If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
Bizarro Beauty Products, from 1889 to Now
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Pin-Up Queens: Three Female Artists Who Shaped the American Dream Girl
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Tokens for Sweethearts, in Times of War
American Picker Dream, Part I: Mike Wolfe On His Love Affair With Bikes
Posted 6 months ago
ttomtucker
(264 items)
My dad (John) was assigned to the USS Tern after boot camp in 1939. The Pacific fleet was moved from San Pedro, CA to Hawaii in June 1940. On Dec 7, 1941 my dad was walking over to the USS Helena to meet up with a buddy of his, they had plans to go to Pearl City that day. John started up the gangplank of the Helena when he heard machine gun fire from the Japanese torpedo bombers. All hell broke loose and he headed back to the Tern with was moored at the end of 1010 dock. He boarded the Tern and
started firing the ships 30 caliber Lewis machine gun. The Tern was credited with shooting down one plane. photo 3 the USS TERN putting out fires on the USS West Virginia.
World War TwoThe events and battles of World War II played out on every continent of the…
Thank you mustangtony, vetraio50
Thank you Kevin
Your dad's story really brings these static images too life, thanks for sharing!
walksoftly, Thank you for you comment
Most welcome!
Wonderful photos, and a vivid account of a brave man and country under attack!!!
A very good friend was on the Tern December 7th, John A Hein was a neighbor and friend in California.
Beckham, Are we are talking about same Commander John Hein, he was on the Tern with my dad. John Hein was then a Signal 1st class and was promoted to warrant officer (Boatswain) around 1938. He was considered an older sailor since he had joined the Navy in 1926 and retired in 1957. He lived a long life passing on in 1996 and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery.
that s great ,
Neat!! He looks like the young man on the 77 Sunset Strip tv show of many years ago.
Militarist, Do you mean Kookie, Kookie, lead me your comb. Edd Byrnes
Yes that's the name!! Thanks