Remember Pear Harbor!

[Packo]

Hope everyone hasn't forgot that today, December 7th, is a day that will live in Infamy!

Relegated to page 7 of tday's paper was an article that this is the last year the Pearl Harbor Survivors will make their pilgrimage to Honolulu. Most in their 80's and 90's fear they will not be around in 5 years and that their health is failing so as to prevent them from the journey. It is sad.....it is the passing of a generation.

Doubt if much will be on the movie channels tonight because American's just don't really give a crap anymore, but I will put my TORA! TORA! TORA! DVD in for Deb and I at supper.

Here is to all the brave souls that lost their lives that day and those that fought on!

AIRBORNE SALUTE!

Pack

PS I'll also be watching TORA TORA TORA, cause I'm in it.

[revwardoc]

Pack,

You're in Tora, Tora, Tora? I've got the tape. Which scene is it and what are you doing? Ya gotta give us the details of the experience.

[Packo]

Doc,

Thought I had before but will be MORE than pleased to tell the tale.

We had finished our 3 months of Intensified Jungle Training early by 2 weeks. We were only TDY in Hawaii and had already been assigned to USARV out of Jump School. They would not authorize leave for us for those 2 weeks but told us we were free to do what we wanted as long as we stayed in Hawaii. Drank lots of beer at Bellows AF Beach and partied. One day we were asked if we wanted to be in TORA TORA TORA. We had been watching them film, seeing B-17's flying, Jap Zero's etc for months. Many extra's were from the USS Enterprise. It had blown up at Sea and was in Pearl for repairs. We reported to the movie company, were given WWII fatigues and sent to our location.

The pay was $25 a day and it took 4 days to film the scene. (Sailors that got set on fire got $100 a day. We all begged to be set on fire.) One day it rained and they just gave us our dough and told us to leave. It was great money considering that after taxes we were only clearing about 70 a month. We got to be in a scene with Jason Robards. Great guy, knew we were going to Nam, and would bring a bottle or two of Jack Black, (Danials), with him daily for us to drink with him. The scene is where we are unloading the Radar unit and the Park Commision won't let them use it without permission. I'm on the left side of the truck, inside, and I brush my arm across my forhead like we're sweating. That was not in the script....I did it so I could tell my Dad and Momma so they could look for me. Good thing...cause the scene only lasts a few seconds to a minute. A guy from Jersey, Castigliano, got to be the driver for Robards and was in every scene but the one they filmed from the passenger side. They used the passenger side shot. I have been asked to star in many a film since this one, but decline. I'm just not a Hollywood type.

So, if you get a chance to watch the movie....I'm there and it's within the first 45 minutes, without commercial interruption.

Pack Wayne.....you guys can just call me "Duke".

[revwardoc]

Yeah, I'll definately watch it! So I just look for the sweaty bastard; good 'nuff.

A couple of guys from my hometown were in the Army stationed in Italy when Ben-Hur was filmed and they were extras inthe chariot race scene (they could never see themselves). Anyway, they snuck some booze in under their robes and drank up a storm. They were told to just yell like hell so they yelled out stuff like, "Stick it in his ear!","Kill the umpire!", "Give 'im the high, hard one!" amongst several deletable epithets. They said it was great since most of the extras were also drinking and were yelling stuff in all sorts of languages.

[Jerry D]

Dec 7th a Day that will live in Infamy for me and my family forever to all the Soldiers and Sailors that didn't make it back from that day @ Pearl ............ And God bless the Men and Women that stuck it to Tojo and my personel favorite outfit Gen Jimmy Doolittle and the Tokyo Raiders in April of 1942 thanks for dropping the Bombs.......

[Keith_Hixson]

Flew over diamond head and punch bowl also. Thought about 65 years ago to the day. It must have been a day like yesterday. Beautiful, very few clouds and peaceful. Then all hell broke loose.

A salute to all who lost their lives that fateful day and all who fought so well.

Keith

[Robert Ryan]

When I was stationed at Pearl, I swore you could see the ghosts of Battleship row. Looking arcoss from Hotel Pier you could see the names of the ships where they were bertherd on that fatal day. Such a silence around them.

[Arrow]

Could never forget,my Dad's brother was at Pearl Harbor when they got hit.When he came home he spent the rest of his lifeworking in the VA serving those thatserved with him. He developed a program forVeterans that were mentally disabled butwell enough physicallyto exercise.The program was used asmodel at the time for the whole VA system.He andmy Auntboth were Navy and both served their fellow veterans after the war.

[Packo]

Great people Sis!

Duke

[colmurph]

One of my uncles is still serving aboard the USS ARIZONA on eternal patrol.