World War II Honoree

Garlen Eslick

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Bristow, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP USS OKLAHOMA (BB-37). HE WAS ABOARD SHIP WHICH WAS ANCHORED OFF FORD ISLAND ON BATTLESHIP ROW AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII AT THE TIME OF THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. HE AND A SHIPMATE WERE TOPSIDE PREPARING FOOD FOR THE NOON MEAL WHEN BULLETS FROM A STRAFING PLANE SPLINTERED THE SHIP'S DECK AND KILLED HIS SHIPMATE. THE CALL TO MAN BATTLE STATIONS WAS GIVEN AND HE MADE HIS WAY TOWARD HIS STATION SEVERAL DECKS BELOW IN THE POWDER ROOM THAT FED THE SHIP'S GUNS. AS HE MADE HIS WAY BELOW, TORPEDOES STRUCK THE SHIP, HEAVING THE SHIP OUT OF THE WATER. HE WAS KNOCKED OFF HIS FEET BUT CONTINUED DOWNWARD TO THE POWDER ROOM WHERE HE WAS JOINED BY 6 SHIPMATES. THE SHIP WAS STRUCK AGAIN BY TORPEDOES, HE HIT HIS HEAD AND WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. WITHIN 12 MINUTES AFTER THE OKLAHOMA WAS STRUCK, SHE CAPSIZED, TRAPPING HIM AND HUNDREDS OF HIS SHIPMATES BELOW DECKS. WHEN HE REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS, HE WAS TRAPPED IN THE DARK, FLOODING COMPARTMENT AND HIS 6 SHIPMATES WERE DEAD. HE REMAINED IN THE COMPARTMENT IN THE OIL-FOULED WATER FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS UNTIL ANOTHER SAILOR SWAM INTO HIS COMPARTMENT AND LED HIM UNDERWATER TO ANOTHER COMPARTMENT WHERE ABOUT A DOZEN OTHERS WERE TRAPPED. THEY REMAINED IN THE CAPSIZED VESSEL IN WAIST-DEEP WATER TAKING TURNS BEATING OUT 'S.O.S' SIGNALS ON THE HULL TO ALERT RESCUE CREWS. THEY COULD HEAR THE SOUNDS OF PNEUMATIC TOOLS AS THE RESCUE CREWS WORKED TO FREE THEM. ABOUT NOON THE FOLLOWING DAY, SOME 28 HOURS AFTER THE ATTACK BEGAN, THEY WERE RESCUED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SHIP. HE RECUPERATED IN A HOSPITAL FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN WAS ASSIGNED TEMPORARY DUTIES AT PEARL HARBOR. A PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR. OF THE OKLAHOMA'S COMPLEMENT OF 1,518 MEN, 429 PERISHED. LATER ASSIGNED TO THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS SARATOGA (CV-3) AND WAS ABOARD WHEN THE SHIP WAS TORPEDOED BY A SUBMARINE. PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS AT GUADALCANAL IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS IN AUGUST, 1942, AT BOUGAINVILLE IN THE SOLOMONS AND IN THE GILBERT ISLAND OFFENSIVE IN NOVEMBER, 1943. TRANSFERRED TO THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS HANCOCK (CV-19) IN APRIL, 1944. SAW ACTION AT LEYTE AND MANILA IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN OCTOBER, 1944 AND HIS SHIP WEATHERED A SEVERE TYPHOON ON DECEMBER 17, 1944. ON JANUARY 21, 1945, A RETURNING AIRCRAFT EXPLODED ON THE FLIGHT DECK KILLING 50 AND WOUNDING 75 SHIPMATES. TOOK PART IN OPERATIONS AT IWO JIMA AND THEN AT OKINAWA. AT OKINAWA, HIS SHIP WAS HIT BY A 'KAMIKAZE' JAPANESE SUICIDE PLANE ON APRIL 7, 1945. THE ATTACK COST THE LIVES OF 62 OF HIS SHIPMATES AND WOUNDED 71 OTHERS. THE HANCOCK WAS AWARDED THE NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN SEPTEMBER, 1945 AFTER 4 YEARS OF SERVICE AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.