I grew up regaled by stories of my Uncle ‘Lucky’. Earl Tappero was and Americal sailor who had been in Australia during the Second World War (WWII). He subsequently married my mother’s sister Violet, known as “Toots”. They then moved/returned to live in America to raise my ‘american cousins’ Later in life Lucky penned some of his memories. It was most interesting comparing his stories to the ones I had been told growing up.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 8 1941 Banshees scream, diving, seeking Looking to havoc slumbering giants Sirens echo the fear in the hearts of those below Sitting Anatidaes shackled by hemp, chain and iron
The rising sun was met by sons of the Rising Sun Unleashing fusillades of gorged iron, relentlessly
On board the bedlam, brave hearts scampered Looking to evade the invasion, seeking shelter
Maimed bodies floated amid the oils and flames A helping hand was rewarded with a severed fingers Strong hearts melted amid the carnage Some survived, to tell their story
Lucky you.
The raid on Pearl Harbour as recounted to me as a 10 year old child by my Uncle Earl (Lucky) Tappero.
Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan.
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