The last survivor of the USS Arizona, an American warship left in history for having been sunk during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, has died at the age of 102, the association dedicated to memory announced Monday victims of the attack.
Lou Conter was a 20-year-old quartermaster on that battleship when he helped rescue sailors on Dec. 7, 1941, after the U.S. fleet’s surprise attack in the Pacific.
This bombing, which pushed the United States into World War II, damaged or destroyed most of the fleet stationed at the Hawaiian naval base, and resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 Americans.
AFP
More than 1,100 people aboard the USS Arizona died, and the remains of many remained on the ship’s wreckage.
“It’s a heartbreaking loss,” said Aileen Utterdyke, president and CEO of Pacific Historic Parks, a nonprofit organization that honors the victims of the attack. “Lou Conter embodied what it means to be a member of the Greatest Generation, Americans whose collective courage, achievements and sacrifices saved our country from tyranny.”
“He had an exemplary career in the Navy and continually urged schools, parents and ordinary Americans to never forget Pearl Harbor,” she added.
AFP
Lou Conter became a pilot during World War II and his plane was shot down twice, including off the coast of New Guinea, where he and his crew landed in shark-infested waters.
As an intelligence officer, he flew combat missions in Korea and created a major survival training program within the Navy.
During his career, he served as military advisor to Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
He died Monday at his home in Grass Valley, Calif., surrounded by his family, according to a post by Pacific Historic Parks on Facebook.
