Missing In Action

F1C RICHARD JAMES AHERN

On December 7, 1941, Japanese carrier-based aircraft launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base and ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During the attack, the USS Arizona (BB-39) was struck by eight armor-piercing bombs. One penetrated the Arizona's deck near its No. 2 turret, causing a large explosion that destroyed the forward half of the ship and started a fire that burned for two days. It is thought that most of the Arizona’s crew members died instantly during the explosion. More than 1,100 sailors and Marines were lost along with the ship.

Fireman First Class Richard James Ahern, who entered the U.S. Navy from California, was aboard the Arizona on the day of the Pearl Harbor attack. He was among the men lost with the ship, and his remains have not been recovered. Today, Fireman First Class Ahern is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

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Ahern, Richard James, F1c