Howard Hayes traveled from Nevada to Baltimore for the chance to see the ship he once served on. At 96, it has been a long time since Hayes has been on his old ship. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Taney is the last surviving ship from Pearl Harbor.
The ship was in service for 50 years, so it is not unusual to get veterans on board, but Hayes visit is unique. That’s because he’s the last known survivor of Pearl Harbor to have served on the Taney, and that’s special to those who share the Taney’s history with more than 100,000 tourists a year.
Hayes said he still remembers his battle station up on the ship’s mast the day of the attack. “When the Japanese planes came over us and the power plant they didn’t know we were there,” Hayes said. “I gave the range and how high they were and surprised the Japanese so much they didn’t have a chance to do anything.”
Just 21 years old at the time, Hayes was one of the cooks on board the Taney.
Hayes was able to make the trip to Baltimore thanks to the nonprofit group Honor Flight Nevada. The organization helps veterans get to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., to visit memorials built in their honor.
“It’s an honor,” Jon Yuspa, founder of Honor Flight Nevada, said. “They don’t pay anything for these trips. They’ve paid with their service and their sacrifice.”
“It is so heartwarming,” Shirley Wetmore, Hayes’ daughter said. “This is his No.1 wish on his bucket list, and to be able to actually see this ship again it makes me so happy.”
“To actually be able to figuratively touch history is pretty special and it makes their jobs that much more valuable,” Chris Rowsom, executive director Historic Ships in Baltimore, said.
Hayes is appreciative for the experience. “I just wanted to see it one more time,” Hayes said.
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Source: WBAL-TV
