Before December 7, 1941 | The "Day That Will Live in Infamy" | Changes | The Aftermath

A picture of the Japanese planes blowing up American planes at an airfield. "The attack on Pearl Harbor."

What was your official rank in the Army Air Corps?

Mr. Siekiewicz joined the Army Air Corps (air force) in August of 1937. He became a master's sergeant (flight chief) during his 8-year tenure in the army. He was responsible for 5-6 airplanes and their crews. When he was in Fort Shafter, Mr. Leo Siekiewicz served as the technical aircraft inspector with the Seventh Fighter Command.

Where were you stationed at Pearl Harbor?

Mr. Siekiewicz was stationed at Wheeler Field on the Island of Oahu. In May of 1942, Mr. Leo Siekiewicz was transferred to the island of Midway, to fight the Japanese in the famous battle of Midway. Following the battle, he returned to Fort Shafter in the mountains of Honolulu.

The USS Shaw magazine explosion. "Pearl Harbor Pictures, Maps, and Historical Information."

What did you think about Japan/Japanese prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor? What were your feelings towards them?

"This country was at peace-time and we had no reason to hate them or not cooperate with them until December 7th, especially in the forces."

Before December 7, 1941 | The "Day That Will Live in Infamy" | Changes | The Aftermath

What were you doing when you saw the first Japanese planes? How did you spend the rest of that day?

Damaged American plane at Wheeler Feild, Oahu. "Pearl Harbor Pictures, Maps, and Historical Information."

Mr. Siekiewicz was on the 2nd floor of his barracks. He had just woken up and was preparing to go to church. He thought "it might be the navy waking us up," referring to a common joke between the forces. Then a bomb dropped while Mr. Siekiewicz was looking out the window in attempt to survey the action. The bomb knocked Mr. Siekiewicz back on the floor. He did not know where he was. The door to the entrance of the barracks had been knocked out and had landed on his bed. He expressed his gratefulness that he had already gotten out of bed, because the door would have killed him.

As he looked at a plane, Mr. Siekiewicz stated, "I couldn't see his face, but I had an idea of who it was … [it] wasn't a white person, a black person, so we knew it was the Japs."

He immediately went to Wheeler field, one of the airfields that had nearly been knocked out. At 8:50 the second wave of Japanese planes began strafing the airfield, and at 9:50 the fighting was over. The rest of the day, Mr. Siekiewicz they tried to salvage the airplanes. Often, most of the planes was beyond repair, so for 3 days, around the clock, Mr. Siekiewicz retrieved any usable parts that were left from the damaged planes.

Before December 7, 1941 | The "Day That Will Live in Infamy" | Changes | The Aftermath

Were you scared during the attack?

"Confused [and] scared because after all we were at peace time and we didn't expect anything, especially out in the Pacific."

What did you think about the Japanese and Japan after December 7, 1941? Did your feelings change?

"[My feelings changed] 110%: I'll never forgive them up to this day. I'll forgive the people, but not the government."

"About 2000 people died innocently and we weren't even in war."

"I could have fought 5 more years and never been satisfied."

Mr. Siekiewicz stated that he refused to purchase a Japanese item until 1965. Around this time, Mr. Siekiewicz revealed, you could not tell what items were made in Japan and which ones were made elsewhere.

Before December 7, 1941 | The "Day That Will Live in Infamy" | Changes | The Aftermath

How many times have you been back to Pearl Harbor? What did you think about the Arizona Memorial?

USS Arizona and the American Flag. Budd Nease, USS Arizona Reunion Association. "USS Arisona Memorial."

From the 25th to the 50th anniversary in 1991, Mr. Siekiewicz returned to Pearl Harbor every 5th year on the date of the attack.

"It is a sad thing … you have tears in your eyes when you're looking at [the memorial]. You still see the oil bubbling up from the Arizona. It still gives you chills."

Many people have paralleled the attacks by the terrorist on September 11th with the attack on Pearl Harbor. With your first hand account of Pearl Harbor, what did you think about the terrorist attacks? Were they similar in anyways?

Mr. Siekiewicz noted the similarities: people were killed during our country's peacetime. However, the victims on September 11, 2001 "didn't have a change to fight back, and we did. I could have fought 5 more years and never been satisfied."

"This country never learned a good lesson with Pearl Harbor."

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This exhibit was researched and designed by Brad Garner.