Pete Azzole's On-line Library

Funnel structures of the USS ARIZONA reach up eerily from the blue water of Pearl Harbor. It is a stark reminder of the realities of that "day of infamy." [circa 1970]	Funnel structures of the USS ARIZONA reach up eerily from the blue water of Pearl Harbor. It is a stark reminder of the realities of that "day of infamy." [circa 1970]	Punchbowl National Military Cemetery, Hawaii. Grave plates clearly visible in the foreground. [circa 1970]

It was quite accidental that, one year after its publication, I had the October 1995 issue of Naval History1 magazine in my hand. I noted that a page was folded over to remind me of an article of particular interest; I turned to it. It was an interview with Kaoru Hasegawa who had been a Japanese naval aviator during World War II. While on a kamikaze mission 25 May, 1945 he was shot down -- then rescued -- by the USS CALLAGHAN (DD-792). As I read the interview I thought of how different a cryptologist’s life was during that time. On the one hand, a man was asked to take his own life in order to ensure a direct hit on a naval target. On the other hand, a man was working 20-hour days down in the basement by the "ten-ten dock"2 in Pearl Harbor, out of harm’s way. Ah, but it’s not that simple, nor nearly so safe. The memorial wall at the National Security Agency is a stark testimony to that. Cryptologists have suffered imprisonment or have given their lives in service to their country during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It doesn’t stop there however: there was a fatal fire at Naval Security Group Activity, Kami Seya, Japan on 24 September, 1965; the Israeli’s "mistakenly" attacked the USS LIBERTY on 8 June 1967; the North Korean’s captured the USS PUEBLO on 23 Jan 1968; an EC-121 aircraft was shot down on 15 April, 1969; a C-2A aircraft went down on 12 December 71; and two men lost their lives in Puerto Rico on 3 December, 1979. There are others, I am sure. A "cryppy’s" life has never been out of harm’s way. Many of us, in one way or another, have gone to the edge and peered into the cold, briny deep. During this year’s anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, I suggest that, as always, we honor all fallen Navy and Marine men and women. But following that, we should stand just a little taller and offer a special ceremonial salute to those fellow cryptologists who, in peace and in war, endured imprisonment or gave their lives. God bless them all. - - - - - 1 Naval History is published bi-monthly by the U.S. Naval Institute, 2062 Generals Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401. 2 Reference to the "ten-ten dock" relates to the nickname of the 1,010-foot dock which was adjacent to the Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District administration building. The Combat Intelligence Unit was located in the basement of the administration building.

The USS LIBERTY web site is a tremendous tribute to the ship, the men who served aboard her and especially the men who lost their lives aboard her.