when he came back....

This was a union thing, the management of the NYCRR opposed this (to their credit) and wanted the veterans to get a full accounting and credit for their RR service before the war. The unions pushed this and lost. My Dad's "hiring out date" remained as 12/12/1941 until he retired even though he was not "working on the the railroad" from 42-45 since he was "busy" elsewhere.

My Dad was not a big "fan" of the unions after that....

Cheers, Kevin

Interesting family history, thanks for sharing. There are lots of "dirty details" that are often left out of history lessons. Interesting and brings up union memories that I seldom think about anymore. I was a welder in a past life and belonged to a union at the time. Back then most good jobs were union in my part of the world. Have no intention of hijacking the thread into a "union" thing. Just a different world a long time ago.

Glad to see some folks still remember "Pearl Harbor Day" and our vets old and new. What a day to be in Hawaii. Most of my uncles fought in WW2, few of the younger ones Korea. None were at Pearl Harbor and none worked for a railroad. You mentioned fighter pilot. My oldest Uncle flew a Spitfire in England. First USAAF unit to arrive and they did not have American planes to fly. There was a earlier unit made of "volunteer pilots" before his unit arrived. Found your story interesting. To this day some companies do honor the veteran by saving his job for him when he comes back. But often things change and it doesn't work out. Again in past life one of my dispatchers when I drove truck was in the 82nd AB and served in NG after the 1st gulf war. Finished his 20 as 1st sgt with a nice pension. Despite his tours over seas he remained employed and his fairly high up in that same trucking company. Us Chicago drivers were hard to handle but we had his back, after I found out he had been a "Sarnt" in the AB I then understood his leadership abilities and why a bunch of misfits would go all out for him. Sorry to ramble so, but it is late and a favorite topic of mine.

Cheers, John.

When we think of December 7th, I often talk to people about the USS Ward, and some of the other flush deck destroyers we had in service at the beginning of WWII. In the case of the Ward, it was patrolling the waters outside of Pearl Harbor on that morning manned my a crew from the Minnesota reserves. The Ward sighted and fired upon a submarine that was attempting to follow a ship through the submarine nets and into the harbor. They first reported “Depth bombed sub operating in defensive sea area.” Then thinking that this report was not alarming enough, sent another message “Attacked, fired upon, depth bombed, and sunk submarine operating in defensive sea area.” For years many did not give the Ward credit for the sinking, but a later investigation found the sunken submarine with a 4" hole in the conning tower.

The Ward was a very interesting ship, and it's story is fascinating and tells a story of American industry, life, the role of luck and fate and the fine folks who served on her and the many others. This ship was one of the mass produced destroyers built late in World War 1. She was built in record time, launched only 17 days after the keel was laid! Can you imagine anything like that today? She was one of the survivors of the fleet of this class of destroyers that were the majority of our destroyer fleet through the 30's. 50 of these were transferred to British and Canadian navies in the "Destroyers for Bases" deal that helped Great Brittan which desperately needed escort ships for convoy work in 1940 & 41. The Ward has often been given the honor of fighting the first shot in WWII, but also like American life, this is not really the truth. True to Roosevelt's call of "Everything short of War" it was well underway as other flush deck destroyers had been at war in the Atlantic for several months with German submarines and the USS Ruben James was the first US ship lost to enemy action. Taken from the DANFS. "on 31 October 1941, Reuben James was torpedoed by German submarine U-562. Her magazine exploded, and she sank quickly. Of the crew, 44 survived, and 115 died." As for the Ward and others like her in the Pacific, they were serving as front line destroyers, and also used to train crews. They rotated patrol duty in the Hawaiian Islands and it was Wards turn on 12/7. She served in this capacity for a few more months. The Ward was then converted into a high speed transport, APD that would land troops for invasions. A large number of the flush deck destroyers were so converted into high speed mine sweepers. (Think Cain in "The Cain Mutiny") and other type of auxiliary ships. The 4" deck gun that sunk the submarine was removed during this conversion, and is now on display in Minnesota, but I am not sure where. In this new role, the Ward was in the thick of battles all over the Pacific at a time when the outcome was far from certain. Ironically, 3 years to the date from her initial historical event, December 7th 1944, she was struck by a Kamikaze twin engine bomber and eventually had to be scuttled. In an even more ironic turn, the destroyer captain who had the duty of sinking the Ward was none other than the man who commanded her three years earlier. In all her time in this enemy action, she was a truly lucky ship as they never lost a crew member to enemy action.

I could go on, but if you read this far, I appreciate it! A few years ago, I was in a local gas station, the kind we used to have, with a two service bays, a small office that sold fuses and a few quarts of oil, not a grocery store. I looked on the wall, and there was a photo of a Fletcher Class destroyer. I recognized it, and the older gentleman who was the founder of that station perked up and was excited that I knew what it was. I replied, "It was your duty to be there, it is our duty to remember!"

Steve

One thing people forget is that the Empire State Express was inaugurated by the NYC on the same day as the beginning of the Japanese offensive in the Pacific (they hit plenty of other places as well as Pearl that day), on the worst timing for a PR move ever for a US railroad.
I took this shot at an airshow several years ago and later placed the text into it, as it's appropriate, I think:

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Hawaii, go to the "Arizona". Looking onto the wreck is a profoundly moving experience. I freely admit, I wept at the wall bearing the names of 1170 young sailors entombed in the battleship. We can only wish them eternal peace and rest. God bless the United States of America.

To Steve C...

thanks for what you wrote. Interesting that you mentioned a Fletcher DD. On top of my bucket list is to spent some hours visiting the Cassin Young in Boston, one of 175 of those built.

My late uncle George was with the 1st Marines on Guadalcanal in 1942. He was still with us when I spent a week there in '07. I was able to retrace some of his steps and had Tee shirts made for both of us while there. Incredible place and so were Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambogo directly across Iron bottom sound.

God bless all vets.

Speaking of Fletcher class destroyers, while it was well after Pearl Harbor, one of my wife’s great-uncles was killed in the explosion of the USS Halligan (DD 584) when it struck a mine off Okinawa on 26 March 1945. Lt (jg) Wayne M Howell, the ship’s radar officer, was amidships and lost his life along with over half of the ship’s crew. His remains were never recovered. His 25-year old widow was left with only their 4-year old daughter to remember him.

My family was very lucky. Dad’s draft status was II-B - deferred for war production - as he was engaged in printing the ration stamps that were coveted by everybody on the home front. All of my uncles made it back in one piece although one suffered from what would now be called PTSD. He was in an engineer battalion that cleared minefields and apparently saw more than a few fellow soldiers blown to bits.

Google has hundred of old newspapers on-line and I’ve recently embarked on a mission to read the Pittsburgh Press during WW II so as to experience the war the same way my parents did. It’s very sobering to read the long lists of casualties that appeared in virtually every edition. If you know a living WW II veteran, be sure to thank him. If you knew a veteran who has passed on, make damn sure he has a flag on his grave come Memorial Day.

/s/ Larry
Lawrence G. Lovejoy, P.E.