World War II Honoree

Paul Henry Beyers

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Huntsville, Alabama

Honored By

Marilyn Judith Carney

HE WAS ON THE USS TENNESSEE DURING THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. AN INBOARD AND AN OUTBOARD LINE OF SHIPS PREVENTED THE JAPANESE TORPEDO BOMBERS FROM DESTROYING THE SHIP, HOWEVER, DURING THE ATTACK, THE USS WEST VIRGINIA WAS CRIPPLED AND LEANED HEAVILY INTO THE USS TENNESSEE. MANY SEVERELY WOUNDED MEN WERE PULLED FROM USS WEST VIRGINIA AND OTHER SHIPS FROM OUT OF THE WATER. HE WITNESSED THE USS OKLAHOMA AS IT CAPSIZED AFTER GETTING UNDERWAY, TRYING TO ESCAPE THE FURY. A TORPEDO BOMBER OVERSHOT HIS SHIP, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CRASH ONTO IT. INSTEAD, THE BOMBER CRASHED ON FORD ISLAND. A GROUP OF SAILORS WENT ONTO THE ISLAND TO INSPECT THE WRECKAGE AND FOUND THE DEAD JAPANESE PILOT, WEARING THE RED BALL THAT SIGNIFIED A KAMIKAZE. HIS YOUNGER BROTHER WAS IN TRAINING AND WAS AT PEARL HARBOR AT THE SAME TIME.