Some 360 Japanese warplanes attacked the home base of the U.S. Pacific Fleet located at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The following day, Congress declared war on Japan.
6 Japanese aircraft carriers supported by submarines and battleships secretly embarked for Honolulu. Within 2 hours of the attack, the Japanese planes hit, sunk or severely damaged 8 U.S. battleships, including the USS Arizona and 14 smaller ships. They destroyed 200 aircraft and killed over 2,400 servicemembers.
Petty Officer John A Lipple of Ashville, Cambria county was on board the Arizona that morning.
He was among the 1,179 sailors on ship that were killed. His brother Joe, who now lives in Altoona, arrived in Pearl Harbor soon after the attack.
John Lipple's body is entombed in the wreckage of the U.S.S Arizona. He still has family in the area and the Ashville VFW post is named after him.
Friday, the Ashville VFW will re-dedicate the facility in Lipple's honor with a community gathering at 6 p.m. They'll be watching a new documentary on the story of John Lipple and his brothers who also served in World War II.
