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Bob Fernandez - Wikipedia

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Robert Fernandez
Birth name	Robert Louie Fernandez
Born	1924 (1924) San Jose, California, U.S.
Died	December 11, 2024 (aged 100) Lodi, California, U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1941–1947
Rank	Seaman First Class
Unit	USS Curtiss (AV-4)
Battles / wars	World War II Attack on Pearl Harbor
Spouse(s)	Mary Fernandez (died 2014)
Children	2
Other work	Forklift driver

Robert Louie "Bob" Fernandez (1924 – December 11, 2024) was an American veteran notable for being one of the last known American survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Early life and career

Fernandez was born in San Jose, California in 1924. In August 1941, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy, and was stationed in the Pearl Harbor base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu.^[1] He was motivated to join the Navy as he "wanted to see the world".^[2] He was stationed on the USS Curtiss (AV-4), and according to military records, he served as a mess cook and ammunition loader.

Fernandez recalled awakening on the morning of the bombing, December 7, 1941, feeling "excited" to go dancing at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel later in the day, which was used by the United States military as a rest and recuperation center during World War II.^[1] While serving on the mess deck, Fernandez "began hearing bangs and gunshots". He manned a battle station a few decks below, while passing ammunition to sailors on higher decks. When asked how he survived the bombing, Fernandez remarked "You just do what you’re told to do and do the best you can."^[1]

After leaving the Navy in 1947, Fernandez worked as a forklift driver at a cannery in San Leandro, California. His wife of 65 years, Mary, with whom he had a step-daughter and two sons, died in 2014.^[3] In 2016, Fernandez did an interview with the History Channel featured in television show Pearl Harbor: The Last Word.^[4] A week before his death, Fernandez did a phone interview with Associated Press.^[5]

He had planned a trip to Hawaii to commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the bombing in 2024, however did not proceed due to a decline in health. Fernandez died in Lodi, California on December 11, 2024, at the age of 100.^[6] He was survived by his oldest son, Robert J. Fernandez, a granddaughter, and several great-grandchildren.^[3] Following Fernandez's death, an estimated 16 surviving service members remain, according to the organisation Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors.^[1]^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Nostrant, Rachel (December 14, 2024). "Bob Fernandez, Who Survived Pearl Harbor as a Teenager, Dies at 100". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
^ "Bob Fernandez, 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, dies 83 years after bombing". The Boston Globe. December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Bob Fernandez, 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, dies peacefully at home 83 years after bombing". CNN. December 14, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
^ "Robert Louie Fernandez Collection". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
^ "2 Pearl Harbor survivors, ages 104 and 102, return to Hawaii to honor those killed in 1941 attack". The Associated Press. December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
^ "Bob Fernandez, 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, dies peacefully at home 83 years after bombing". Indiana Gazette. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
^ Elassar, Alaa (December 7, 2024). "A legacy of valor: Only 16 Pearl Harbor survivors remain. On the 83rd anniversary, they still share stories of heroism". CNN. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.

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