Warriors in their Own Words

Remarkable stories of war told by the men who fought for a proud nation. Their words. Their voices. Our first episodes tell riveting stories from World War II, then we move on to the Vietnam War and other dramatic conflicts.

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The Fires of Pearl Harbor: MM2c Martin Shew

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Machinist Mate 2nd Class Martin Shew served on the USS Arizona, a battleship that suffered insurmountable damage during the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Shew was on his way back to the Arizona when the attack began. Before he could reach the ship, a Japanese bomb detonated the ship’s magazines, causing a massive explosion on board and dealing significant damage. If Shew had been at his post at the time of the explosion, he would have been killed.

Seeing that the Arizona was unsalvageable, Shrew was enlisted to help fight fires along the shore for two hours. After that, he helped carry the dead and dying to a mess hall that was being used as an emergency hospital.

Editor’s Note: Shew was a Machinist Mate 2nd Class at the time of the attack. It is unclear what rank he had reached by retirement.


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