Pearl Harbor survivor Jessie Mahaffey, 102, passed away on March 1, 2025. Jessie joined the US Navy in 1941 after graduating high school in Louisiana. He was assigned to USS Oklahoma and was aboard the ship on December 7, 1941. Just weeks before, he had received a promotion and transferred from the powder room to the deck. Jessie and five other sailors were busy scrubbing the deck in preparation for an inspection that morning, when suddenly the attack began. Early on, Oklahoma was hit by multiple torpedoes and quickly rolled over. Jessie and other sailors crawled up the deck and slid down the side, escaping the capsizing ship. Four hundred and twenty nine of his fellow USS Oklahoma crewmembers died in the attack, many of them trapped below decks - including the sailors at Jessie’s former battle station. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Jessie survived the sinking of the USS Northampton during the Battle of Tassafaronga in Nov/Dec 1942, waiting throughout the night on a raft before being rescued. When the war ended, he returned to Louisiana in 1945, married, had a family, and worked for the phone company for 30 years. Over the decades, he developed deep ties with his community and was greatly loved. He was preceded in death by his wife Joyce and is survived by two sons, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and a great-great grandchild. Jesse’s funeral was held on March 8th at Warren Meadows Funeral Home in Many, Louisiana. Video and photos: Brooke Mahaffey Music: “A Gentle Breeze” by Good_B_Music on Pixabay Video created by Rebecca Schwab

Have you ever wondered what happens during an interment at USS Arizona? USS Arizona survivors of the December 7, 1941, attack were given the option of being interred within the ship upon their death. Here Pearl Harbor National Memorial volunteer Ann Hanson speaks to visitors at the USS Arizona Memorial Shrine Room about how those interments took place. The video includes National Park Service footage (by Brett Seymour) of the interment of Ensign Joseph K. Langdell on December 7, 2015. Of the 335 USS Arizona survivors, 45 have been interred into the ship - starting with Stanley Teslow in 1982. The last USS Arizona survivor, Lou Conter, passed away on April 1, 2024, at the age of 102, and he chose not to be interred but instead to be laid to rest next to his wife Valerie. Video and photos: Jim McCoy (PHP); Brett Seymour (NPS); DVIDS Music: “Magic Night” by Clavier-Music on Pixabay Video created by Rebecca Schwab

On February 23rd, Pearl Harbor National Memorial Superintendent Tom Leatherman escorted USS Arizona survivor George D. Phraner Jr.’s son Steven Phraner, with his wife Irina, to the USS Arizona Memorial. Steven and his wife were last at Pearl Harbor for the 80th Commemoration in 2021. Aviation Machinists Mate 1/c George Phraner survived the Pearl Harbor attack due to the fact that there was no ammunition at his battle station: a forward 5-inch gun. The gun captain ordered him to go aft and bring up ammunition out of the magazines, five decks below. That’s where he was when Arizona was hit by a massive bomb in the forward section of the ship, causing a catastrophic explosion. In all, 1,177 USS Arizona crewmembers died - including George’s entire gun crew. George barely made it out alive, fighting through intense smoke and heat to climb his way to the deck. From there, he swam to Ford Island and was taken to the naval air station. He eventually transferred to the USS Lexington - whose sinking in 1942 he also survived. George passed away in 2001 and was interred within USS Arizona. Images and video: Jim McCoy; Phraner family Music: Nikita Kondrashev from Pixabay Video created by Rebecca Schwab

Actor Scott Gibson talks about his role in HBO's The Pacific, where he portrayed Marine Capt. Andrew Haldane. Interview conducted by Jim McCoy and Rebecca Schwab.

Family and friends of Rosie the Riveter and longtime Maui resident Lucille “Cille” MacDonald gathered on Maui for her services on Saturday, Feb 15th. Her ashes were scattered off her Lahaina home lot that was leveled in August 2023, along with thousands of other homes and buildings. A celebration of life followed at the Olowalu Plantation House. Loved ones eulogized Cille for an exciting life well lived. Born December 9, 1925 in Greenville, South Carolina, Cille was the middle child of one brother and 7 sisters who grew up on a farm picking cotton. When World War II broke out, she worked as a journeyman welder helping to build ships in Brunswick, Georgia, at J.A. Jones Construction. She later moved to Maui, where she lived for almost 50 years. Cille passed away on November 15, 2024, just short of her 99th birthday. Photos and video: Jim McCoy and Dodo Dunaj Music: "A Gentle Breeze" by Good_B_Music on Pixabay Video created by Rebecca Schwab

On January 17th, students from HTA-Hawaii Technology Academy took part in a poetry workshop at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial with poet Jodie Hollander. The workshop included a trip to the USS Arizona Memorial, where students had the opportunity to make a personal connection to the site and find inspiration to write their own poems. Video created by Rebecca Schwab Video clips from Shiloh Francis with HTA; Jim McCoy for PHP Photos: Shiloh Francis with HTA Music: Good_B_Music on Pixabay Poem excerpts by students Camrey B. and Odessa G.

Rosie the Riveter Lucille “Cille” MacDonald passed away on November 15, 2024, just a few weeks before her 99th birthday. Here she talks about her experience working as a journeyman welder during World War II, helping to build ships in Brunswick, Georgia, at J.A. Jones Construction. Video created by Rebecca Schwab Video interview and photos from Dodo Dunaj

US Navy veteran Al Chatwin, 99, served in Guam during World War II. Last year, he went back to Guam for the first time, fulfilling one of his final wishes. Video clips from PHP and Beyond the Call Photos: Beyond the Call; DVIDS Music: Clavier-Music from Pixabay Video created by Rebecca Schwab