Harry Chandler, Pearl Harbor Hero and Navy Medic, Dies at 103 – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
2:48 PM – Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Harry Chandler, a veteran Navy medic who bravely rescued injured sailors from the oil-slicked waters of Pearl Harbor during the 1941 Japanese attack, passed away at the age of 103.
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Chandler’s death occurred on Monday at a senior living facility in Tequesta, Florida, as confirmed by Ron Mahaffee, the husband of his granddaughter, Kelli Fahey.
Though he had been suffering from congestive heart failure, Mahaffee indicated that doctors and nurses attributed his passing primarily to old age.
Chandler’s death marks the third loss of a Pearl Harbor survivor in recent weeks. In April, Lou Conter, the last known survivor of the USS Arizona, passed away in his sleep at the age of 102 after a battle with congestive heart failure.
On December 7, 1941, Chandler was serving as a hospital corpsman 3rd class when Japanese planes began their assault on ships in the harbor, which led to America’s engagement in World War II.
Reflecting on that fateful day in a 2023 interview with the Associated Press, Chandler recounted seeing Japanese planes approach while he was raising the flag at a mobile hospital in Aiea Heights, overlooking the base.
“I thought they were planes coming in from the states, until I saw the bombs dropping,” Chandler stated. He recounted that his instinct was to take cover and “get the hell out of here.”
“I was afraid that they’d start strafing,” he added.
In the aftermath, Chandler’s unit hurried down in trucks to aid the wounded. He later recounted in an oral history interview that he boarded a boat to rescue injured sailors from the chaotic waters.
The harbor was coated in oil from damaged ships, and Chandler scrubbed the sailors clean after bringing them out from the murky depths. He explained that his focus on helping others pushed any fear into the background until much later.
“It got so busy you weren’t scared. Weren’t scared at all. We were busy. It was after you got scared,” Chandler said.
He acknowledged that he could have easily lost his life that day, but “you didn’t think about that while you were busy taking care of people,” he continued.
Over 2,300 U.S. servicemen, including 1,177 sailors and Marines on board the USS Arizona, lost their lives in the attack, which sank the battleship just nine minutes after it was struck.
Chandler’s memories were vividly triggered during a visit to Pearl Harbor in 2023 for a ceremony marking the 82nd anniversary of the attacks.
“I look out there, and I can still see what’s going on. I can still see what was happening,” Chandler told The Associated Press.
When asked what message he wished to convey to Americans regarding Pearl Harbor, he replied simply: “Be prepared.”
“We should have known that was going to happen. The intelligence has to be better,” he stated.
“I’ve interviewed so many people in those almost last 10 years, and I’ve never walked away from an interview just so in awe of someone,” remarked Stefany Valderrama, an anchor at CBS affiliate WPEC-TV, after speaking with Chandler. “His memory, he remembered all of those moments and he talked about it so… eloquently and clearly.”
After the war, Chandler pursued a career as a painter and wallpaper hanger, starting an upholstery business with his brother. He also served in the Navy reserves, retiring as a senior chief in 1981.
Chandler is survived by one biological daughter and two adopted daughters from his second marriage to Anna Chandler, who passed away in 2004. He leaves behind two daughters, nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.
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