Seaside’s Bill Thomas remembers Pearl Harbor in 1941 – he was there

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, December 6, 2012

SEASIDE They came to remember, so others wouldnt forget.

It shook this country to the bones the day it happened, said Ron Kinsley, a retired U.S. Army National Guard lieutenant colonel.

It was a day that 2,400 people died in the Japanse attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and it was the day that led to the United States involvement in World War II.

More than 50 people attended the Pearl Harbor Memorial Ceremony Friday in the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. Among them was Bill Thomas, 91, possibly Seasides lone survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Many of those attending were from the U.S. Armys Camp Rilea and the U.S. Coast Guard.

This is a gathering for us to remember Pearl Harbor and to remember the men and women and the service they are giving right now that we really appreciate, Kinsley said.

I remember Dec. 7, 1941 clearly, said Seaside City Councilor Stubby Lyons, who was 7 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed.

We were downstairs in our church in South Dakota on a Sioux Indian reservation, and we were told to go upstairs, he told the group.

His mother was crying.

I asked, Ma, whats wrong? She said, We just found out were at war, honey.

I remember that vividly, Lyons said. Dec. 7 means a lot to me.

Later, Lyons said it was important to continue to remember. Everyone of all ages needed to attend ceremonies honoring those who fought, he added.

You learn from it, you learn from history, Lyons said. If you dont learn from history, you will live it again.

Coast Guard chaplain Lt. Gregg Hazlett, who gave the invocation, said it was important for him to remember the heritage of those who came before him. Hazlett, who has been in the military for nearly eight years, served with the Seabees in Afghanistan and had two deployments on the USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf.

To be in the presence of Bill (Thomas), who has fought before, is a great privilege, Hazlett said.

Thomas, who helped to organize the ceremony several years ago, said the gathering meant a lot to him. He ran his finger across a large photo taken of the ships anchored at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, just minutes before the attack. The photo included the USS Medusa, the ship he had been assigned to as a 20-year-old sailor.

The attack and the war following it should never be forgotten, Thomas said. They dont teach it in school anymore. Ive talked to people in their 40s (about Pearl Harbor) and they say, Wheres that?

Following the ceremony, Thomas and a color guard left the convention center and walked to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge on First Avenue. He waited patiently in the cold rain and wind for a Coast Guard helicopter to fly by. It took several minutes.

Doing OK, Bill? asked Lt. Col. Dean Perez, commander of Camp Rilea, who accompanied Thomas.

Oh yeah, Thomas said.

Eventually, the helicopter came in sight, and Thomas raised a memorial wreath to throw into the Necanicum River. Taps played in the background.

As soon as the helicopter flew overhead, Thomas tossed the wreath into the water. He saluted. While Taps played, Thomas paused, remembering. Rain fell steadily over him.

As he turned to go, he wiped away the tears in his eyes.