Sarah Dix Hamlin School - Epilogue Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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Right alter that we could see pulls of anti-aireraft stuoke dotting the sky over the city. Standing in the front walk. l remember thinking that the anti-airrralt explo- sions seemed to be moving in our tlirertion. Then there was a deafening crash. The street filled with hlaek stnoke and ears stopped all along llte road. I ran into the street. and a policeman told me to lake coyer. My brother :md I then ran to the bark yard. 'I'here. two hottses down. a bomb had been dropped. As I started to help a friend with her two small children. my brother came and made me go home. ll'hen he told me a wotnan ltatl been killed by the blast, I realiled tltat this was not just an exriting adventure, but the beginning of a long and horrible war. The rest of the day is Italy in my mind. Things quieted down and we listened to the polire broadcasts in the afternoon. There were many false reports ol' para- elmtists, bttl at that time we did not know that they were not true, lVe watrhcd antl waved to the troops as they went by in army trucks. Volunteers were ralled lor. to dig trenrhes by the waterfront. Ol' rottrse, my brother wanted to go innnetliately. All the men were gone. and we thought that the japanese in the city might revolt. but hnally my mother agreed to let Itim go if tltere was lltll another attack before eleven that niglu. Night tame quiekly and we sat on the poreh with neighbors. llle were all under a strain but everyone talked and joked to keep the others' spirits up. I thought I saw a pararlttttist on the roof ol' a house across the street. and tny brother got his gun. but it turned out to be a palm tree tossing in the wintl. When linally the mosquitoes droye ns indoors, it wasn't very pleasant sitting in the dark for we had at complete blaek-out. All niglu there were tnaeltine-gun fire and rille and pistol shots all around us, Anyone going outside of his house was in danger. for the sentries were taking no eltanres. At eleven, as we had not been attacked again and as we had not had any trouble with the local laps, my brother atul a friend set out for the waterfront. They were challenged three times by armed guards. btll they got through all right. They dug trenches, in ease the enemy attempted to send landing parties. They guarded japa- nese prisoners that had been ronttded up in the city during the day. Later that night they were assigned to guard the United States Engineers. where they were on duty tnltil noon the next tlay. :lt home u'e u'ent to betl around midnight. ll'e did not take our clothes oll. and we slept only htfully. Ontse. iust before dawn, we were awakeued by anti-airrralt liring and planes overhead. That was the lirst time I felt afraid, for somehow the danger seemed tuore horrible and real itt the dark. The lirst rays of light followed soon after. and I know many Honolulu families welcomed the dawn as eagerly as we did that early Monday morning. Susaw Krrrs '43 ai speecth Although l'yc been making speeehes for the past twenty-liye years. I'tu still not much good at them. livery time a new bunch of humanity comes before me, I make a speerh. It's my duty. but I c'an't tell you how murh I hate making speeches. Pay Close attention now, heeause I won't repeat: I was like yott onre: young, healthy. and seared to death of the person who stood in my place. I slottrhetl worse than all ol you pttl together. and I tsouldn't keep my mind on what I was doing. As you will, I learned last. llefore you came here, some of you were rirh, and some poor, 'I'hat's all oyer with. From now on, ytm're all etptal.

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freckles. But there was more of Emy jane, because she had the most beatttiful set of cronium-plated bands on her teeth anyone hatl ever seen. She was immediately t:tkeu into the bosom of the class antl her bands were proudly displayed as our bands. The little boys soon discovered that Emy .lane could run, play baseball, and shoot marbles. But what's more, she could run faster than any of the little girlsg faster than any of the little Bobbies, Toinmies :tnd Percys: she could even run faster than Spike! Spike's pride was hurt! It might have been all right if another feller had beaten him: but a girl-that was beyond his comprehension, and Spike was jealous. For a while he managed just to ignore Emy jane: however, when she was unanimously elected captain of the baseball team, it was more than he could stand. Emy jane, on the other hand, really liked Spike antl she was very sorry he was so angry with her. Out of this sorrow grew her resoltttion to let him win the race that recess. and when the time of tlte big event arrived she ran next to Spike. By now all the boys were taunting Spike over his previous failure, and he knew nothing of Emy jane's plan. The starting word was given. antl when Emy Jane began to pass him. Spike, without thinking, stuck ottt his dirty ketl and bang -Emy jane was a sorry-looking heap of bruises on the ground. Spike waited all tlay for a call from the principal to explain his ungentlemanly behavior. Although he lived in fear all day, the call didn't comel The three-thirty bell