---
title: 'How My Aircraft Carrier Survived a WWII Kamikaze Attack'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=xIrPfQJHxRc'
video_id: 'xIrPfQJHxRc'
date: 2026-08-05
duration_sec: 930
---

# How My Aircraft Carrier Survived a WWII Kamikaze Attack

> Source: [How My Aircraft Carrier Survived a WWII Kamikaze Attack](https://youtube.com/watch?v=xIrPfQJHxRc)

## Summary

This video features a 106-year-old WWII Navy veteran recounting his experiences, including surviving a kamikaze attack on his aircraft carrier, his service in the Pacific, and his reflections on modern politics and life.

### Key Points

- **Kamikaze Attack Survival** [00:04] — The veteran describes a kamikaze attack on his ship, the Cabo Island, where the plane hit 5 feet above his head, showering him with rivets but causing no casualties.
- **Giving Up Driving at 95** [01:23] — He stopped driving at age 95 as a birthday gift to his kids, noting that it ended his social life and ability to play cards.
- **Heart Attack and Near-Death Experience** [01:51] — He had a major heart attack caused by a tick bite, and during resuscitation he saw a bright light and intense colors, which convinced him of God's existence.
- **Joining the Navy Reserve** [02:37] — He joined the Navy Reserve in 1939 after being inspired by Navy magazines from a neighbor, and later attended one of the first officer training schools.
- **Iceland and Neutrality Patrol** [04:07] — He was on the USS Idaho and participated in the neutrality patrol near Iceland, trying to keep German ships like the Bismarck from breaking out.
- **Pearl Harbor and Aleutian Islands** [04:48] — After Pearl Harbor, he was involved in operations in the Aleutian Islands, where the Japanese had occupied Kiska and Attu, and he used radar for the first time.
- **Gunnery Officer on Carriers** [05:43] — He served as a gunnery officer on small aircraft carriers, delivering fighters to Marines at Guadalcanal and conducting shore bombardments.
- **Kamikaze Attack Details** [06:53] — During a kamikaze attack, the plane hit 5 feet above his head, destroying radar and radio but causing no injuries; he was too busy to be scared.
- **Loss of Friends** [09:09] — His closest friend was shot down and survived for three weeks eating plants before being rescued by natives and turned over to Australians.
- **Advice for Young Officers** [10:04] — He advises young officers to marry a 'pure A' wife—strong and unafraid—because of the brutal life they lead.
- **Views on Politics** [11:08] — He is not a Trump fan, calling him 'King Trump' and criticizing him for getting rid of democracy; he also laments the lack of civics education in schools.
- **Post-War Career** [12:41] — He retired as a commander at age 41, worked for a space industry company for 10 years, and now receives Social Security, a pension, and retirement benefits—a 'triple dipper.'
- **Current Life** [13:09] — He receives help from a home aide once a week and a nurse every Friday for a basic physical exam, which keeps him going.
- **Letters to Mother** [14:06] — He shows letters he wrote to his mother during the war, including one from the White House, which he keeps as mementos.

### Conclusion

The veteran's story highlights the resilience and sacrifices of WWII veterans, and his candid reflections on aging, politics, and life offer a unique perspective on history and modern America.

