Robert Louie Fernandez, one of the last known American survivors of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, died on Wednesday, just days after the 83rd anniversary of the attack, in Lodi, California. He was 100.
Fernandez, known as Uncle Bob to friends, family and even some strangers, died at the home of his nephew Joe Guthrie, who confirmed the death.
“I promised him 10 years ago that he could die in my home, and that’s what he did,” said Guthrie, who became his uncle’s caretaker in 2022, after his dementia diagnosis. “He died loved and happy.”
Born in San Jose, California, in 1924, Fernandez enlisted in the US Navy in August 1941, when he was 17 years old. He was stationed aboard the USS Curtiss at the Pearl Harbor naval base on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, where he served as a mess cook and ammunition loader, according to military records.
In a video biography filmed in 2016, Fernandez said he had joined the navy to see the world.
“I just thought I was going to go dancing all the time, have a good time,” he said, adding: “What did I do? I got caught in a war.”
Fernandez had planned a trip to Hawaii for an event last Saturday commemorating the 83rd anniversary of the bombing, but his health started to deteriorate a few weeks ago, according to his family.
When Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and adjoining military airfields in December 1941, Fernandez and his ship had just returned from a voyage in the Pacific. The early morning attack killed more than 2,400 American service members, prompting the US to enter World War II the next day formally.
The USS Curtis was bombed multiple times in the attack, and a Japanese fighter plane crashed into it near the bridge that housed the command centre. Dozens on the ship were injured and 21 people were killed, records show. The ship was quickly repaired about a month later and rejoined the war effort.
In his recollection of the day, Fernandez said in the video that he had awakened that morning feeling excited to go dancing at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel with his friends later that night.
New York Times News Service
