An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News from around the Fleet

Sailor visits Pearl Harbor Survivor

08 December 2021

From Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Dobbs, Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - In honor of the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Navy Counselor 1st Class Ty Elmquist, assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Pittsburgh, visited Virginia Flickinger, who was a live witness to the attack 80 years ago. Flickinger, now 101, grew up in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu and was a nurse’s assistant on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
Download Icon Download

Elmquist visited Flickinger’s home to listen and learn about her firsthand experiences as a live witness of what was at the time the largest assault on U.S. soil, claiming 2,403 lives.
“It was a very wild experience listening to her stories and seeing the emotions on her face,” said Elmquist. “It was something that I'll probably never forget.”

Seeing all the wreckage and the chaos that happened that day is something Flickinger still remembers vividly after all this time.
“It was early in the morning and all of a sudden our house just shook so badly,” said Flickinger. “We were afraid, but we heard people screaming outside so we ran out to look and see what was going on. When we looked up in the sky, we could see two airplanes flying above. They weren’t very high. We ran back in the house and turned on the radio, and that is when we found out that Pearl Harbor had been bombed.”

Flickinger took photos with Elmquist and thanked him for visiting her home.

“It was an honor as always wearing the uniform, but today was just another one of those times where it really makes you realize what we do every day does have a significant impact on a lot of people's lives,” said Elmquist. “It was really something to to take in. I’d like to thank Ms. Flickinger and her family for letting us come in and share this experience with her. I wish her nothing but the best here and in the future.”

NTAG Pittsburgh, part of Navy Recruiting Command, recruits the next generation of Navy Sailors throughout areas in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Maryland.

 

Google Translation Disclaimer

  • Google Translate, a third party service provided by Google, performs all translations directly and dynamically.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil has no control over the features, functions, or performance of the Google Translate service.
  • The automated translations should not be considered exact and should be used only as an approximation of the original English language content.
  • This service is meant solely for the assistance of limited English-speaking users of the website.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information translated.
  • Some items cannot be translated, including but not limited to image buttons, drop down menus, graphics, photos, or portable document formats (pdfs).
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not directly endorse Google Translate or imply that it is the only language translation solution available to users.
  • All site visitors may choose to use similar tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk.
  • IE users: Please note that Google Translate may not render correctly when using Internet Explorer. Users are advised to use MS Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox browser to take full advantage of the Google Translate feature.
  • The official text of content on this site is the English version found on this website. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of the information contained in translated text, refer to the English version on this website, it is the official version.

Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea   |   PSC 478 Box 1   |   FPO AP, 96212-0001
Official U.S. Navy Website