Dec. 7 survivor makes it to isles after flight ordeal

Among the 70 Pearl Harbor survivors proudly standing attention at this morning’s memorial services commemorating the Japanese attack on the Pacific Fleet 72 years ago will be Ewalt Shatz, who nearly missed this year’s event.

Shatz, 90, has made the pilgrimage for the past four years hoping to reconnect with shipmates from the destroyer USS Patterson, which was anchored at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

However, on Wednesday — after a nearly two-hour drive from Moreno Valley in Southern California — Shatz was told by United Airlines that "there was a weight problem," and he and another passenger were bumped from the flight to Hawaii.

Shatz said he couldn’t understand what happened since he was at the Los Angeles airport within the two-hour window before his flight was due to leave at 1 p.m. Wednesday. He checked in, wearing his "Pearl Harbor survivors" service cap, and told the airline agent he needed to be in Hawaii for today’s ceremonies.

"Only two persons were bumped from the flight," said Shatz, "me and another fellow who is handicapped."

United later said in response to media and other inquiries: "Inclement weather in the path of United flight 1226 required the flight to carry additional fuel and, as a result, reduce the number of passengers on board by 41. United agents in Los Angeles rebooked those customers, including Mr. Shatz, on the best available alternate flights on United and other airlines. We look forward to speaking with Mr. Shatz and the other affected customers."

However, Shatz said he is still waiting to hear from United since the incident.

United rebooked him on an American Airlines flight that left Los Angeles five hours later and took him to Maui, where he had to transfer to a Hawaiian Airlines flight, arriving nearly seven hours late at 11:30 p.m.

Shatz said he didn’t know anyone in Hawaii, and his only contact was Navy Chief Petty Officer Rex Parmelee, whom he got to know over the past four years since Parmelee has been his military escort and sponsor for the Pearl Harbor activities.

While he waited in Los Angeles, Shatz called Parmelee and told him about his plight.

Parmele contacted Senior Chief Petty Officer Jaye Bell, who posted the problems Shatz was facing on Facebook.

That resulted in a flurry of negative comments toward United over his treatment, especially since Shatz had told United he was a Pearl Harbor survivor and was worried about missing today’s remembrances.

Facebook posts by many angry consumers on the United Airlines company page suggest that removing the 90-year-old man, who weighs 150 pounds, may not have been the best solution to the flight’s weight issue.

"I am completely in shock that your airlines [sic] would bump off a 90-year-old pearl harbor [sic] survivor and WW2 vet off one of your planes on his way to the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Ceremonies!" wrote Dorothy Bowler. "Is there no respect for what these men and women went though anymore!"

Shatz said he is still "disappointed and bewildered" by the airline’s actions.

Shatz, a retired City of Glendale power generation plant supervisor, is credited by the Navy with shooting down a Japanese plane while manning a .50-caliber machine gun for the first time during the attack.

Besides hoping to find old shipmates, Shatz said the trips help him remember what happened.

"It’s a part of history," he said.

It also might be more meaningful this year because of the response generated by Belland Parmelee, who were able to get 70 service members and their spouses to greet Shatz when he arrived at Honolulu Airport early Thursday morning.

Shatz is scheduled to leave Honolulu on Sunday, and his return flight is still on United Airlines.