_Cpl Willard A. Darling, circa 1941, was awarded the Navy Cross for
heroism in the aftermath of the Japanese air attack on the battleship_
Oklahoma (_BB-37_).]
A little over two weeks shy of his 23d birthday, Corporal Willard D.
Darling, an _Oklahoma_ Marine who was a native Oklahoman, had meanwhile
clambered on board a motor launch. As it headed shoreward, Darling
saw 51-year-old Commander Fred M. Rohow (Medical Corps), the capsized
battleship’s senior medical officer, in a state of shock, struggling
in the oily water. Since Rohow seemed to be drowning, Darling
unhesitatingly dove in and, along with Shipfitter First Class William
S. Thomas, kept him afloat until a second launch picked them up.
Strafing Japanese planes and shrapnel from American guns falling around
them prompted the abandonment of the launch at a dredge pipeline,
so Darling jumped in and directed the doctor to follow him. Again,
the Marine rescued Rohow--who proved too exhausted to make it on his
own--and towed him to shore.
_Maryland_, meanwhile, inboard of _Oklahoma_, promptly manned her
antiaircraft guns at the outset of the attack, her machine guns opening
fire immediately. She took two bomb hits, but suffered only minor
damage. Her Marine detachment suffered no casualties.
On board _Tennessee_ (BB-43), Marine Captain Chevey S. White, who had
just turned 28 the day before, was standing officer-of-the-deck watch
as that battleship lay moored inboard of _West Virginia_ (BB-48) in
berth F-6. Since the commanding officer and the executive officer
were both ashore, command devolved upon Lieutenant Commander James W.
Adams, Jr., the ship’s gunnery officer. Summoned topside at the sound
of the general alarm and hearing “all hands to general quarters” over
the ship’s general announcing system, Adams sprinted to the bridge
and spotted White en route. Over the din of battle, Adams shouted
for the Marine to “get the ship in condition Zed [Z] as quickly as
possible.” White did so. By the time Adams reached his battle station
on the bridge, White was already at his own battle station, directing
the ship’s antiaircraft guns. During the action (in which the ship
took one bomb that exploded on the center gun of Turret II and another
that penetrated the crown of Turret III, the latter breaking apart
without exploding), White remained at his unprotected station, coolly
and courageously directing the battleship’s antiaircraft battery.
_Tennessee_ claimed four enemy planes shot down.
[Illustration: