Meanwhile, Sharrett’s perspective was different. He was there.
Sharrett, who lives in Madison Twp., is a World War II and Pearl Harbor survivor.
“I just hope I’m here next year,” Sharrett said following the ceremony. “This is a big honor and sad too.” He wanted to tell more stories, but his voice trailed off.
He was in the van when a wreath was dropped off the bridge and into the swollen Great Miami River seconds after a 21-gun salute from the combined honor guards from VFW Post 3809 and American Legion Post 218. Then he returned to the commons to watch the rest of the ceremony.
Seventy years ago — before most of those in attendance were born — Sharrett was in his first year in the Navy. A junior at Washington Court House High School, Sharrett enlisted in the Navy, and after serving a few weeks in Michigan, he told his commander he wanted “more action.”
“That was the last time I ever spoke up,” he said with a laugh.
He was shipped to Pearl Harbor on Dec. 2, 1941, five days before the attack.
On that day, Sharrett was aboard the USS Sea Gull, about 80 miles from Pearl Harbor. They were practicing what Sharrett called “war games,” meaning they shot blank torpedoes at targets, then retrieved them, and scored their accuracy.
And from that body of water to Pearl Harbor — less than the distance from here to Columbus — the world changed forever when more than 2,400 Americans were killed, jump starting World War II.
Sharrett, eating breakfast on the morning of Dec. 7, remembers a radio announcement urging the sailors to “take cover because Pearl Harbor was bombed.”
Sharrett said as his ship entered the harbor, he “couldn’t believe” the devastation done by the surprise attack. Near the harbor, Sharrett’s ship was issued a “challenge,” and when the commander was unable to respond, the ship nearly was attacked by Americans.
“It was close,” he said.
After the war, Sharrett moved to Middletown, applied at Armco Steel, started work that afternoon, and retired in 1978, 30 years and 20 days later.
Sharrett and his wife, Lillie Mae, were married for 65 years until she died in 2010. They have three children: two daughters, Jane and Phyllis and one son, Clyde.
Clyde is named in memory of one of Sharrett’s shipmates, a young man who was transferred to another ship and was killed in the war. That’s when Sharrett lost his smile and his mood turned somber.
He said his buddy and ship are on “eternal patrol.”
Seventy years later — after enough books to fill a library were written on World War II — Sharrett still doesn’t understand why the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
“Why did they do that to us?” he asked. “Why did they have to hurt our country?”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.
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