Harry Chandler, a Navy medic who helped pull injured sailors from the oily waters of Pearl Harbor after the 1941 Japanese assault on the naval base, has died. He was 103.
Chandler died Monday at a senior residing middle in Tequesta, Florida, in accordance with Ron Mahaffee, the husband of his granddaughter Kelli Fahey. Chandler had congestive coronary heart failure, however Mahaffee mentioned docs and nurses famous his superior age when giving a reason for dying.
The third Pearl Harbor survivor to die up to now few weeks, Chandler was a hospital corpsman third class on Dec. 7, 1941, when waves of Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs and fired machine weapons on battleships within the harbor and plunged the U.S. into World Battle II.
He instructed The Related Press in 2023 that he noticed the planes method as he was elevating the flag that morning at a cell hospital in Aiea Heights, which is within the hills overlooking the bottom.
“I believed they had been planes coming in from the states till I noticed the bombs dropping,” Chandler mentioned. His first intuition was to take cowl and “get the hell out of right here.”
“I used to be afraid that they’d begin strafing,” he mentioned.
His unit rode vans right down to attend the injured. He mentioned in a Pacific Historic Parks oral historical past interview that he boarded a ship to assist pluck wounded sailors from the water.
The harbor was coated in oil from exploding ships, so Chandler washed the sailors off after lifting them out. He mentioned he was too targeted on his work to be afraid.
“It acquired so busy you weren’t scared. Weren’t scared in any respect. We had been busy. It was after you bought scared,” Chandler mentioned.
He realized later that he may have been killed, “However you didn’t take into consideration that when you had been busy caring for folks.”
The assault killed greater than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. Almost half, or 1,177, had been sailors and Marines on board the usArizona, which sank 9 minutes after it was bombed.
Chandler’s reminiscences got here flowing again when he visited Pearl Harbor for a 2023 ceremony commemorating the 82nd anniversary of the bombing.
“I look on the market, and I can nonetheless see what’s happening. I can nonetheless see what was taking place,” Chandler instructed The Related Press.
Requested what he needed Individuals to learn about Pearl Harbor, he mentioned: “Be ready.”
“We must always have identified that was going to occur. The intelligence needs to be higher,” he mentioned.
After the struggle Chandler labored as a painter and wallpaper hanger and purchased an upholstery enterprise along with his brother. He additionally joined the Navy reserves, retiring as a senior chief in 1981.
Chandler was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and lived for many of his grownup life in close by South Hadley, Mahaffee mentioned. In current many years he break up his time between Massachusetts and Florida.
An avid golfer, he shot 5 hole-in-ones throughout his lifetime, his grandson-in-law added.
Chandler had one organic daughter and adopted two daughters from his second marriage, to Anna Chandler, who died in 2004. He’s survived by two daughters, 9 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
Navy historian J. Michael Wenger has estimated that there have been some 87,000 army personnel on the island of Oahu the day of the assault.
Bob Fernandez, who served on the usCurtiss, died Dec. 11 at age 100, and Warren Upton, 105, who served on the usUtah, died on Christmas Day.
