On Dec. 7, 1941, Army Air Corpsman Richard Schimmel was awakened from his sleep by Pvt. Joe McDonald in an information center located near the main American military site in Pearl Harbor.

“Hey, Shim, the Japs are coming,” said McDonald. Checking a brand-new radar system not yet proven as a valid source of identifying incoming aircraft, Schimmel noticed what he said were “a large number of planes” coming from the west at 150 miles away. The radar trackers reported the blips on the screen twice to their superior who both times told them not to worry - it was probably American planes coming in from the east.

As the attack in Pearl Harbor raged on and the radar operators watched in horror from their information center, McDonald would live a lifetime of regret that he didn’t go over his superior’s head with the message that would have at least gotten more of the American planes on site into the air to help reduce the damage and death that had occurred on that infamous day. Schimmel kept telling his friend that he couldn’t have done that. He was doing his job and following orders.

Mike Sewards of Allentown, chairman and founder of The Lehigh Valley Veterans History Project, lives down the street from 99-year-old Richard Schimmel and has known the Pearl Harbor survivor for the past 25 years. Schimmel is one of only a handful of veterans who was 19 years old on the day of the attack and is still alive today. He has returned to the site several times and is currently there again for the 80th anniversary.

“When Dick Schimmel enlisted in the Army, he was underage,” said Sewards. “He was supposed to get his father’s permission and signature on the enlistment form, but instead, he forged his father’s name.”

When asked what branch he wanted to sign up for, Schimmel said, “The cavalry.”

When informed that there was no more cavalry and they were going to put him into the brand-new radar outfit, Schimmel asked, “What’s radar?” The recruiter replied, “I don’t know.”

According to Sewards, Schimmel was the fifth person to have known of the attack after fellow radar trackers McDonald; Pvt. Joe Lockard, from Williamsport; Pvt. George Elliot; and then Lt. Kermit Tyler, who was the superior warned by McDonald. From the group, only Schimmel is alive today.

“The Americans were certainly not prepared for the attack,” said Sewards. “Their fighter planes were lined up on a runway and were easy targets for the Japanese bombers. The aircraft carriers were out to sea without the accompaniment of battleships that could have shot down the planes and prevented some of the destruction.

“The Japanese had made one significant error,” said Sewards. “They didn’t bomb the fuel depots which not only would have caused even more damage, but would have prevented further American retaliation.”

After the attack, Schimmel was later transferred to Kanton, an island 1,900 miles southwest of Hawaii, to install and operate a radar system there. He survived three more bombings and then rose to the rank of staff sergeant.

There are several activities planned for the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, now known as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. This year’s celebration theme is Valor, Sacrifice, and Peace. Activities will include a wreath presentation by the Hawaii based Marine Corps and a freedom bell ringing at the USS Bowfin.

Among the American armed forces, there were a total of 2,335 killed, including 2,008 Navy personnel, 109 Marines, and 218 Army. Sixty-eight civilians also lost their lives in the attack making the total fatalities, 2,403 people. Eight American battleships were sunk that day including the Arizona, which still holds the remains of an estimated 900 men who were killed inside the ship. The entire attack took place in one hour and 15 minutes. The very next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan.