Today, as retired Navy Adm. Tom Fargo continues to prep for the upcoming 75th Pearl Harbor Commemoration, he will observe Veterans Day by reflecting on “seven decades of American men and women who have dedicated their lives to their country.”
On Dec. 7, 1941, Fargo’s father was enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy’s class of 1943 and his mother was a college student in California who would later become a Navy nurse.
“She would tell me that when you walked the streets of San Francisco during those years of the war you never saw a person between the age of 18 and 50 that wasn’t in uniform or helping in some way — whether it was military members or the Rosie-the-Riveter generation that was working in shipyards … and aviation factories and so on. … The war effort was a total effort of the country to not only fight these conflicts in both Europe and the Pacific but also to come up with resources — the ships, aircraft and ammunition. … That sense that ‘we’re all in this together’ was very clear.”
Earlier this year, Fargo, who served as Pacific Fleet commander and commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command before retiring in 2005, was tapped by Gov. David Ige to lead the state’s 75th Anniversary Commemoration Committee. It’s organizing a roster of events spanning 11 days, all of which are tied to Japan’s aerial attack on ships in Pearl Harbor and military bases on Oahu that propelled the United States into World War II. Some 2,335 U.S. service members and 68 civilians were killed in the raid.
“There are really three different groups of folks that we’d like to both honor and pay tribute to,” Fargo said. In addition to the group that includes the USS Arizona’s five survivors, other Pearl Harbor survivors and WWII veterans, “there’s also all of the veterans who have served since World War II, in Korea and Vietnam, the Cold War. … And then, last but not least, are the current veterans that we have and the active-duty folks and their families.”
QUESTION: The commemoration committee includes government and military officials as well as representatives of the business community and Pearl Harbor historic sites. How did its vision for the anniversary take shape?
ANSWER: The first step was really to think through what the theme of the commemoration should be, and that’s where we came up with: “Honoring the past and inspiring the future.” That was important to us because we recognized there are a number of groups that we want to honor, but equally important is making sure that all this history is both preserved and moved forward to present and future generations.
Q: In addition to spotlighting historic sites and contributions ranging from eyewitness oral histories from octogenarians to essays penned by current schoolchildren, plans are in the works for about 50 commemorative events?
A: There’s a large number of events because, of course, all of Hawaii was involved in many different ways. The attacks took place not only at Pearl Harbor, but at Wheeler Army Airfield (Wahiawa), in Kaneohe, out at Ewa, Bellows, Schofield throughout the whole of the island and the community. The civilians were impacted hugely.
Q: Highlights among the events?
A: The Pacific Aviation Museum has its annual gala on that first Saturday (Dec. 3). And certainly the aviation piece of World War II is hugely important. This was a point where we really transitioned from the battleship being the centerpiece of the United States Navy to the carrier … and carrier aviation playing a huge role both in World War II and the future.
We’ll have an event on Monday (Dec. 5) to honor the Americans of Japanese ancestry — the different units, such as the 442, the 100th infantry battalion, the military intelligence units. … As everybody knows, they were the most decorated units of that period of time.
Tuesday night (Dec. 6), we’re going to have an event at the Hilton (Hawaiian Village), the purpose of which is to pay tribute to all of the World War II survivors who will be here … plus their families. Tom Hanks (national honorary celebrity chairman of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund) will speak. … And then Dec. 7, of course, the morning event will be the traditional remembrance ceremony at Pearl Harbor.
Q: Some 4,000 people are expected at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s Kilo Pier for that poignant ceremony?
A: That ceremony is second to none in my mind. … We’re going to set up chairs and screens at the Arizona Memorial’s visitors center so that it can be seen right here in Honolulu. We’re also going to stream it to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., Times Square in New York City and World War II Museum in New Orleans. That’s just a cross-section of the folks we’re going to provide an opportunity to to be part of this remembrance.
Q: Is the committee arranging to showcase a modern vessel?
A: There’ll be a big deck (USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier) that will be in the harbor. That’s important because we don’t have any that are homeported here. … Carrier aviation played such a central role in the success of our effort to win the war. It’s very appropriate for one to be here so people can learn … from this history.
Q: Through fundraising and in-kind donations, your committee is working to assist some 300 WWII vets and other survivors in making the trip to the islands for events and a chance to see shipmates and others from that era. How’s that effort going?
A: If you were 18 years old on Dec. 7, 1941, you’ll be 93 when we assemble next month. So, as you can see, this will probably be the last really large opportunity to pay tribute … to the World War II veterans. … We have been partnering with a number of the airlines and hotels here in Hawaii to bring World War II survivors to Hawaii. … We’ve got honor flights that will bring folks out from the West Coast, and a host of rooms that have been dedicated by hotels here.
Q: How has military service changed and remained unchanged over the past seven decades?
A: The thing that strikes me the most clearly, right off the bat, is the similarities. I think the qualities of what has become known as the “Greatest Generation” and the current generation are very much the same. The dedication to their country, then the principles of freedom, the personal sacrifice that we saw in World War II and, of course, Korea and Vietnam also, and occurs today among these young patriots. The relentless pursuit of the mission. It’s eye-watering. …
Their effort to make sure that they supported their country, their service, their unit and their buddies. Their shipmates, fellow Marines, and fellow soldiers. … The bravery that is exhibited — it doesn’t make a difference whether it was an amphibious assault in World War II or Marines and soldiers going door-to-door in a place like Ramadi, in Iraq. That sense of sacrifice and willingness to sacrifice … makes you very, very proud.
Q: And the changes?
A: My father and mother were both involved in World War II. … That generation didn’t talk about going to war much. Not until really very late in their lives and, certainly, they didn’t talk about … specific events. The nation knew in general what happened. You had reporters and newsreels, but those very detailed specific accounts weren’t available to the American people.
Today, with technology and real-time reporting, more embedded reporters, those very graphic events are chronicled for the American people and they see them on their screens every night. … Today you could be on the battlefield and pick up your cell phone and probably have connectivity back to your parents or spouse. It is very different. The clarity of these situations in real time is different.
Q: The specifics of warfare are now addressed with a more intentional sense of openness?
A: The term PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) I never really heard until, really, the last 20 years. The events of war, those horrific events, they were very similar in World War II as they are today. … (In recent decades,) there’s an acknowledgement that PTSD certainly occurs, and clearly a much greater effort to try to address it medically and to deal with it for this generation.
