last survivor of USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor attack, dies at 102

[LennG]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/02/us/lou-conter-last-pearl-harbor-survivor-dies/index.html

 
Lou Conter, the final survivor of the USS Arizona, the Navy battleship that was sunk – with a loss of 1,177 lives – during the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died at age 102.

Another final piece of our history has gone to his reward. In our local paper, this barely got any recognition on the Obituary page, let alone in any of the 'News' pages and that is a shame.

Just a quick story relating to this. I had a very good friend who was a marine during WWII. But he was stationed on the USS Missouri and was on that ship when the Japanese surrendered to end WWII. He used to tell me so many wonderful stories of that day and what followed, as the Missouri was the Navy Flagship and was the last ship to return home to SF after the war. I used to tell him he needed to tell some of these stories to others, but he always replied, as did most of that generation, 'No big deal. I am just doing my job". 
He told us of how they were training every day to invade Japan. How Admiral Halsey, who was on that ship, used to come down and play volleyball with many of the sailors and troops. They knew nothing of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but one day they told everyone to wear their dress uniforms the next day. When he saw Gen McArthur arrive on the deck they knew something big was happening.
When he passed he was 93, and till his last day, he always said the biggest thrill he ever had was when the Missouri sailed into SF harbor, under the Golden Gate Bridge. He said there had to be about 2 million people lined up everywhere to cheer this ship when it came into port. That feeling never left him.
When he passed he was one of only 3 people left from that crew that day in August 1945. Don't know if anyone else is still left.
When we went to Hawaii and visited Pearly Harbor, and toured the Missouri, they had a plaque on the deck where the surrender took place, so I made it a point to call him when I was standing right there. He loved it. 

It is very sad that these guys, who made history, pass without nary a mention.