William Huges was on the USS Utah

William Hughes was on the USS Utah.

USS UTAH - AG-16

NOTE: The Utah was formerly designated as a Battleship (BB-13) and later converted to an aircraft target ship AG-16. Two torpedoes struck the Utah's port side druing the first wave of attacks. It quickly flooded and capsized with the loss of fifty-eight sailors, who are still entombed within the ship. Attempts were later made to salvage the Utah but were stopped after righting the ship to an approximate angle of 38 degress. There is a small memorial to this ship and its crew on the northwest shore of Ford Island.

If you read WARREN UPTON'S Eyewitness story on our Web Site, you will have about 75 percent of what would be my story if my memory was any good, or I had taken notes as Warren did. Warren and I worked together, we slept in the same compartment, near Main Radio, so what he said pertains 100 percent to me until we were top side. The only difference there, he chose a tough way to depart the old "bucket" - and I choose what I thought was easier.

Anyway we both were straffed; we both ended up in the big trench; and later were over at the Air Station, getting dry clothes. I am not entirely clear on all the details, but do remember a motor launch taking us across the harbor, and unloading us on 1010 docks and we ended up on the (U.S.S.) Argonne. We worked the same ammo line that night (the first hard work I had done in the Navy,) and heard the same firing, etc.

He (Warren) was put on watch in the Radio Shack; I was not. On December 8th, we both went and pulled ammo out of the old Utah's bottom. On December 9th I was transferred to the USS Vireo - a sea going mine sweeper to temporarily replace the Radioman who caught shrapnel during the attack.

One week latter I was assigned to the USS Saratoga and it was off to the war. I would not see my good friend Warren Upton nor anyone else from the USS Utah, Until May, 1988 - some 46 years - when we held our first reunion in Salt Lake City.

I did have the satisfaction of being in Tokyo Bay, Sept 2, 1945 for the Japanese surrender and pilots who pulled off their dastardly deed on 12-07-1941 were no longer viable.

I was a very fortunate individual, because of the miles, and miles, and miles, and miles of Pacific Ocean seen between those dates spared me from the terrible horror of December 7th; yet one ship - the Saratoga - did catch a "sunset" torpedo between Johnson Island and Oahu.

I believe that my mind has protected me a lot, in that I do not recall seeing a single man killed or injured in combat in WWII. I cut my foot on some coral swimming ashore at Pearl, and that was the extent of my physical injuries.

Bill served in the Navy for 22 years. He left the Navy and is now retired. He wrote - "I have gone through cutbacks, downsizings, mergers, recessions, fathered twins, and been married to the same woman for more than 51 years. I do not require a walker, wheelchair, cane or crutch go get around."

Sincerely,

Bill.
RM3/c USS UTAH

Bill operates a web site honoring the U.S.S. Utah at http://www.members.home.net/wmhughes/visiting.html

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