Their Numbers Dwindling, North Texas Survivors of Pearl Harbor Carry on

For many of the men who survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the 75 years since have been difficult. Around North Texas -- and nationwide -- their numbers are dwindling. And in many cases, so is their willingness to discuss that fateful day.While their memories of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack remain sharp, some are open to discussing it; others are not."Draw a line through my name. I don't like to talk about it," said Melvin R. Cook, Grand Prairie resident and Pearl Harbor survivor.Although there is no official count of Pearl Harbor survivors currently living in North Texas, these few men are known: Robert Tanner of Cedar Hill, Cook, John E. Lowe of Arlington, Bill Hughes of Coppell, James Hardwick of Allen, and Robert U. Hanna and Leland Rex, both of Fort Worth. Another, Anthony Gannarelli of McKinney, died in April at the age of 102.Here are the stories of some of those men. Some of them were part of post-attack relief efforts, who lived to see the Allied forces come out victorious in World War II before moving on to successful careers and families here in North Texas.John E. Lowe John Edward Lowe had just woken up and figured he'd start his gangway watch early. Stationed on the USS Neosho, an oiler that carried fuel back and forth from San Pedro, Calif., to Pearl Harbor, Lowe headed up on deck just before 8 a.m., Dec. 7, 1941. "I was eating an orange and throwing the peelings over the side," said Lowe, until recently a lifelong Dallas resident.   Continue reading...

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