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Posted By: FallCreekFan OT “It was men like that,” - 04/03/24 03:43 PM
The last Arizona survivor - Lou Conter - has died.

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/03/1242430911/lou-conter-uss-arizona-pearl-harbor

Later in the war, after being shot down over New Guinea, he led his flight crew to safety.

"Eventually, they got rescued. They had dinner, went to sleep and got up and flew another mission the next night. And that is how we won the war. It was men like that,“
Posted By: Jimmy W Re: OT “It was men like that,” - 04/03/24 04:30 PM
Yep. Been to the Arizona. Twice. It's a real treat. If anyone ever gets the chance- they should go.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: OT “It was men like that,” - 04/03/24 07:50 PM
The Greatest Generation...
Posted By: KY Jon Re: OT “It was men like that,” - 04/04/24 04:54 AM
Hard times, the Great Depression, made that generation great. Soft time, have made the following generations less so every generation. God Bless all those men of that generation. Few are left, too few. RIP sir. I wonder if he is having his ashes returned to his ship? I knew another crew survivor and he was going to do that, be cremated and have his ashes spread over the wreck so he could rest with his brothers.
Posted By: FallCreekFan Re: OT “It was men like that,” - 04/04/24 12:20 PM
Some additional insights about Mr. Conter from CA news sources:

“Conter's navy career began in 1939, with two months of boot camp in San Diego. He entered with years of experience hunting as a kid.
The instructor pulled him aside and said, 'You start teaching these other kids how to shoot,’ because he was shooting so well,'”

“Even on his envelopes, he writes ‘Remember Pearl Harbor’ under his name. He wanted to make sure everybody remembered Pearl Harbor—and not to forget it—so it wouldn’t happen again,”

“Funeral services are not yet set, but loved ones say Conter will be buried with full military honors, next to his late wife, at a cemetery in Grass Valley.“
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