Pearl Harbor Day
On December 7th, 2009, the Navy Memorial will hold a day of events to honor the memory of the 68th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The events begin when the Navy Memorial, as part of the Authors on Deck book series, hosts photographer Robert C. Knudsen as he presents and signs his book A Living Treasure: Seasonal Photographs of Arlington National Cemetery at 12:00 noon. At 1:00 P.M., the Navy Memorial will hold a wreathlaying ceremony outside in memoriam of the attacks presided over by Rear Admirals Edward K. “Ted” Walker, Jr. (Ret.) and Patrick Lorge, Commander John Budzik (Ret.) and Mr. John Carl Mindte.
Commander John Budzik, USNR (Ret), joined the Navy in 1939, serving for two years on the USS Ash (YN-2), placing and maintaining anti-submarine and anti-torpedo nets in harbors around the Hawaiian, Midway and New Caledonia islands. Awakened by the first wave of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Budzik quickly went to his ship and was onboard when the second wave of the attack hit. He served throughout the Second World War, commanding the net layer USS Abele (AN-58) during the Iwo Jima
and Okinawa invasions. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service as commander of Abele during the Okinawa campaign. He retired from the Naval Reserve as a commander with 28 years of service and currently resides at Vinson Hall Retirement Community in McLean, Va.
Mr. John Carl Mindte, son of deceased Pearl Harbor survivor Cdr. Richard Wagoner Mindte, USN (Ret.), is a retired printer who lives in the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, area. He now gives regular bus tours of the Gettysburg battle site. His father, Commander Mindte, was a communications officer aboard USS Phoenix (CL-46) during the Pearl Harbor attack. He was off duty at the time, playing cribbage. The Navy was the second of four careers for Commander Mindte, who also spent time as a sheepherder in Idaho, a tuna fisherman in Baja, California, and a hand bookbinder who restored antique books and documents for the Library of Congress, the National Museum of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Rear Admiral Edward K. “Ted” Walker Jr., SC, USN (Ret), is President and CEO of the United States Navy Memorial. As a nine-year old boy, the son of a naval officer stationed at Pearl Harbor, Walker witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
67th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks
Sunday, December 7, 2008
WASHINGTON (Dec. 07, 2008) -- Retired Cmdr. John Budzik, survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, places a wreath at the Lone Sailor statue of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, Dec. 7, 2008. The wreath-laying was part of ceremonies held at the Memorial in honor of those who paid the ultimate price during the attack 67 years ago.
Official U.S. Navy photo by Mr. Philip Molter.
On Sunday, December 7th, 2008, the 67th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy Memorial commemorated that day in 1941 with a wreath-laying and other recognition events, including:
- Ceremony to make CDR Budzik an honorary crewmember of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson
- Presentation of replica Pearl Harbor USS Pennsylvania/Arizona Band Trophy to the US Navy Band
- Panel discussion with Pearl Harbor survivors and witnesses, including CDR John Budzik, USNR (Ret), former Signalman 1st Class Bert Falardeau, and RADM Ted Walker (SC) USN (Ret), all of whom will discuss their experiences during the Pearl Harbor attack and take questions from the audience
- Book-signing for the new book Shipmates Four by Bert Falardeau
- Reception hosted by Vinson Hall Retirement Community
Participants:
Commander John Budzik, USNR (Ret) joined the Navy in 1939, serving for two years on the USS Ash (YN-2) placing and maintaining anti-submarine and anti-torpedo nets in harbors around the Hawaiian, Midway and New Caledonia islands. Awakened by the first wave of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Budzik quickly went to his ship and was onboard when the second wave of the attack hit. He served throughout the Second World War, commanding the net layer USS Abele (AN-58) during the Iwo Jima and Okinawa invasions. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service as commander of Abele during the Okinawa campaign. He retired from the Naval Reserve as a commander with 28 years of service and currently resides at Vinson Hall.
Bert Falardeau was born in Rochester, NY and joined the Navy in 1940. He served on the supply ship USS Castor (AKS-1) during the Pearl Harbor attack. He also served on the destroyer Semmes (DD-189) and the destroyer escort Amesbury (DE-66) seeing service in the Pacific and Atlantic. He was discharged at the end of the war as a Signalman 1st Class. Blue Water Press has just published Mr. Falardeau’s first novel, Shipmates Four, based on his naval service. He currently resides in New York State.
Rear Admiral Kathleen L. Martin, (NC) USN (Ret) is the CEO of Vinson Hall Retirement Community, McLean, VA. RADM Martin served in the Navy from 1973 to 2005, including tours as Commander, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, and Deputy Surgeon General, Bureau of Medicine & Surgery.
Rear Admiral Edward K. “Ted” Walker Jr. (SC) USN (Ret) is on the Board of Directors for the United States Navy Memorial and the Vinson Hall Retirement Community, McLean, VA. As a nine-year old boy, the son of a naval officer stationed at Pearl Harbor, Walker witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Rear Admiral Richard A. Buchanan, USN (Ret.) has been the President and Chief Executive Officer for the U.S. Navy Memorial since April, 2005, following six years in corporate business, most recently at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) in Rhode Island. He entered the corporate world after a 31-year career in the Navy. He is a graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy's Class of 1968.