Red Ball
Seasoned Citizen
I am not a veteran. My services were declined in 1976.
I had mentioned to an Army doctor during my voluntary induction I was allergic to fire ants.
He immediately washed me out.
Let me tell you a quick story of Dear Ol’ Dad.
Yesterday, 11-10-21, would have been his 101st birthing day.
He joined the US Navy in 1939 at age 18.
December 6, 1941 he had spent the night carousing the streets of Honolulu and returned to his ship at evenings end.
Sleeping on ship didn't cost money and hotel rooms did.
Early the next morning he was woken by the ship's klaxon with a call to general quarters.
He could hear explosions everywhere.
His general quarters station was below decks as a part of a damage control team.
He hurried there clad only with deck shoes, T-shirt, shorts and dog tags.
A few moments later the call to abandon ship was issued.
He was third in line of the group of men climbing the gangway for the ship's exterior deck.
He supposed a bomb flew over him, detonated in the compartment just behind. Killing all his Navy freinds.
He was ejected up the gangway, over the deck and over the side of the ship into the water.
The force of the explosion striped him of all clothing and his dog tags.
The water was covered with burning diesel fuel from the ruptured ships all around.
He had to swim underwater, clear the surface and take a breath and submerge again.
He said it took him forever to reach land.
That is how Jack Lawrence Donley survived the sinking of the BB Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7th 1941.
Sometime in the late 1990's we were listening to talk radio.
The host referred to the people who fought WW2 as Heroes.
Dad gave a loud snort and commented, "We weren't Heroes. We were a bunch of scared young people with a job in front of us and no one else around to do it."
Dad, that's kinda the perfect definition of hero.
I had mentioned to an Army doctor during my voluntary induction I was allergic to fire ants.
He immediately washed me out.
Let me tell you a quick story of Dear Ol’ Dad.
Yesterday, 11-10-21, would have been his 101st birthing day.
He joined the US Navy in 1939 at age 18.
December 6, 1941 he had spent the night carousing the streets of Honolulu and returned to his ship at evenings end.
Sleeping on ship didn't cost money and hotel rooms did.
Early the next morning he was woken by the ship's klaxon with a call to general quarters.
He could hear explosions everywhere.
His general quarters station was below decks as a part of a damage control team.
He hurried there clad only with deck shoes, T-shirt, shorts and dog tags.
A few moments later the call to abandon ship was issued.
He was third in line of the group of men climbing the gangway for the ship's exterior deck.
He supposed a bomb flew over him, detonated in the compartment just behind. Killing all his Navy freinds.
He was ejected up the gangway, over the deck and over the side of the ship into the water.
The force of the explosion striped him of all clothing and his dog tags.
The water was covered with burning diesel fuel from the ruptured ships all around.
He had to swim underwater, clear the surface and take a breath and submerge again.
He said it took him forever to reach land.
That is how Jack Lawrence Donley survived the sinking of the BB Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7th 1941.
Sometime in the late 1990's we were listening to talk radio.
The host referred to the people who fought WW2 as Heroes.
Dad gave a loud snort and commented, "We weren't Heroes. We were a bunch of scared young people with a job in front of us and no one else around to do it."
Dad, that's kinda the perfect definition of hero.
Thank You to All Veterans