101-year-old returns to Pearl Harbor to remember those lost

Can't we get back to the above article? Russell is living history that must told no matter how much it offends certain rightists.

“Those darn torpedoes, they just kept hitting us and kept hitting us. I thought they’d never stop,” Russell said. “That ship was dancing around.”

This is a firsthand view of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that few lived to talk about. It needs to be talked about not only for the sake of history but as a lesson of how the malevolent destruction a few misguided and malicious Japanese ultra nationalists brought not only on Pearl Harbor and other targets. And ultimately on themselves.

As of now Pearl Harbor is still living history and as history must not be lost.

A true hero.

I am literally in awe when stories like this are told. It's truly incredible to think about what these men and women experienced during this time. Very few are left and we must hear their stories and accounts of what they went through. It certainly should make us appreciate all we have now, even with our current issues.

Thank you for fighting against fascism Mr. David Russell, sad to see so many around the globe including so many US Americans supporting fascism these days.

Consider Pearl Harbor this way: It was the bringing of the end of Japanese authoritarian and imperialist system. In today's Japan you can be a socialist, a communist, a liberal, a conservative and an ultra-nationalist and it's okay. You won't be hauled away to be tortured or beaten to death.

“Rest in Peace” to those ‘on station’ at the time of Japan’s treacherous attack.

He drives himself to the grocery store and the local American Legion post in a black Ford Explorer while listening to polka music at top volume.

You'd better not let some of the posters on this site hear that.

There is still one ship left that was at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. The US Coast Guard cutter Taney commissioned way back in 1936 was moored at Pearl Harbor that morning and survived the attack. She served in the Atlantic and later in the Pacific at Okinawa. She served in Vietnam too shelling NVA positions from the sea as part of Operation Market Time. She would not be decommissioned until 1986 after 50 years of service. She is on display in Baltimore Harbor as a museum ship.

One other ship that was in Pearl Harbor that morning survived until 1982. The former USS Phoenix, a light cruiser built before the war fought all through WWII and was called the "Lucky Phoenix" by her crew. After WWII she was transferred to the Argentine Navy. She was renamed the General Belgrano. During the opening shots of the Falklands Island War a Royal Navy submarine torpedoed and sank her.

Navy Seaman First Class David Russell was not just a lucky man but also a smart man. He got out of the ship before the hatch was closed. He lived long enough to the point where the stories of survival on December 7, 1941 fell on closed minds. As Hemingway observed, people get tired of war stories and just want to forget. The survival stories of David Russell and other veterans still living must not be forgotten.

Ditto here.

Way to U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class David Russell.

We will do our bests to see it that the fascists here are kept in check. Expect a red wave the next few years---the good one.