You're listening to American Shadows, a production of I Heart radio and Grimm and Mild

from Erin Minky.

The day started like many others, a warm 73 degrees with partly cloudy skies.

Civilians were going about their early Sunday morning routines when the dive bomber appeared,

the first of 200.

At 810 that morning, an 1800 pound bomb landed on the USS Arizona, the explosion sank the

ship, trapping its thousand men on board.

More Japanese planes flew overhead, darkening the skies.

The USS Oklahoma took several hits from torpedoes.

The battleship rolled to one side, then slid beneath the water, along with 400 men.

Beth's Lingerland, a teacher with a husband in the military, watched the planes descend.

Black smoke billowed into the air as the aircraft kept dropping bombs.

Fireballs appeared over the hangars at the airfield.

She could do nothing except worry and wait.

Army Aircorman Everest Capra knew they were under attack as soon as he saw the planes.

He ran outside to warn the others, then hurried back to the barracks just as the bombs

and bullets started.

He and a couple of other men dodged enemy fire while gathering the injured and picking them

to the hospital.

An explosion knocked Capra out, but when he awoke he refused to head to the hospital himself

knowing the Japanese would strike there too.

Despite his injuries, he continued to help others.

...