found Spike rest lessly climbing the jungle gym. but in reality he had his eyes riveted on the thirtl grade door. Ten minutes later-it seemed like ten hours to Spike-Emy -lane appeared. Spike approached her, with perspiring hands locked behintl his back, to apologize, Insteatl of the angry looks he had been expect- ing, he was greeted with a crooked smile, A lispetl explanation was that My shoe- lace mushed have been undone. Front that day on. Spike always carried Emy .Iane's books home, and Iimy jane only came in second. Rosmmkv Hostt-:it '4-l cleceatlnieit seveath The story of Pearl Harbor has been told many times over in the past fourteen months. This is not another story of the japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, btu an accottnt of what that tlay brought to one Honolulu family. Having been Otll dancing the night before, I had hoped to sleep late Sunday morning, but at eight-Gfteen I was pulled from my bed by my mother and older brother. They quietly informed me that the -laps were attacking the islantl. I laughetl at thetn. But, suddenly, I connected the look on my mother's face with a tlull booming that I hatl been unconsciously aware of. I dashed out of the house, still in my pyjamas. and stood in the front yard looking for planes. A group llew over quite high, but I didn't know whether they were friendly or not. My father had alreatly left for Pearl Harbor when I got up. At that time we thought we were being bombarded from the sea. Then it was announced over the radio that planes were attacking us. It was not stated dehnitely that they were japa- nese planes. The announeer said, 0akui is under attack-the Rising Sun has been sighted on the wings of the planes. All men were directed to their stations, and civilians were told to keep off the streets and not to use the telephone. Even then it tlidn't seem possible.

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Nobody complains around here. Ifyou do, it won't do any good. Sometimes yott are going to wislt you were dead, bttt no one cares. We're going to be a happy family. lVe have our own house, nice comfortable beds. antl stt mer food. XVe're all 'oin r on . . . . l S is picnics together tn the lovely country. For a wlnle yott're going to school to learn about essential things in this business. Maybe if you're all good boys, we'll go on a big trip. That's all for now. The rest is up to yon. So straighten up that line, said the sergeant. You're in the army now! l'a't'iucta Etmxmn '-I3 an ttsibute te a hemmthe fatrtagttt fThere is a 1 1ll'l'Ilgllf still afloat. The Farragut of the following story symbolizes litany brave ships as gallant as she., The throb of engines, the warning of fog ltorns, the clanging of the buoy, gentle seas, rough seas, calms, and the onward rush of hurricane-like windsg the glowing of the sky at sunrise and the inky blackness left by sunset: the flashing of guns in battle, the moaning of dying tncn. tlte screaming of downward-headed planes. the swirling of hlark smoke, and red blood creeping over the decks. All this antl much more the destroyer Fnrrnguf ltatl seen attd heard. The stories that she could tell were numerous. They included those of Pearl Harbor, Midway. Coral Sea, and the Solomon Islands. Yes, tlte Solotnon Islands-a place of which we ltear little, httt here the valiant lfnrrogttl fought her last battle. The first glowing rays of early dawn rose over the group of ships anchored near the shore of a tropical island. Small boats, loaded down with men, could be seen dashing toward the shore. As ifa whip had been cracked to command the scene into action, events started taking place. The landing barges were beached, and swarms of men raced np on the hard-packed sand. The ships opened fire antl planes were catapulted off from nearby cruisers. The Fnrrngttl did her share in protecting tlte scattered nten running on the beach. She kept up constant fire against the enemy. From morning to night the battle went on without stopping. The men grew weary httt did not feel it. They were immune to atty sort of feeling. It was on the third day of battle that our story comes to a glorious end, Firing had slowed down. bttt the japanese were still there, making their presence known. Their planes were flying over the little ship as if they knew the deadly weapon she was. The ship fought one attack after another antl was still holding her own. As fate would have it, luck was against her. Ten planes that had assembled in the sky above. headed at the ship, hring continually. lt was too tntteli for the brave destroyer-she was rrippled. The last plane carried the hnal blast. It was a direct hit! Huge volumes of billowing smoke issued frottt her hold. Men could he seen leaping over the sntoke-grimed sides. The water was soon dotted with little specks trying to reach other ships or rafts. A rnntble was heard, and the Ftll'fllg1lf smiled once more and then was gone from sight. Tears ran down the saved n1en's cheeks-for they had lost :t sweetheart and a pal, That night, as the last few rays of the setting sttn left the sky. a group of American planes fiew overhead, attd each flyer dipped his wings in tribttte to the ship that ltatl helped play her part in the battle for freedom. Fttamrus BRnN1'oN '43