Honoring the Survivors' Legacy - Attacks on Oahu (Part 4)

  • Published
  • By Jessie Higa
  • HQ PACAF/PA
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  J. DANIEL JONES (Lt. Col. USAF ret.)

Hickam Field Survivor Veteran
Age 91
Lives in Orlando, Florida

·On 7 Dec, assigned to the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron/5th Bomb Group (redesignated 394th Bomb Sq after 7 Dec 1941)
·He arrived in Feb 1940
·SSgt. rank
·Age 21
·On special duty assignment as a technical engineering instructor
·He was a full time student at UH
·On his way to the flight center in the Base Operation Building to meet the in-bound B-17s
·100yds from base ops when he saw a formation of planes heading for Hickam
·It was a crystal clear day
·One plane peeled off and there was a red circle on plane; knew it was Japanese
·He watched that plane (possibly a Val diver bomber) drop a 500lb bomb on the Hawaiian Air Depot (HAD) hangar #35---the first bomb to hit Hickam Field
·He had a .45 cal pistol and fired a few shots
·His thoughts were, "Better to shoot than stand there and do nothing."
·Believes he possibly fired the first shots at enemy planes that morning
·Immediately ran back to barracks to wake up and warn his roommates in the barracks building (now PACAF).
·His dorm wing was nearest the base ops bldg. and next to the parade field on second floor--possibly F or G Wing.
·Then went to the hangar to receive a WWI rifle. It was still covered in Cosmoline!!! and a few ammo clips.
·Also grabbed a 50 cal water-cooled machine gun and set it up in the parade field.
·He had a car to go back and get ammunition for it.
·When he returned, a young boy lay dead over the machine gun and it had no ammunition.
·High altitude bombers (KATES) came overhead dropping bombs at 10,000 ft and he saw the bombs falling and could hear the whistling sounds.
·He quickly hid in the shallow drain along the sidewalk for cover.
·Bombs hit the barracks and exploded with a great force and then, absolute silent.
·One bomb landed just 20 ft from him and knocked him out for a few minutes.
·Thought he was dead because his body went numb.
·Lost hearing for an hour.
·Only had a slightly injured leg.
·A higher ranking Sgt told him to go to the hospital but once he got there he realized there were too many others with more life-threatening injuries than his.
·Had he done son, he would have been awarded a Purple Heart but he has no regrets.
·Col. Jones is here with his daughter, son-in-law, twin grandsons and a granddaughter
·The twins boys LOVE Air Force aircraft


Compiled by Jessie Higa (re-interviewed Nov 2011)
Photos courtesy of http://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation