Escape
from West Virginia
A Pearl Harbor Veter an Remembers
From Adone“ Cal” Calderone
SEVEN JAPANESE TYPE 91 AERIAL TORPEDOES HIT THE PORT SIDE OF WEST VIRGINIA, WITH SIX EXPLODING. DESPITE BEST EFFORTS TO FIGHT FIRES AND KEEP HER AFLOAT, THE REMAINING CREW WAS ORDERED TO ABANDON SHIP AROUND 2:00 PM.
DURING REPAIRS TO LATER RAISE WEST VIRGINIA FROM THE BOTTOM OF PEARL HARBOR, THE BODIES OF 66 SAILORS WERE FOUND, TRAPPED BELOW DECK. THREE WERE FOUND IN AN UNFLOODED STOREROOM COMPARTMENT, A CALENDAR INDICATING THEY HAD SURVIVED FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS FOLLOWING THE ATTACK.
SPRING 2017 11