Merrill William Phoenix

U.S. Army Finance Office, Honolulu

Phoenix said he was “awakened in my quarters at the Honolulu YMCA by the loud noise of airplanes flying overhead, bombs exploding, artillery firing — while at the same instant the Navy man from the room next to mine was pounding on my door, shouting for me to get up as Pearl Harbor was under attack.”

“I hurriedly dressed and reported to my duty station (adjacent to Fort Armstrong). … In due course, side arms and rifles were obtained and we were able to fire at airplanes overhead.”

He continued: “There was considerable confusion during the balance of the morning.” After a second attack wave, “rumors were going around that the Japanese were going to launch a landing attack. More ammunition and combat equipment was issued.” Blackout conditions were put in place that night — no lights of any kind permitted.

“Sporadic firing continued all night,” with U.S. soldiers firing “at anything that moved,” Phoenix said. “Any person who left the security of his post was in grave danger of being shot by our forces. Lighting a match was tantamount to asking for a bullet in your direction.”