Remains of N.J. sailor who died saving others in Pearl Harbor attack identified decades later

[rangerrebew]

 Remains of N.J. sailor who died saving others in Pearl Harbor attack identified decades later

December 15, 2019 Jenna Wise

A New Jersey sailor hailed for his actions saving others during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor will finally get a proper military burial nearly 80 years after his ship was bombed after his remains were recently identified through DNA testing.

Chief Petty Officer Francis D. Day, of Millburn, was one of the thousands lost on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese fighter planes attacked the U.S. Naval Base in Hawaii, sinking or destroying 21 vessels.

Day was in his 16th year of service when he died on the USS Oklahoma — the ship on which he’d spent the majority of his career. He was 37 years old.

Day’s family has spent the years since wondering what happened to the man of whom they’d only heard stories.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/12/remains-of-n-j-sailor-who-died-saving-others-in-pearl-harbor-attack-identified-decades-later/

[Gefn]

 

[skeeter]

An awful way to go. I'm glad the military still cares enough to ID these guys.

[PeteS in CA]

Both Lynne Werner and her son, James Werner, didn’t know Day, but grew up hearing tales of how he spent the last moments of his life heroically saving 15 sailors trapped on the Oklahoma, the family told NJ Advance Media.

Day hoisted the men out of the ship through a small porthole, knowing his large frame would keep him from following.
...
Day enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1925 as a seaman apprentice, according to military records. From 1929 onward, Day moved through the ranks of water tending, a position which oversaw the water coming in and out of ships. Day was appointed chief water tender in 1938 — the title he held when his life was cut short.

He was awarded numerous awards for his service, including the Purple Heart, records show.

Maybe someone with better knowledge than mine can correct me, but I believe water tenders would have been working with the ship's boilers, deep in the heart of the ship. Among the severe damage to the ship - multiple torpedo hits causing Oklahoma to capsize and trap hundreds of men - her obsolescent vertical triple expansion engines, and being one of the USN's least powerful battleships, Oklahoma was deemed not worth repairing.

[Elderberry]

Maybe someone with better knowledge than mine can correct me, but I believe water tenders would have been working with the ship's boilers, deep in the heart of the ship. Among the severe damage to the ship - multiple torpedo hits causing Oklahoma to capsize and trap hundreds of men - her obsolescent vertical triple expansion engines, and being one of the USN's least powerful battleships, Oklahoma was deemed not worth repairing.

What are you trying to say? Are are you trying to diminish his role on that fateful day? He was a Chief Water Tender and you have no clue what his "Battle Station" was or what he actually did during the attack.

[PeteS in CA]

What are you trying to say? Are are you trying to diminish his role on that fateful day? He was a Chief Water Tender and you have no clue what his "Battle Station" was or what he actually did during the attack.

@Elderberry, What? Is? Your? Problem?!

I described, as best I could what I believe a Water Tender did.

I said nothing about his battle station.

I spoke of USS Oklahoma's disposition, with explanations of the decision.

That! Is! ALL! I! Said!

Try reading what I said and understanding it before assuming I meant something utterly different and jumping on me about it. Further, if you read what I posted on December 8th regarding the PH attack you would have seen that I said that the US' greatest loss in that attack was the ~2400 servicemen killed by the attack (hint, my final, summation sentence).

IOW, I said, a week ago, the diametric opposite of the "meaning" you tried to put in my mouth!

[Victoria33]

@Gefn
@mystery-ak
@Cyber Liberty
@TomSea
@Once-Ler 
@Elderberry

"That all changed recently when Defense of POW/MIA Accounting Agency officials told Lynne Werner, Day’s niece, that his remains were identified out of the hundreds of unknown sailors buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, also known as “the Punchbowl.”"

I have been to that cemetery, The Punchbowl.  It is called Punchbowl due to it is a large depression in the earth, a "bowl" that is an ancient volcano.  One of our astronautes is buried there and has special markings on the grave site.

I have been to Hawaii several times; once when my military son was stationed there.  I was taken to the memorial that time in the Admiral's boat.  Son was in charge of military  fuel on the island.  There are massive amounts of stored fuel that supply our airplanes there and for all bases across the ocean from there.

Son took me to a mountain; looks like a plain mountain, but it isn't.  There is access to it if you know where to go.  Inside the mountain are huge carved out basins that are stories tall, one after another where fuel is stored.  One walks on metal walkways to and around these large basins.  It was his job to run this mountain of fuel - he is a specialist in any type fuel and does that today.

I was also taken to the main air base building.  It is the same building that was there at the time of the bombing and strafing by bullets from the Japanese airplanes.  The pock marks on the building made by the strafing were left there; only the inside of the building is different than back then.  You stand outside and see these pock marks and your mind can imagine how it was when the Japanese attacked; military men killed by these bullets on the airfield when they were trying to get to their planes to enjoin the battle.  Then we went inside the building to have dinner in the nice dining room.  I felt it strange to go from the reminder of the attack into the nice dining room.

So much history of our country is there and it is still a large working military air and ship base.  Everyone there is reminded every day of what happened there and determined it will not happen again. 

[Elderberry]

@PeteS in CA

My "Problem" was I was wondering why you were only describing what a generic water tender's task was and about the disposition of the Oklahoma when the article was about
Chief Petty Officer Francis D. Day and his saving of lives the day he died, and the identification of his remains.

[PeteS in CA]

@PeteS in CA

My "Problem" was I was wondering why you were only describing what a generic water tender's task was and about the disposition of the Oklahoma when the article was about
Chief Petty Officer Francis D. Day and his saving of lives the day he died, and the identification of his remains.

Your post said nothing like that!

What are you trying to say? Are are you trying to diminish his role on that fateful day? He was a Chief Water Tender and you have no clue what his "Battle Station" was or what he actually did during the attack.

In no way did I diminish what CPO Day did. At. All. Describing what I believe a water tender did and what was done with Oklahoma was background information. Nothing more or less. Maybe it was familiar to you, but it may not be to others.

And yes, the article was about CPO Day saving others' lives. Maybe you missed it, but I quoted that in my initial post in this thread.

So, try again, @Elderberry. My post did the exact opposite of "diminishing his role on that fateful day". My post specifically included "what he actually did during the attack". What was your real problem with my post? Why did you completely misrepresent my post?!

[Elderberry]

@PeteS in CA

My confusion with your post was yes, you did include a quote from the article. But to me, Your Words didn't have anything to do with CPO Day, the topic of the article.

[PeteS in CA]

@PeteS in CA

My confusion with your post was yes, you did include a quote from the article. But to me, Your Words didn't have anything to do with CPO Day, the topic of the article.

He served on the USS Oklahoma, right? And he was a water tender on her, right?

[Elderberry]

He served on the USS Oklahoma, right? And he was a water tender on her, right?

Yes. Yes. Let it go. This is the first time that I have ever commented on any of your replies. I did not realize that you were so sensitive.  Should I delete my post to make you happy?

[PeteS in CA]

Yes. Yes. Let it go. This is the first time that I have ever commented on any of your replies. I did not realize that you were so sensitive.  Should I delete my post to make you happy?

Objecting to a post wrongly - very obviously so - accusing me of diminishing a war hero's sacrifice is "sensitive"? Seriously?

Mentioning that the Oklahoma had capsized - was laying on its side or was upside down - doesn't emphasize the difficulty CPO Day overcame?

Mentioning that Oklahoma was so badly damaged, among other issues, that she was not repaired doesn't emphasize the difficulty CPO Day overcame?

How you moved from not understanding my purpose to thinking I meant the diametric opposite of my meaning I do not get.