Before dawn on December 7, 1941, Rodney Bittner woke to

 Before dawn on December 7, 1941, Rodney Bittner woke to what felt like an ordinary Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor. The sea was calm and the air was warm. He ate breakfast without urgency, unaware that it would be one of the last peaceful moments before history changed forever. Afterward, he stepped onto the deck of the USS Vestal, a repair ship anchored beside the battleship USS Arizona, where more than 1,500 sailors were stationed. ⚓🇺🇸🕊️

As Rodney moved about the deck, he noticed smoke rising in the distance near Hickam Field. At first it seemed routine, perhaps a training exercise. But moments later, the loudspeakers sounded an urgent call that instantly changed everything. General quarters. Battle stations.

Within seconds, aircraft roared across the sky and explosions echoed across the harbor. Bombs fell, ships burned, and the quiet morning gave way to confusion and danger as the fleet came under attack.

Rodney rushed below deck as powerful explosions shook the Vestal. Then, shortly after 8 a.m., a massive bomb struck the USS Arizona. The blast ignited the ship’s ammunition magazines and caused a devastating explosion that destroyed the battleship in moments. In that single instant, 1,177 sailors lost their lives. The force of the explosion threw men from both ships into the burning, oil covered waters of the harbor.

Among those thrown into the water was Captain Cassin Young, the commanding officer of the Vestal. Despite the danger, he managed to swim back through the flames, climb aboard his ship, and immediately begin directing his crew. His priority was clear. Move the ship, protect the crew, and save as many lives as possible.

The Vestal managed to pull away from Battleship Row, but the ship had been badly damaged and was taking on water. With flooding spreading and the ship listing heavily, Captain Young made the difficult decision to run the vessel aground on a nearby reef. It was the only way to prevent it from sinking and to keep the crew safe.

Below decks, Rodney Bittner faced his own struggle. Water poured in, the ship groaned under the damage, and the sounds of explosions continued above. In those uncertain moments he wondered whether the ship would hold and whether he would survive the day.

“I was scared,” he later said.

Fear was everywhere that morning, and it was a natural response to the danger around them. Yet even in the midst of that fear, Rodney focused on his responsibilities. He worked to help control the damage, doing everything he could to keep the ship functioning and protect those around him.

The crew had little warning and few preparations for such an attack. Ammunition had been locked away and no one expected a sudden strike on that quiet Sunday morning. But in those moments, it was not preparation that defined their actions. It was character and determination.

Rodney survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and continued serving his country throughout the war. He later earned a commission and served in Europe, carrying forward the sense of duty that had guided him during that historic day.

He lived to the age of 102, but the memory of December 7, 1941 remained with him throughout his life.

Rodney Bittner passed away on January 1, 2020, yet his story continues to remind us of the courage and resilience shown by those who faced that morning.

Remember him.
Remember those who served.
Remember the day that changed the course of history. 🇺🇸🕊️⚓