It was a peaceful, quiet morning on December 7th, 1941. I woke to get myself ready for duty. I was Corporal of the Guard at Schofield Barracks and I had the first watch from 6 to 8AM. I was 20 years old. I went to the mess hall for breakfast and at 7:30 returned for my watch, where I would be relieved at 8AM. Since there were no problems, I really had nothing to do. I sat at the desk and began to read a book which I had with me. It was peaceful, until in the distance I heard a roar, like many planes flying toward us. I remember raising my eyes from the book and looking up, thinking; those “fly boys” are out early this Sunday morning. I didn’t think for an instant there was anything going on, until in the distance I heard the whine of the plane engines as it dives down, and then a loud explosion.
At first I thought “that pilot must have crashed” then I heard another plane driving and yet another. I ran outside, looked down the street toward Wheeler Air Force Base and saw the black smoke rising. I looked up and saw this plane diving, then I saw him pull up, as he did so, I saw a black object falling from the plane. That object was a bomb, and it caused a very large explosion and I could see the black smoke filling the area.
Above where I was standing, I saw airplanes strafing the hangers at Wheeler Field and noticed that the cartridges were falling from the planes right onto the street where I stood. Just about that time the bugler came running towards me. He said: “someone told me to blow number three alert call, what is number three alert call?” I told him “I don’t know, you as the bugler go into the field every day to practice the various calls”, but he was so unsettled, I told him to go back into the quadrangle and blow “Call To Arms”, which he did.
Soon after, the members of the guard were relieved. As we all hurried back to our barracks, I looked up to the roof tops and saw that a number of our guys had climbed up there with their rifles and were firing at the Japanese planes as they flew over us.
We were ordered to gather all our equipment and prepare to move out to positions on the North Shore of the Island, as that was our position to defend in case of attack. As the convoy moved out through the highway, we noticed a Japanese Zero that had been shot down was burning in the Pineapple field.
Everything had changed in a matter of minutes on that day. That day burns still in the hearts and minds of all who were there, we can’t forget and we do remember.
Charles Kowalski, Sergeant Major, US Army retired.
