Top 5 little-known Pearl Harbor facts: How many did you know?

A few facts in commemoration of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Seventy-four years ago today, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese war planes. The attack initiated the United States' entry into World War II, and left a total of 2,335 U.S. servicemen dead.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) -  There are several facts people are familiar with when they think of Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attacked America without warning, the attack lasted 110 minutes, one Japanese soldier was captured and much more.

There are several little-known facts about Pearl Harbor that can be found online, in museums, at Pearl Harbor memorials, in libraries and in several other locations. Today, on the seventy-fourth anniversary of the attacks, Catholic Online presents our top five lesser-known Pearl Harbor facts:

Malfunctioning equipment

The radar station in Oahu picked up the large Japanese formation the morning of the attack, but the crew was in training. Because of their lack of experience, and the unprecedented number of planes flying close together, the crew assumed the equipment was malfunctioning.

An African American chef was awarded the Navy Cross

Doris Miller was the first African American to ever be awarded the Navy Cross, which is the U.S. Navy's third highest honor. 

Miller was a cook in the U.S. Navy who was noted for his bravery during the Pearl Harbor attack. When the first bombs attacked his ship, the USS West Virginia, he went to the main deck and helped move the ship's mortally wounded captain before running to an unattended deck gun and fired at the planes until the crew was forced to abandon ship.

He had never before fired a weapon, as black sailors were not allowed the same training white sailors were. There have been several stories in which Miller was able to shoot down 2 to five Japanese planes, but that has never been confirmed. However, Miller did admit he thought he hit one plane.

A baby girl's ashes are still in a sunken battleship

A crew member on the USS Utah had his daughter's ashes in his locker and had originally planned to scatter them at sea. His daughter had died at birth and the day he was to spread her ashes, Japan attacked. 

He never got to care for her ashes, but in 2003, she was finally honored with a funeral at the USS Utah Memorial.

All but two battleships were eventually repaired
Six of the 8 battleships targeted during the Pearl Harbor attack were fully repaired and were returned to the U.S. Navy. Unfortunately, the USS West Virginia and USS California both sank. Fortunately, The Navy was able to recover, repair and reuse them.

Bonus fact: Bullet holes and damage from the attacks can still be seen in Oahu's Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Hickam Army Air Field. The Navy decided to keep the holes and superficial signs of damage as a reminder of the lives lost that day.

The USS Arizona continues to leak oil to this day

Despite environmental concerns, the USS Arizona continues to leak 2-9 quarts of oil every single day. In fact, the National Service Submerged Resources Center (SRC) has joined the USS Arizona Memorial to research the "nature and rate of natural processes  affecting deterioration of the USS Arizona, as well as monitoring hull conditions and oil release rates."

Thus far, the study has concluded that the USS Arizona "rates of oil coming to the surface has gradually increased over the past several years ... Although the exact amount cannot be determined, the USS Arizona contains an estimated 500,000 gallons of Bunker-C fuel within its hull."

The attack was a horrific surprise to the United States, and to this day there are thousands of people across the nation who still commemorate the event. This year, Hawaii is hosting a commemoration event at Kilo Pier, where several Pearl Harbor survivors are expected to appear.

The war heroes will participate in a Q&A before signing autographs and the ceremony will feature Pulitzer-Prize-winning historian David Kennedy as the main speaker. For more information, visit Pearl Harbor Historic Sites.

Like our list? Check out our other top lists on sex, lifting your spirits, dealing with anger, love, common misquotes, how to give and healing.

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