## Transcript

kamicazi attack. >> Come on, I'll show you. See right here? Here's your kamicazi. You can see a little bit of the mask. I was right there where it was hit. >> Wow. What happened to your your finger?
>> Snow blower. >> What happened? >> He cut off the tip of the snowblower. So, you survived a kamicazi attack >> on a ship, but the but the snow blow got you.
>> That's about right. >> Oh, man.
>> 106. 106. >> How do you feel? >> I'm here. I get up in the morning. >> You behave yourself? >> No.
>> No. >> Dad, who who is this young man? >> Dad, who who is this young man? >> My baby.
I'm the I'm the babysitter now. Rolls have reversed, >> Well, I stopped driving at age 95. Birthday gift to my kids. They were
getting real excited about me in 95 driving my car. So, I gave up my driving and car. You're bound. You know, now you do. Can't play birds anymore. Your social life disappears.
social life disappears. And I mean it disappears about three maybe four years ago now. I was doing really great and all of a sudden I had a really great and all of a sudden I had a very major heart attack. Tick bite.
Fortunately two of my grandsons were here. Big husky 65. They could pick me up and finally they slapped me into a rescue wagon. I left it. I really did. They pulled me out and if you want a shock when you open your eyes and my god
it's the brightest light the most intense color you'll ever see. It made me know there's a god. I know there's a god. They can't I know there's a god. They can't convince me otherwise.
ananker and see the Navy. It's all part of the gigantic new volunteer training program to bolster fleet reserves as we near a two ocean Navy strength. near a two ocean Navy strength. >> I got in the Navy reserve 1939
when I was growing up. A friend of my dad's next door neighbor actually. Any Navy magazines he got, he gave me to read. That's about all I did. I must have been a hell of a nerd. Women had never heard of them.
>> Franklin Roosevelt makes a momentous declaration. The US Navy will find ways to help British convoys cross the Atlantic. >> The Navy could see they were getting into a bind for the number of officers
they had. They established a series of schools. The one I attended was the very first of these schools. >> 264 Newson commissioned as the first of 5,000 volunteer officers to complete training. I knew I was going to have to
join something and you might have joined first class. A hell of a lot more comfortable and reasonable than pound ground. In landlocked armories, the naval reserve cadet learns the essentials of naval routine.
>> Standard speed 25 knots, sir. >> First tour of duty was on the USS Idaho. >> First tour of duty was on the USS Idaho. big oldtime job. We got set up to ice.
>> Undisclosed units of our American Navy landed the advanced force. Britain is three hours flying distance. 3 and 1/2 hours away is German occupied Norway and shipping lane. >> Roosevelt and Church had gotten together
on what they called the neutrality patrol. We were trying to keep the Bismar and the German cruiser ashore and keep them
there. We didn't want them coming out. But that's how I happened to be in Iceland when the war broke out. >> Date Line, Pearl Harbor, December 7th, >> Date Line, Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941.
headed for the States fast as we could get there. We're kicked around the Bay Area for a short time. Then we got involved in the illusions. Stretching out from the mainland is the 12,200 mile chain of US-owned delution islands. Its
western most tip, Atu is nearer to embattled Japan than Hawaii, Guam, or the Philippines. The Japanese at that time and moved in the Kiska and Atu, the two end islands in the Illusian Islands. We did not like
that and we're going to make sure they didn't go any farther. We got radar. Nobody ever seen radar before, but radar we got. All of a sudden she sees bip bip we got. All of a sudden she sees bip bip on a radar in gunry range. Wombo
wombo. She fired every damn bit of ammunition she had. The guns were so hot. She was firing at the top of mountains three skip distance away.
She had to be reguned and that made the admir unhappy man. I was kicking around on the small aircraft carriers as a gunray officer.
It's a island. They were carrying fighters to the Marines at Guad Canal. Had as many fighter planes on board as you could possibly squeeze. Why they would work say we're going after an island. Okay, we're going to do it for
Japanese. Okay. Where are all the drunken caves? They got they've been built gun stuff like that. the big ships, the battleships, and a certain number of the aircraft would have the duty of wiping those people out before
the invasion. >> A vast American naval force, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and swarms of planes patrolling Pacific waters for hundreds of miles around the Philippine Islands.
of miles around the Philippine Islands. The Navy is looking for trouble.
>> We moved from the eastern part of the Philippines through the canal down there and over the South China Sea who we thought were going to get clobbered. I being a gun officer of that carrier had the topmost spot on the ship. They hit
the topmost spot on the ship. They hit our ship out over 5 ft above my head. The plane was badly damaged. It was a fire and obviously the pilot was gone. Fortunately, or were helmets. So all we got was a huge rain of Japanese rivets.
got was a huge rain of Japanese rivets. It took all our radar off, all the radio right on the top of this is a picture of the Cabo Island. You can see see right here. Here's your kamicazi.
