Praise the heroes, pass the thanks

Garlen Eslick of Texas, left, and George Smith of Washington state pay a final tribute to a fellow crewman from the USS Oklahoma, Walter Lutenegger, whose ashes were committed to Pearl Harbor's waters from the USS Missouri yesterday. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

By Curtis Lum and Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writers

On the eve of Dec. 7, 1941, dozens of men and women danced the night away in Honolulu clubs, unaware of what would take place just a few hours later. It was the last night of fun and merriment for many of them.

Bryan Alexander, son of Lutenegger, releases the ashes, which were diluted in water to keep gusts from dispersing them in the air.

Bob Hawkins of Portland, Ore., examines the names on plaques at the Remembrance Circle on the grounds of the USS Arizona Memorial. Hawkins was a crewman on the USS Aylwin on Dec. 7, 1941.

Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

More than 30 military and civilian survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack were honored at the Hilton Hawaiian Village banquet.

One of the survivors was Philip Rasmussen, a young lieutenant in the Army Air Corps who was stationed at Wheeler Field near Wahiawa in 1941. The 83-year-old veteran flew in from Fort Myers, Fla., to take part in the weeklong commemoration.

"I appreciate the fact that there still is interest in what happened at Pearl Harbor," Rasmussen said.

He saw one of the first bombs that were dropped at Wheeler Field that morning.

Rasmussen jumped out of bed, strapped his sidearm to his pajamas, and was one of four pilots who managed to get a plane off the ground.

Rasmussen shot down one Zero pilot and returned to the base with his crippled aircraft riddled with more than 500 bullet holes.

Manuel Magdaleno, 84, traveled from Hawthorne, Calif., to be at the celebration. He was aboard the USS Tennessee with his brother and saw the USS Oklahoma as it rolled over.

"This is important," he said of the anniversary activities, "because it keeps the memories alive."

The highlight of the evening was the reunion of Pat Thompson and Jack Evans, who on Dec. 6, 1941, won a jitterbug contest at Pearl Harbor's Bloch Arena. Thompson, then 10-year-old Pat Campbell, and Evans, a 17-year-old sailor on the Tennessee, had not seen each other for 60 years.

But last night they took to the dance floor and once again jitterbugged their way into the hearts of crowd. And as was the case 60 years ago, the two were declared jitterbug champions.

Edmond Chappel, president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, salutes the raising of the U.S. flag at the convention center. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Pat Thompson and Jack Evans, who on Dec. 6, 1941, won a jitterbug contest at Pearl Harbor, reunited last night to re-create that dance. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Earlier in the day, when the U.S. flag was raised outside the Hawai'i Convention Center, the men of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association came to attention. They stood as tall as age allowed, as proud as veterans could be.

It was another brief moment of recognition in a week rapidly filling with warm praise, hearty handshakes and genuine respect for the survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.

About 120 people, most of them survivors of the attack, were present at the flag-raising ceremony. The association has 2,200 people in Hawai'i for tomorrow's observance of the 60th anniversary of the attack.

Family members watched with broad grins. Febbie Allen is here with her grandfather — Marine Corps veteran John Wood Sr. — and six other relatives from Kentucky and Tennessee.

"I'm just proud of my grandfather and the service he gave our country," Allen said. "It makes us proud all around."

The family visited the USS Arizona Memorial on Saturday. It was Allen's first trip there. It added a new dimension to her grandfather's family legacy.

"I was very excited to see it, having heard all his stories," she said. "But when you get there, it is a humbling experience."

Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris welcomed the survivors yesterday. He told them that their day of infamy moved a nation to win a war against tyranny.

"Your stories were stories of courage and great inspiration," he said. All of the stories "need to be told so this nation never forgets."

And now, 60 years later, the nation needs that kind of inspiration to fight the war on terrorism, he told the veterans.

"It is a different war, where the front lines are the streets of our cities," he said. "My hope is my generation can show the same type of courage and dedication your generation showed."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.