On December 7th, 1941, about 7:45 in the morning, the last surviving crewman of the USS Arizona, Louis Conter, began his shift as Quartermaster. He had no idea that the events that would unfold that day would determine the course of World War II. Eight minutes later, he realized what was happening. Within five minutes,Japanese aircraft began dropping the first bombs over him. At exactly 8:09 a.m., a Japanese armor-piercing bomb dropped from the sky. He describes the scene and the horror that ensued.
Days after the attack, Conter joined a rescue operation to recover bodies from the ship. After diligently searching, it was apparent that no one remained alive. Conter is an American hero, but, as he says:
In April, the only other living survivor of the Arizona attack, Ken Potts died. He was 102 years old. A memorial service will be held at the Arizona Memorial today December 7th in Pearl Harbor honoring the men that gave their lives that day and those that fought on for this great country.
