Tom and Pete Doherty would visit their parents for six weeks each year while they were stationed in Germany and London. When the war broke out it was decided that the trip was too dangerous.
Tom had followed his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps and enrolled in the Academy graduating as an officer in the Marines. Peter, on the other hand enrolled at Harvard to study medicine.
Tom had been assigned to the 3rd Defence Battalion at Pearl Harbour. He was delighted that his first posting was in such a beautiful location as Hawaii.
That was until 7th December 1941.
Tom was the Ford Island duty officer and watched Privates First Class Frank Dudovick, James D. Young, and Private Paul O. Zeller USMCR the Marine colour guard, march up and take their posts for Colours. Satisfied that all looked in order outside, Tom stepped back into his office to check if the assistant officer-of-the-day, Gerry Hudson, was ready to play the recording for sounding Colours on the loudspeaker. The sound of two heavy explosions however, sent the Marine officer running to the door. He reached it just in time to see a Japanese bomber fly past number 1010 Dock and release a torpedo. The torpedo struck the battleship California.
Hudson and Tom looked on in awe as wave after wave of Japanese planes strafed the harbour below them. Zeros and BSN torpedo-bombers were swarming over the harbour dropping their lethal cargo. US ships were exploding and sinking quickly, their crews unable to escape the burning wreckage. So absorbed were they in the attack below, Tom and Gerry did not notice the two Zeros approaching from behind until it was too late. The Japanese fighter started firing; Gerry was riddled with Japanese bullets and died instantly. Tom received a leg wound and dropped to the ground, pretending to be dead. The Zeros passed over again very low - they were satisfied the two Navy officers had been eliminated. Tom squinted through one eye at the planes as they passed over. He could see the two pilots and the Rising Sun; there was no doubt who the enemy was.
The Japanese attack lasted two hours and created absolute havoc.
American Losses:
4 battleships sunk
3 battleships damaged
1 battleship grounded
2 other ships sunk
3 cruisers damaged
3 destroyers damaged
3 other ships damaged
188 aircraft destroyed
159 aircraft damaged
2,402 killed
1,247 wounded
Japanese Losses
4 midget submarines sunk
1 midget submarine grounded
29 aircraft destroyed
64 killed
1 captured
Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki became America’s first prisoner of war in WWII when his midget submarine ran aground after his attempted attack at Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941. Although initially wanting to commit suicide in shame for being captured, he gradually developed a more positive outlook, and spent the entire war in various POW camps in Wisconsin, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Texas. After the war’s end, Sakamaki returned to his home in Japan, soon married, and started a job in the Nagoya area at Toyota Motor Corporation.
Tom lay where he dropped until being discovered by a group of Marines looking for casualties.
They stretchered him down on a Jeep to the dock and transferred him to the Navy hospital ship the USS Solace.
The doctor examined the gun shot wounds and found three bullets had entered his left leg and another two in his right. Tom had been fortunate in that only one bullet had lodged in the leg. The others had passed right through leaving a hole that could be cleaned and stitched.
Nevertheless the one remaining bullet would require surgery to remove it.
Tom was operated on the next day and was transferred to the Navy hospital at Pearl Harbour.
He recuperated for about three weeks reporting back for duty with a full medical clearance. He was itching to have a go at the Japanese
Two days after Pearl Harbour they attacked the Philippines. On Saturday 14th February the American defensive lines finally broke. General Macarthur and his battle-weary troops withdrew declaring they would return.
By this time, the Japanese had captured Borneo, Celebes and Sarawak.
How was the United States going to halt the Japanese juggernaut?
15th February 1942
Singapore fell to the might of the Japanese assault resulting in the capture of some one hundred thousand Allied prisoners against the cost of two thousand Japanese soldiers.
Winston Churchill declared the fall to be the ‘largest capitulation in British history’.