USS Oklahoma Pearl Harbor Survivor WWII Duane Reyelts SIGNED 4x6 PHOTO AUTOGRAPH

Description: This auction is for the following autographed 4x6 photograph of Duane Reyelts escaped sinking ship via a porthole WWII Pearl Harbor Survivor aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB-37). BIO: Duane Reyelts escaped sinking ship via a porthole WWII Pearl Harbor Survivor trapped about the USS Oklahoma. The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, five torpedoes from torpedo bombers hit the Oklahoma's hull and the ship capsized. A total of 429 crew died; survivors jumped off the ship 50 feet (15 m) into burning oil on water or crawled across mooring lines that connected Oklahoma and Maryland. Some sailors inside escaped when rescuers drilled holes and opened hatches to rescue them. The ship was salvaged in 1943. Unlike most of the other battleships that were recovered following Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma was too damaged to return to duty. Her wreck was eventually stripped of her remaining armament and superstructure before being sold for scrap in 1946. The hulk sank in a storm while being towed from Oahu, Hawaii, to a breakers yard in San Francisco Bay in 1947. As she began to capsize to port, two more torpedoes struck, and her men were strafed as they abandoned ship. In less than twelve minutes, she rolled over until halted by her masts touching bottom, her starboard side above water, and a part of her keel exposed. It's believed the ship absorbed as many as eight hits in all. Many of her crew, however, remained in the fight, clambering aboard Maryland to help serve her anti-aircraft batteries. Four hundred twenty-nine of her officers and enlisted men were killed or missing. One of those killed, Father Aloysius Schmitt, was the first American chaplain of any faith to die in World War II. Thirty-two others were wounded, and many were trapped within the capsized hull. Efforts to rescue them began within minutes of the ship's capsizing and continued into the night, in several cases rescuing men trapped inside the ship for hours. Julio DeCastro, a Hawaiian civilian yard worker, organized a team that saved 32 Oklahoma sailors. This was a particularly tricky operation as cutting open the hull released trapped air, raising the water levels around entombed men, while cutting in the wrong places could ignite stored fuel. Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on the American Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, in the United States, just before 8:00 a.m. (local time) on Sunday, December 7th, 1941. At the time, the United States was a neutral country in World War II. The attack on Hawaii and other U.S. territories led the United States to formally enter World War II on the side of the Allies the day following the attack, on December 8, 1941. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI and as Operation Z during its planning. The attack on Pearl Harbor started at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian time (6:18 p.m. GMT). The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters, level and dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. Of the 8 United States Navy battleships present, all were damaged and four were sunk. The 8 battleships: USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma (BB-37), USS West Virginia (BB-48), USS California (BB-44), USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) USS Tennessee (BB-43) and USS Maryland (BB-46). All but USS Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. More than 180 US aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,393 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded, making it the deadliest event ever recorded in Hawaii. Important base installations, such as the power station, dry dock, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines were lost, and 129 servicemen killed. Kazuo Sakamaki, the Commanding Officer of one of the submarines, was captured. Japan declared war on the United States and the British Empire later that day (December 8 in Tokyo), but the declarations were not delivered until the following day. The British government declared war on Japan immediately after learning that their territory had also been attacked, while the following day (December 8), the United States Congress declared war on Japan. On December 11, though they had no formal obligation to do so under the Tripartite Pact with Japan, Germany and Italy each declared war on the United States, which responded with a declaration of war against Germany and Italy. The day after the attack President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his famous Day of Infamy speech to a Joint Session of Congress, calling for a formal declaration of war on the Empire of Japan. Congress obliged his request less than an hour later. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, even though the Tripartite Pact did not require it. Congress issued a declaration of war against Germany and Italy later that same day. THIS IS AN AUTHENTIC HAND AUTOGRAPHED 4x6 PHOTOGRAPH. I ONLY SELL AUTHENTIC HAND AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA. PLEASE NOTE this 4x6 photograph was printed in the early 2000’s and then personally hand autographed. I do not sell reprints or facsimile autographs. When you bid on my items you will receive the real deal authentic hand autographed items. You will receive the same signed photograph that is pictured in the scan. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me. I currently have other rare autographed military and historical signed items available. Please take a look at my other auctions of rare military and historical autographed items.

Price: 22.49 USD

Location: Historical Treasures

End Time: 2025-01-20T14:07:07.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.5 USD