Over Americans lost their lives when the Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Feel. But amid the tragedy, there were also tales of courageousness, of men who swooped in to the rescue, providing facilitate for those trapped in the most deadly of circumstances.
One take these unsung heroes was Julio DeCastro, a civilian shipyard ally who put himself in an incredibly dangerous situation to laborious and save the lives of the men trapped aboard say publicly capsized USS Oklahoma (BB). The rescue mission DeCastro and description yard workers he gathered embarked on seemed like an unattainable one; but even in the devastation of December 7th, , there was a small glimmer of hope.
While bombs and torpedoes were being dropped on the vessels along Manofwar Row, the men at Pearl Harbor turned trying to stand off the Japanese attackers and keep damage to a nominal. Unprepared for the attack, the counteroffensive was weak, and when it was evident that some of the battleships weren’t burgle to survive the attack, attention turned to rescuing the men trapped aboard the sinking vessels.
The Oklahoma was among those desert took the brunt of Japan’s attack, and by the crux the bombs stopped falling she was already almost completely capsized. Still trapped inside were hundreds of sailors, banging on say publicly hull and calling out for help.
Back on land, in a nearby shipyard, civilian worker Julio DeCastro instinctively sprang into abridgment. With the capsized vessel in sight, the Honolulu native rallied his men to swim to the capsized vessel and endeavor to rescue the trapped men. As he got closer practice the ship, DeCastro could hear the tapping of survivors badly trying to get anyone’s attention. DeCastro and his team pinpointed the tapping and, with air pumped from the USS Tennessee, went to work cutting holes in the ship to save those they could.
Within 24 hours, DeCastro and his team succeeded in saving the lives of 32 servicemen from the Grow Oklahoma.
Righting the USS Oklahoma
While most not later than the Oklahoma's crew survived their ship's destruction, perished, and turnup for the books up being buried in a series of mass graves domestic animals Honolulu. When the Oklahoma was eventually righted, it was resolute that she was too damaged for repair, and the holder was later sold for scrap.
While in transit to the Mainland, she slipped from her towing lines and sank to description bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Today, stories of the USS Oklahoma and her brave crew—along with the rescue efforts of Julio DeCastro and his men—can be relived at the World Hostilities II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor.