Dec. 7 veterans gather at Hickam AFB

  • Published
  • By Dr. Philip Breeze
  • 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  Several World War II veterans of the Hickam Field attack on December 7, 1941, and their families, gathered here over the weekend to be part of Air Force Remembrance ceremonies. 

Lou Roffman was a young technical sergeant assigned to the 31st Bombardment Squadron as a B-17 flight engineer. He remembers having been on alert through most of November of that year and going into town to celebrate their release from alert status. He spent the evening of Saturday, December 6, 1941 letting off a little steam and says he was sleeping it off the following morning when loud booms and the sound of low-flying aircraft awakened him. 

"I thought, damn those gunners over at Fort Kam. Can't a guy get a little sleep? And it wasn't unusual for us Army Air Corps guys and the Navy fliers over at Pearl to fly over the other fellows if we knew they'd been having a party the night before." 

But luck was with him that morning. He skipped chow to try to catch a few extra winks and was still in his bunk when the chow hall took a direct hit. 

His luck continued the next day when he and his crew, one of only two to get into the air that day, were sent south to search for the Japanese fleet. 

"If we had found them that day, just the two aircraft, I wouldn't be here today to talk about it," he said. 

Max Baker was a private, also assigned to the 31st. He recalls an over-eager young non-commissioned officer, who had seen too many John Wayne movies. "We went to the armory to get the bombs and ammunition out, and it was locked." This NCO said to everyone, 'Stand back, I'm going to shoot the lock off.' Well, he missed the lock, and the doors were steel and that lead bullet just fell to the ground. 

"Just about that time, though, the master sergeant arrived from home with the key, and we were able to get the ammunition and bombs out," Baker recalled with a chuckle.
"The seasoned NCOs from World War I really saved a lot of lives that day. They sprang into action, getting the .30-caliber machine guns into action and cautioning everyone to avoid bunching up," he added. 

Like many on the base that morning, retired Col. Hugh Mahoney, then a second lieutenant, was on the flight line waiting for a flight of new B-17Ds to arrive from Hamilton Field, California. 

"After the first attack ended I was mad. I wanted to fight, so I jumped in with a mixed crew who needed a navigator, and we launched. Col. Brooke Allen was at the stick. One other plane joined us," Mahoney said. They, too, thought the Japanese fleet was to the south. And it is probably for that reason that Lieutenant Mahoney survived to navigate "Hell on Wings" across the Pacific in the ensuing years, and earn a Silver Star for gallantry in the process. 

Sixty-seven years later, the veterans returned to take part in various remembrance events. The weekend culminated with a remembrance ceremony early Sunday morning at the Hickam's flag pole. The ceremony included flag presentations to survivors and their family members, wreath laying and a flyover.