West Loch

Jen and I watched a special on the History Channel about this episode in WWII history.

On a calm Sunday morning over fifty years ago, the naval base at Pearl Harbor was rocked by a massive explosion. But this tragedy--which claimed 163 lives and wounded almost 400--occurred on May 21, 1944, two and a half years after the "Day of Infamy."

The second disaster at Pearl Harbor is unfamiliar to most Americans, but the story is fascinating, if still somewhat obscured. THE OTHER TRAGEDY AT PEARL HARBOR follows four veterans of that fateful day--Marine Jim Reed of Dallas, Coast Guardsman William Montague of Montgomery, IL, Marine Calvin Frawley of Springboro, PA and Navy Sailor Alex Bernal of Tuscon, AZ--as they return to West Loch, Pearl Harbor, for the first time. They recall how hundreds of ships were being prepared for the top-secret invasion of Saipan, and how an explosion in one quickly set others on fire. Their recollections provide a gripping, minute-by-minute account of the disaster, while footage shot on that day by Marine cameraman Harold Weinberger brings the horror to life.

Along with the personal stories of the event, we'll hear from historian Howard Shuman, who has investigated the inconclusive findings of the official investigation into THE OTHER TRAGEDY AT PEARL HARBOR.