He was there at Pearl Harbor, that Sunday morning

[Bill in Oregon]

I got to know this man when I was the editor of a small paper in the Rogue Valley many years ago. One of the nicest guys you could hope to meet.

"April 11 1999, LA Times

* Frank Cordeiro Jr.; Photographed Pearl Harbor

Frank O. Cordeiro Jr., 73, who as a high school student in Honolulu took historic photographs of the attack on Pearl Harbor. An editor at the Honolulu Star Bulletin asked Cordeiro to take a few photographs of naval maneuvers at Pearl Harbor on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941. Armed with a Leica camera borrowed from a teacher, Cordeiro captured the destroyer Shaw exploding in a ball of flames. Cordeiro joined the Army, and after being wounded in combat in the Philippines, exchanged his rifle for a camera. At the end of the war, he photographed Gen. Douglas MacArthur accepting the Japanese surrender aboard the Missouri. He went on to serve in the Korean War, winning a Bronze Star for his photography behind enemy lines. He retired from the Army in 1964 with the rank of master sergeant. On Monday in Oregon. The cause of death was not announced."

This is one of the images Frank took that morning. He was 16 years old. He told me the Japanese pilots were flying so low he made eye contact with one of them. He died of heart disease at his home in Trail, Oregon, a gentle soul beloved by all who knew him. He lies in Eagle Point National Cemetery, very near my father's grave.



https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... -02794.jpg

[Ben_Rumson]

Good to know about the photographer Sure wish I had a Leica camera when I was in High School. This is a story I saw last w/e https://www.cbsnews.com/news/an-unknown ... or-attack/

[Bill in Oregon]

Thanks for that link, Ben.

[Pisgah]

Not questioning the gentleman's story at all, but someone needs to see what they can do to correct the credit given for that Wikipedia picture if it is true.

[Blaine]

I had some cousin of some sort that died at Pearl Harbor. Mom showed me his name on the Memorial Plaque. His name is gone with my Mother's dementia, though. I hope he knows I think about him from time to time.
Prayers for all those lost souls.

[Bill in Oregon]

Pisgah, I have looked at at least a dozen versions of the image online and not one of them credits "that high school kid from Honolulu." Most say photographer unknown.