HONOLULU — USS Arizona sailor Lou Conter lived by way of the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor although his battleship exploded and sank after being pierced by aerial bombs.
That makes the now 101-year-old considerably of a celeb, particularly on the anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941 assault. Many name him and others within the nation’s dwindling pool of Pearl Harbor survivors heroes.
Conter rejects the characterization.
“The two,403 males that died are the heroes. And we’ve received to honor them forward of all people else. And I’ve mentioned that each time, and I feel it must be confused,” Conter mentioned in a current interview at his Grass Valley, California, dwelling north of Sacramento.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Navy and the Nationwide Park Service will host a remembrance ceremony at Pearl Harbor in honor of these killed.
Final yr about 30 survivors and a few 100 different veterans of the battle made the pilgrimage to the annual occasion. However the U.S. Navy and the Nationwide Park Service anticipate just one or two survivors will possible attend in particular person this yr. One other 20 to 30 veterans of World Warfare II are additionally anticipated to be there.
Conter will not be amongst them. He attended for a few years, most just lately in 2019. However his physician has instructed him the five-hour flight, plus hours of ready at airports, is simply too strenuous for him now.
“I’m occurring 102 now. It’s type of exhausting to fiddle,” Conter mentioned.
As a substitute he plans to observe a video feed of this yr’s 81st anniversary observance from dwelling. He is additionally recorded a message that will likely be performed for these attending.
Conter’s autobiography “The Lou Conter Story” recounts how one of many Japanese bombs penetrated 5 metal decks on the Arizona and ignited over 1 million kilos of gunpowder and hundreds of kilos of ammunition.
“The ship was consumed in a large fireball that appeared as if it engulfed all the things from the mainmast ahead,” he wrote.
He joined different survivors in tending to the injured, lots of whom had been blinded and badly burned. The sailors solely deserted ship when their senior surviving officer was certain they’d rescued all these nonetheless alive.
The Arizona’s 1,177 lifeless account for practically half the servicemen killed within the bombing. The battleship right now sits the place it sank 81 years in the past, with greater than 900 of its lifeless nonetheless entombed inside.
Conter wasn’t injured at Pearl Harbor, throughout World Warfare II or the Korean Warfare.
This yr’s remembrance ceremony is the primary to be open to the general public because the 2019. The pandemic compelled the adoption of strict public well being measures for the final two years.
David Kilton, the Nationwide Park Service’s chief of interpretation for Pearl Harbor, mentioned he is unsure how many individuals will attend however they’re anticipating between 2,000 to three,000 folks.
It is going to be held on the Pearl Harbor Nationwide Memorial guests middle which overlooks the water and the white construction constructed to honor these killed on the Arizona.
Organizers have set a theme of “Eternal Legacy” for this yr’s ceremony, highlighting how fewer and fewer survivors stay.
“We actually need to know and be ready that finally we received’t have the power to attach with their tales and have them with us anymore,” Kilton mentioned. “And it’s exhausting to to come back to grips with that actuality.”
Conter went to flight faculty after Pearl Harbor, incomes his wings to fly PBY patrol bombers, which the Navy used to search for submarines and bomb enemy targets. He flew 200 fight missions within the Pacific with a “Black Cats” squadron, which carried out dive bombing at evening in planes painted black.
One evening in 1943 he and his crew needed to keep away from a dozen or so close by sharks after they had been shot down close to New Guinea.
When one sailor expressed doubt they might survive, Conter responded “baloney.”
“Don’t ever panic in any state of affairs. Survive is the very first thing you inform them. Don’t panic otherwise you’re lifeless,” he mentioned. They had been quiet and treaded water till one other aircraft got here and dropped them a lifeboat hours later.
Within the late Fifties, he was made the Navy’s first SERE officer — which is an acronym for survival, evasion, resistance and escape. He spent the following decade coaching Navy pilots and crew on easy methods to survive in the event that they’re shot down within the jungle and captured as a prisoner of battle. A few of his pupils used his instruction to reside by way of years as POWs in Vietnam.
Lately, he spends his time going to his favourite breakfast spot twice per week and going out for Mexican meals each Friday evening. He enjoys visiting with pals and watching TV.
Conter hasn’t forgotten his shipmates. He mentioned he’d just like the army to attempt to determine 85 Arizona sailors who had been buried as unknowns in a Honolulu cemetery after the battle.
“They need to by no means surrender on that situation. In the event that they’re ever recognized, I’m certain their households would need to bury them at dwelling or wherever, however they need to by no means surrender on attempting to determine them,” he mentioned.
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Daley reported from Grass Valley, California.
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