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The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

The student news site of Atlantic High School

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AHS JOURNALISM GOLD SPONSOR

WWII veteran shares Pearl Harbor experience

By Savannah Whetstone

WWII veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor Clarance Phundheller visited Atlantic High School on Oct. 18.  He talked to teacher Terry Hinzmann’s Modern World History class about his experiences because the class is currently on that topic. He brought photos and other memorial items of Pearl Harbor.

Phundheller joined the navy in January of 1939 at age 21. He went home for a visit in March of 1939, but did not return home again until March 1944, at the age of 26.

U.S. Navy veteran Clarance Phundheller brought artifacts from Pearl Harbor to show Terry Hinzmann’s students.

Phundheller said were about eighty to one hundred men in his division.  He was assigned to the Maryland ship. The living conditions on the ship were “good,” Phundheller said.

Before the attack, Phundheller could see Japanese ships go back and forth from the mainland with loads of scrap iron. He was told by his commander to look for sabotage from the Japanese.

The Maryland was hit on the bow by a bomb but it wasn’t torpedoed.  However, the Maryland was connected to the Oklahoma ship. Oklahoma was hit badly with bombs and torpedoes.  As the Oklahoma was beginning to capsize, the Maryland got pulled along with it. They had to cut the ropes binding the two together with an axe. Phundheller said the scene was gruesome and defeating. He expected the United States would be going to war after the attack.

One disadvantage preventing the soldiers from retaliating when they were attacked was that the guns were hard to maneuver and didn’t aim as well as they should. Another disadvantage was that the Japanese planes were too close to shoot. Smoke also made it hard to see where to aim the gun. Phundheller said it took three or four men to load the heavy bullets into the guns.

Phundheller said, “It took about 30 days or more to repair the ship.” Minor damage was done compared to most of the ships in the harbor.

Phundheller stayed on the Maryland until March of 1944. After the attack he was stationed elsewhere. One place was the Phillipines.

Phundheller still is in contact with some of the people at Pearl Harbor. He visited Pearl Harbor in 1971 and 2006. He is hoping to go back this year for Veteran’s Day.

Junior Modern World History student Angel Kunik said, “I thought he was very interesting.”

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