As the list increased and the oily, wet decks made even standing up a
chore, _Oklahoma_’s acting commanding officer ordered her abandoned to
save as many lives as possible. Directed to leave over the starboard
side, away from the direction of the roll, most of _Oklahoma_’s men
managed to get off, to be picked up by boats arriving to rescue
survivors. Sergeant Thomas E. Hailey, and Privates First Class Marlin
“S” Seale and James H. Curran, Jr., swam to the nearby _Maryland_.
Hailey and Seale turned to the task of rescuing shipmates, Seale
remaining on _Maryland_’s blister ledge throughout the attack, pulling
men from the water. Later, although inexperienced with that type of
weapon, Hailey and Curran manned _Maryland_’s antiaircraft guns. _West
Virginia_ rescued Privates George B. Bierman and Carl R. McPherson,
who not only helped rescue others from the water but also helped to
fight that battleship’s fires.
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