News>Hickam honors legacy, pays tribute to storied past
Photos
Former Tech. Sgt. Lou Roffman speaks with Airmen before the 70th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony of the attacks on Hickam Field, now Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 2011. Roffman said he was asleep when the Japanese attacked. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)
Lou Roffman, a former technical sergeant stationed at Hickam Field in 1941 during the infamous attacks on Oahu, salutes during the National Anthem at the 70th Remembrance Ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)
by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares
15th Wing Public Affairs
12/9/2011 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) -- At 7:55 a.m., some 70 years ago, lives on the sleepy island of Oahu were forever changed by an attacking force. JB Hickam took a living glimpse into this storied past filled with heroism, honor and valor on historic ground Dec. 7.
On the very site Old Glory never left her post, where men like Joseph Jedrysik, of Manchester, N.H., bravely fought and died defending her, Hickam Field survivors, Airmen and their families gathered at JB Hickam's historic flag pole for the 70th Remembrance Ceremony to honor those men and women who fought for America's freedom Dec. 7, 1941.
Seated on the front row as honored guests were 10 men who Gen. Gary North, the Pacific Air Forces commander, called "warriors, survivors and absolute heroes."
"To our veterans here today and to our veterans who are here in spirit, we say thank you for your service, for defending our way of life, for defending our freedom and defending our national colors," said Col. Sam Barrett, the 15th Wing commander. "We draw great strength from all of you. We recognize that you place a sacred trust in those of us who wear the uniform today, and we vow never to let you down. You are the foundation upon which our United States Air Force stands so very strong today."
Coinciding with a ceremony at the Arizona Memorial to mark the time the attacks began, the JB Hickam ceremony featured a performance of "Lest We Forget," a song written by Chief Master Sgt. Larry MacTaggart, by the Band of the Pacific's Hana Hou. Four 19th and 199th Fighter Squadron F-22 Raptors flew a four-ship missing man formation during the song. As one of the Raptor's climbed toward the heavens, disappearing into the clouds, the JB Hickam Honor Guard prepared to raise a flag to half-staff. A light, sprinkling rain began to fall, which is a Hawaiian blessing.
"I think it's fitting for those of you who know the Hawaiian traditions that we are being sprinkled on from the heavens," North said.
An unannounced military strike by the Japanese against the U.S. naval base and Army Air Corps air fields thrust the U.S. into World War II. The largest airborne force ever assembled by the Imperial Japanese Navy launched from the decks of aircraft carriers with the intent of crippling the aerial assets and fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor. There was very little air opposition because they furiously struck Hickam, Wheeler and Bellows fields.
"Seventy years ago, you were forced to go to war when you were attacked by an enemy who sought to destroy your ability, along with your will, to fight back," North said. "They sought to destroy the aircraft that were here on the ramps of Hickam Field and the other air bases across the island of Oahu.
"They sought, in Pearl Harbor, to strike a devastating blow to our ships and our men and women in port," he continued. "They sought to destroy each one of our Soldiers, our Sailors, our Airmen and our Marines in service here in Oahu; and more importantly, they sought to destroy the American spirit, hoping to win what they would call a very quick victory by making your families and fellow Americans retreat in fear and to refuse to fight back. Oh, how they underestimated America, and the American men and women in uniform and our civilian citizens.
"While you initially had limited means to which to fight back, they could never destroy your will," the general said, addressing the 10 men in the front row.
Stories of heroism provided a glimpse into the past.
A buck private at the time, Frank Karas was sleeping in that Sunday morning rather than heading for the chow hall. It was a decision he believes saved his life. At about 8 a.m., a Japanese dive bomber scored a direct hit on the barracks near the main entrance of the chow hall, killing as many as 35 Airmen having breakfast. The blast awoke Karas, and he quickly put on his clothes and assisted in transferring and distributing ordnances and ammunition from the storage bunkers during the hailstorms of bombs and bullets from enemy planes.
"It brings back many memories, many memories of all the things that have happened," Karas said. "I only wish there were more of us. Too many of us are dying. It was a tough day. We just go on, go on; it's all you can do."
North went on to describe how, on that fateful day, men leapt from their beds; manned machine guns in the parade field, on the flight line, and at the base of the flag pole; and shot back with whatever they had, from .45-caliber pistols to rifles.
"Your families and your fellow Americans did not retreat in fear," he said. "They unleashed both their love and their support throughout America through hugs of a concerned spouse, through the letters of caring families, through the sale of war bonds and through the commitment of a nation that knew you were fighting for our very freedoms."
To conclude the ceremony, members of JB Hickam and the local community laid wreaths and leis at the foot of the flag pole. The honor guard's rifle report from a three-volley salute resounded over Atterbury Circle here, echoing off the bullet-scarred building nearby.
The general praised the men and their families present for guiding America from the early dark days of those events and leading by example to become well known as the "greatest generation."
"We are an Air Force that is strong today because of your strength in World War II," North said. "We strive every day to make sure that what you experienced will never happen again. And just as you took charge in World War II, our Airmen today work diligently around the clock and around the world to ensure the peace and prosperity that you earned us."
