MCB Hawaii commemorates 70th anniversary of Dec. 7 attacks

Photo By Kristen Wong | Marines and sailors stand at attention during the annual Kaneohe Klipper Memorial Ceremony outside of Hangar 101, Dec. 7. At 7:52 a.m., on Dec. 7, 1941, then-Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay was attacked by the Japanese Imperial Navy prior to the larger attack on then-Pearl Harbor Naval Station. For many years, MCB Hawaii has commemorated the attack with the Kaneohe Klipper Memorial Ceremony. On that day, 18 service members and two civilian contractors from NAS Kaneohe Bay were killed. Many honored guests attending the ceremony this year included family members and friends of the 20 fallen, as well as veterans who served during the attacks. The ceremony included guest speaker David Griffin, grandson of Navy Lt. Daniel Griffin, who was killed on Dec. 7, 1941 while stationed aboard NAS Kaneohe Bay. The ceremony also included guest speaker retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael Smith, who spoke about Medal of Honor recipient John W. Finn prior to unveiling a plaque dedicated to the former chief aviation ordnanceman who played a significant role in countering the Japanese attack of Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Dec. 7, 1941.  

KANEOHE, HI, UNITED STATES

12.09.2011

Story by Kristen Wong 

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii - On the morning of Dec. 7, the flag was flown at half-mast as Marine Corps Base Hawaii held its annual Kaneohe Klipper Memorial Ceremony, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the “day that will live in infamy.”

At 7:52 a.m., on Dec. 7, 1941, then-Naval Air Station Kaneohe was attacked by the Japanese Imperial Navy prior to the larger attack on then-Pearl Harbor Naval Station. On that day, 18 service members and two civilian contractors from NAS Kaneohe were killed. For many years, MCB Hawaii has commemorated the attack with the Kaneohe Klipper Memorial Ceremony at the Kaneohe Klipper Monument, near the base flagpole. This year, however, the ceremony was held between Hangars 101 and 102, for a special unveiling.

The sun warmed the flightline as the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band provided musical accompaniment. Many guests who were either survivors of the attacks, or had ties to the survivors or the fallen were present.

Guests included William Watson, son of the fallen Raphael Watson of Patrol Squadron 12; Frank Galbraith, a cousin of fallen Ensign Joseph Smartt, of Patrol Squadron 11; Edna Shiroma, daughter of fallen civilian contractor Kamiko Hookano; and many more.

“I was very impressed by the Marines [in formation],” said retired Sgt. Maj. William M. Braddock, who attended the ceremony for the first time.

Braddock, a native of Mer Rouge, La., said seeing the Marines in the ceremony made him want to be young again and join them once more.

Braddock enlisted in 1940, and was a security guard at Ford Island the day of the attacks.

Also in attendance were Tom and Jim Cunningham, the stepsons of Allen E. Cunningham, of VP-11, who was wounded during the attack. Allen Cunningham has attended the Kaneohe Klipper Memorial Ceremony many times, as far back as the 1960s, but he was unable to travel this year.

Tom Cunningham noted how contradictory the peaceful atmosphere was at the ceremony, though this location was where the attacks occurred and where his stepfather went through such chaos and was
almost killed.

“The irony of that is very, very deep,” Tom Cunningham said.

Guest speaker Dave Griffin, of Vancouver, Wash., attended the ceremony with 21 members of his family. They are relatives of Navy Lt. Daniel Griffin, who was one of the 20 killed during the attacks.

Griffin shared the story of his grandfather’s experiences on Dec. 7, 1941, in a speech.

“People talk about [the WWII generation being] the ‘greatest generation,’ and I think it’s true,” Griffin said.

Griffin and his family also later visited the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course. They paid their respects at the site where 70 years ago, the sailors of NAS Kaneohe temporarily laid their fallen to rest in coffins along the beach.

Retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael Smith then approached the podium and told the audience about Medal of Honor recipient John W. Finn. At 32 years old, Finn, a chief aviation ordnanceman, played a significant role in countering the Japanese attack of NAS Kaneohe, Dec. 7, 1941. Finn, who passed away on May 27, 2010, was the guest speaker at the 2009 Kaneohe Klipper Memorial Ceremony.

“His actions here that morning resulted in the first Medal of Honor of World War II,” Smith said. “He was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient and of the 15 men who earned the Medal of Honor that day, he was the last survivor but he was much more than that. He was an American patriot. He was a national treasure, a storyteller, a professional junkman and a friend.”

Finn originally had the day off on Dec. 7, 1941, and was called in that morning. Despite being wounded several times, Finn shot at enemy planes for two and a half hours, and is credited with taking down one.

“As we drove around the flightline, John told me this story. But what really caught my attention were the Marines and sailors who walked around with presumably no idea of what Chief Finn had done here that day,” Smith said. “I promised John that day I would fix that, and I said there would be a marker here to let the whole world know what he did.”

Smith and Frances Carmichael, Finn’s friend and former caretaker, unveiled a new plaque dedicated to Finn. It will be displayed at Hangar 103, where his office once was.

Col. Brian Annichiarico, commanding officer, MCB Hawaii; Sgt. Maj. Marvin Dixon, battalion sergeant major, Headquarters Battalion; Navy Capt. Christopher Ramsden, commanding officer, Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2; and retired Lt. Cmdr. Cass Phillips, former radioman of Patrol Squadron 11, stood before a traditional commemorative wreath in front of the monument by the base flagpole. Salutes were rendered and the MarForPac Band closed the ceremony, playing “Anchors Aweigh” and “The Marines’ Hymn.”

“It’s important to remember the sacrifices of all who defended NAS Kaneohe that day,” Annichiarico said. “[Also] remember that today there are sailors and Marines deployed in harm’s way all around the
globe to protect the freedoms we continue to enjoy in the United States.”

• Date Taken: 12.09.2011
• Date Posted: 12.09.2011 17:45
• Story ID: 81152
• Location: KANEOHE, HI, US