Final USS Arizona Survivor from Pearl Harbor, Lou Conter, Passes Away at 102

Honolulu, Apr 2 AP - The USS Arizona, a symbol of American resilience and sacrifice, has lost its last living survivor. Lou Conter, who witnessed the harrowing attack on Pearl Harbor firsthand, passed away at the age of 102. His daughter, Louann Daley, confirmed that he died at his home in Grass Valley, California, due to congestive heart failure.

The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, remains one of the darkest days in American history. The USS Arizona suffered catastrophic losses, with 1,177 sailors and Marines perishing. This accounted for nearly half of the total casualties in the surprise assault by Japanese forces. Conter was a quartermaster on the Arizona and was present on the main deck when the attack commenced at 7:55 am.

During a 2008 oral history interview with the Library of Congress, Conter recounted the moment a bomb penetrated the battleship's steel decks, igniting over one million pounds (approximately 450,000 kilograms) of gunpowder. The explosion was so powerful that it lifted the Arizona 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 metres) out of the water. "Everything was on fire from the mainmast forward," he recalled.

Conter's autobiography, "The Lou Conter Story," details his and other survivors' efforts to tend to the injured amidst chaos. They only abandoned ship after ensuring all survivors were rescued. Today, the Arizona's rusting wreckage remains a somber memorial in the waters where it sank, with over 900 sailors and Marines entombed within.

Following Pearl Harbor, Conter pursued flight training and earned his wings to fly PBY patrol bombers. He flew 200 combat missions in the Pacific with a "Black Cats" squadron. In 1943, after being shot down near New Guinea, he demonstrated remarkable survival skills amidst shark-infested waters.

In the late 1950s, Conter became the Navy's first SERE officer, focusing on survival, evasion, resistance, and escape training. His teachings proved invaluable for Navy pilots and crew during Vietnam. He retired in 1967 after a distinguished 28-year career.

Born on Sept. 13, 1921, in Ojibwa, Wisconsin, Conter's early life was marked by resilience. His family later moved to Colorado where he faced daily challenges such as walking five miles to school and living without running water. He enlisted in the Navy at 18, beginning a journey that would see him become a revered figure among Pearl Harbor survivors.

In his later years, Conter remained dedicated to honoring those who perished in the Pearl Harbor attack. Despite declining health preventing him from attending remembrance ceremonies in person, he continued to participate through video messages from his home in California.

Conter consistently emphasized that the true heroes were those who lost their lives during the attack. "The 2,403 men that died are the heroes," he stated in a 2022 interview with The Associated Press at his California residence. His humility and dedication to remembering his fallen comrades have left an indelible mark on those who seek to honor the legacy of Pearl Harbor survivors.