Wednesday marked the 81st anniversary of one our nation’s darkest days. On Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked.
It is a somber day of remembrance, especially for one Connecticut man whose father was not only there that day, but also played a critical role.
From 1963 until his death in 1994, Joseph McDonald lived in East Hartford. In 1941, though, he was in Honolulu, Hawaii serving as an Army private and stationed at Pearl Harbor.
Pvt. McDonald was the first to receive a distress call from a nearby radar station.
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“The Opana radar indicated, there were a large number of planes coming in from the north,” said his son, George, who lives in Glastonbury.
McDonald immediately communicated the situation to a young lieutenant, Kermit Tyler, but the warning was ignored.
Pleading with his superior, McDonald persuaded Tyler to call the radar station himself.
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“My father could hear the end of the conversation which went, ‘Well, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing,’” McDonald said.
Worried, McDonald went to his tent and confided with fellow soldier Richard Schimmel, warning him.
“He said, ‘Shim, the Japanese are coming,’” McDonald said.
Shortly after, the Japanese sneak attack commenced just before 8am, killing 2,403 people and injuring countless others. McDonald says his father grappled with that until his 1994 death.
His role, however, has been recognized with a commendation medal, awarded posthumously in 2005.
“The only unfortunate part was that my dad wasn’t there to get that,” recalls McDonald. “So many years later.”
Observing the 81-year anniversary Wednesday, people like Vietnam veteran David Mortlock reflected.
“I’m just very sorry for what happened and hopefully it will never occur again,” Mortlock said.
Navy veteran Gordon Palmer was stationed on a submarine from 1971 to 1973. While serving, he visited Pearl Harbor and remembers being chocked up.
“We should be paying tribute to everybody who participated in that because every one of those guys were heroes,” Palmer said.
As for McDonald, he recalls his father’s stories, explaining that before his death, Dec. 7 was a day when he would find time to spend with other Pearl Harbor survivors.
“They would have a banquet and share stories,” McDonald said. “They would be there for each other.”
For a very long time, McDonald’s story was kept secret. He says he was initially told by the military not to speak about it. Today, though, there are books and even movies that portray his role in attempting to defend Pearl Harbor.