You can see a little bit of the mask. I was right there on those heads. >> What was going through your mind during that attack? >> You're busy. You're busy. You might have
10 guns on one side shooting at that plane and you're watching the plane coming in like this. That's all you see. Fortunately, not a person got hurt. Fortunately, not a person got hurt. >> Did you feel lucky? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. We
only had one guy come up. He wanted a purple heart. It was up top side. He get hit by a few rivets, but when he came around the Chinese at the rivets had wounded him. Everybody else had the same thing. But he was supposed to be an
thing. But he was supposed to be an engineer down five decks down below. >> Were you scared or fearful? >> You're too busy. You don't have time to get scared. You said that that plane
>> was not far from you. >> Right over the top of my head. >> So had that plane been a few feet lower, you wouldn't be sitting here right now. >> If I If they had been 5T, you wouldn't see me.
>> I am intensely proud of the successes our fighting men have won over the our fighting men have won over the Japanese. And I'm sure all of you share Japanese. And I'm sure all of you share this feeling.
that were killed in combat? >> Oh, yeah. My closest friend, he ended up getting shot down in the islands down there. He lived for 3 weeks eating plants and grubs and stuff. Finally, the natives found him, hauled him out,
turned it over to the Australians. The natives down that way in general were friendly to us. We do a lot of shore bomb bomb work with a big old ship like this with five doctors on board and big sick bag. We
that. >> Does that stay with you? >> All the to forget stuff like that. forget stuff like that. >> Are any of your buddies from the war
still alive? >> No, they're gone. I hope we finding [Music] What is your advice for young men and
women thinking about joining the Navy? >> If I were a young man starting to think about the Navy career, the first thing a young officer should consider, he's got to marry a wife who's a pure A. They've got to be pure A because the brutal life
they lead. My wife thought nothing will happen in a car with two kids and drive from San Francisco to here. Think nothing of it. But you got to be an A to >> Now, what do you mean by a pure A? >> Very strong. Strong. Not afraid of
anything. >> Was your wife a pure A? >> Oh, yeah. [Music]
>> I follow more sports than anything. Regular TV to me is a horrible to turn it off the air. It's just junk. >> Do you follow the news?
>> Oh, yeah. It's the only thing I got left. I don't like it. >> What do you think of the Secretary of Defense, Pete Eggs? >> I don't like to think about him. I better keep my mouth shut. He'll be
better keep my mouth shut. He'll be investigating me. that way. Seriously not a Trump fan. >> Why not?
>> He's not doing the right things. He's getting rid of democracy. I call him King King Trump. The first >> are you optimistic about the future of the United States?
>> Not as optimistic as I'd like to be. Okay. of Trump won. According to the New York Times, the view unit that pushed him over the top was the population
in the late 20s and early 30s. Okay, so it happened that way. But what caused it happened that way. But what caused that group to group for Trump to me? I look back and I recall my own high school training or you were mandatory
had to have a civics course. I mean, man, where I didn't like it, but at least they learned how the government is supposed to run. That group of people there have never had civics. They have no idea
of how the power is supposed to be distributed, but the guy can put on a Lego show once at all. >> After the war, you stayed in the Navy. >> At the end of World War II, I couldn't make up my mind whether going to stay in
make up my mind whether going to stay in or get out. I retired as a commander. I was only 41 when I retired. At 41, I had no problem getting a job with an outfield called seal. We were basically manufacturing
material for the space industry. So I worked for them for 10 years. My social security got a retirement, social security got a retirement, social security retirement. I'm a triple dipper.
The way I get along now, my cafe capabilities capabilities are limited. One day a week I at 9:00 the door will pipe open and some lady will come in and say if I need something
at the store to drive me up to get what I want, go to the post office and stuff like this and do all the little odds and ends. Then at 9:00 in the morning on ends. Then at 9:00 in the morning on Friday, up pops the nurse. I'm just g
Friday, up pops the nurse. I'm just g basic physical exam every Friday morning and she's out the door. That's the way I keep going. What kind of camera you got here? >> So, this is a little 4K gimbal camera.
>> Yeah. Ah. Yeah. >> I take it when I have to move around a >> So, say hi. >> Yeah.
These are letters I wrote my mother during the war. You got a copy every one >> The White House. >> What was in that envelope?
>> There it is. >> Oh, wow. >> Oh, wow. >> The congressman
>> A lot of I don't need but I don't know what I keep. But a little bit of >> I enjoyed. Thank you. >> Yeah, it was wonderful. You behave >> No. Of course not. >> No. He's been officially grounded by his
>> No. He's been officially grounded by his nurse. No more working in the yard. Oh. >> Yeah, it got me all wrapped up. >> You don't want ticks. >> Yeah. Well, that's Remember that's how you got your heart attack was a tick
>> That's right. He told me. >> Yeah. >> So, it goes. >> So, it goes >> So, it goes [Music]