Tragic Twisted and True

The Story of the Three Men of the West Virgina

83 years ago Friday the USS West Virginia was raised from the floor of Pearl Harbor. 70 additional sets of remains were located and buried as Unknowns in the Halawa Naval Cemetery.

This is the tragic true story of three of those men.

Photo Credit: WVU Libraries & Find a Grave A.Firemean 3rd Class Ronald Endicott listed death date: December 23 1941; B. Fireman 1st Class Louis Costin listed death date: December 24 1941 ; C Clifford Olds. Listed death date: December 7 1941 // U.S.S. West Virginia Sailors Hoist Their Glasses at Monkey Bar, Pearl Harbor, HI

December 7th

Quoting President Roosevelt it was “a day that will live in infamy.” Just before 8 am (local time) the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacked the United States Navy at anchor, in Pearl Harbor HI.

Photo Credit: Bobing of the West Virgina Dec. 7 1941 // U.S. Navy via AP

Photo Credit: n this Dec. 7, 1941 photo made available by the U.S. Navy, a small boat rescues a seaman from the USS West Virginia burning in the foreground in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, after Japanese aircraft attacked the military installation. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)

The West Virginia was hit by seven torpedoes, the seventh tearing away her rudder. Shortly after the first torpedo hit, she began to list to her port side.

General quarters sounded a few short moments after the first torpedo struck the ship. The order to set condition Zed was successfully communicated throughout the ship before the power went out. It was mere moments after the order went out, that catastrophic port…