Carson City remembers Pearl Harbor on diamond anniversary
Submitted by editor on Wed, 12/07/2016 - 12:30pm
Frigid arctic air brought shivers to the crowd encircling the U.S.S. Nevada memorial Wednesday morning behind the Capitol during the state's remembrance of the Pearl Harbor attacks that occurred 75 years ago.
But it was reading the names of those killed aboard the Nevada on the "day of infamy" that caused chills to run through those in attendance, bringing also tears to the eyes of many.
Nevada Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison and Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell delivered the keynote remarks at Wednesday's diamond anniversary ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor.
The ceremony began at 10:51 a.m. Wednesday, the exact time that the U.S.S. Nevada BB-36 got underway during the Pearl Harbor attack, two hours behind Nevada time.
"Ours is a proud state, an historic state and we are honored to have the U.S.S. Nevada named after us," said Hutchison.
Mayor Crowell addressed two Pearl Harbor survivors in attendance, Robert "Bob" Lloyd of Dayton and Delmar Schwichtenberg of Carson City.
"We are honored to have you here with us today as we remember your service at Pearl Harbor," said Crowell.
Though heavily damaged from Japanese dive bomber torpedoes, the Nevada was the only U.S. battleship to get underway on Dec. 7, 1941 and make its way out the terrible melee at "battleship row" next to Ford Island.
The Nevada, in fact, made a valiant attempt to leave the harbor before its damage forced it aground at Hospital Point.
At exactly 8:51 a.m. Honolulu time — 10:51 a.m. Nevada time — on Dec. 7, 1941, the U.S.S. Nevada BB-36 raised anchor and got underway amidst fiery explosions of battleships on three sides of her.
Fortunately for Nevada, she was anchored to the outside of "battleship row," so she had a lane of escape.
Not so fortunate was the U.S.S. Oklahoma, which capsized in the harbor following torpedo attacks, trapping hundreds of men in her bottom decks.
In perhaps the most spectacular — and tragic — explosion of the morning, the U.S.S. Arizona received a torpedo hit to her forward magazine, causing the vessel to be ripped apart. As her remains settled at the bottom of shallow Pearl, Arizona entombed more than 1,100 crewmen in her depths.
About 2,400 Americans perished in the Pearl Harbor attack. The United States Pacific Fleet lost 18 warships, including five battleships, as well as 180 war planes in the early morning surprise attack by the Empire of Japan.
In the days and months that followed, a "sleeping giant" awoke. The United States entered World War II on the heels of one of the most massive economic war machines the globe had ever witnessed.
As for the U.S.S. Nevada, she not only survived the Pearl Harbor attack, but she was repaired and eventually remodeled to serve out the remainder of the war.
Outliving her usefulness to the U.S. Navy, in fact, Nevada was later decommissioned and eventually towed out to sea in August 1948 and sunk.
- Bob Crowell
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