Arizona

Japanese?? Here ... in Pearl Harbor?!? This must be a nightmare ... It can't be real - I can't have seen that, yet here I am, In my bunk cabin on the ship, with only a foot of air- Space left, and the water rising, my buddy looking me In the eyes for answers, but I have none ... we swam Down three times - separately - looking for a way out, But all was underwater, this, the only air left. But we're Right under the deck and we've been hearing the sounds Of activity for a half-hour now. Almost immediately after The bombs landed she went down, straight down, like A stone in a pond. But who would have thought THIS? How could we have prepared? The Japs at Pearl?? The Entire fleet lined up just as pretty-as-you-please, sitting Ducks! And how did they keep the torpedoes so shallow? They put wooden fins on the tails so they wouldn't hit The harbor bottom ... there's one here with us that Didn't explode, and it's ingenious! Ingenious!! I hear A torch now trying toi cut through - they heard our Banging, I've been using a fire extinguisher, my buddy Using the fire axe, banging on the top of our quarters, Sending Morse to the rescuers on deck, telling them the Water is rising fast. But now they're cutting with torches, And that should DO it - that should get us out in time! Come ON guys, cut! Please!! We're still alive with air, still Banging, praying, hoping! I look at my buddy and he's Smiling, cuz the first sparks of the cutting torch are Coming through! We're going to get out of here after All!! We're not going to drown in this tin can!! Take THAT Japs - you can't sink us all!! Two of the torch cuts join And a flap of steel falls through, not very big but I can Reach my hand up through ... I reach up and I feel Another hand grasp mine from up on deck - one of the Rescuers, one of my mates!! But WAIT!! I feel ... I feel ... Rushing air - rushing UP!! No ... oh, dear God, NO!! The small opening they made to start the cutting is Letting the air out!! NO!! We were saved! We were Going to be OK!!! But the air is rushing out ... oh, God, We're done!! We're NOT going to make it! I look at my Buddy and he's white ... white as a ghost ... as am I. The cold water rushes up now and he reaches through The hole with me ... he's scraping at the ceiling with His other hand, but I try to get him to calm down ... I keep saying it's OK over-and-over, until I can't say it Anymore, but he screams and screams ... then Chokes and is finally quiet. I take one last breath And I squeeze the rescuer's hand ... he squeezes back. Even though I can't see his face, and he can't see mine, We are tied forever by a hand shake, the last warm Thing I feel as our cabin fills ... and gets dark, save For a little shaft of light that peeks through the hole They made, where my arm goes up through, and my Dead buddy's ... I hold and hold my breath - I was The best at that in high school - almost three minutes I could hold my breath ... three minutes ... three Minutes ... they seem to last forever as my life replays In my head like a movie. That's IT ... I finally fill my Lungs with the cold water of Pearl Harbor, the crystal Clear, gorgeous, tropical waters of Pearl ... I say a Prayer for my wife and child ... oh, my folks will be Sad now, such a sad Christmas coming for them ... My body gets warm as my mind goes dark ... I Squeeze the hand, it squeezes back ... thank you for Trying ... don't feel bad ... thank you ... goodbye ... Good ...