Bob Fernandez was a United States Navy veteran and one of the last remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack that launched the U.S. into World War II.
- Died: December 11, 2024 (Who else died on December 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Lodi, California at the age of 100.
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Bob Fernandez’s legacy
Fernandez was just 17 when he signed up to join the U.S. Navy in 1941. Hailing from San Jose, California, he was assigned to serve as a cook aboard the USS Curtiss. On an early morning four months later, aboard the ship that had docked at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor the night before, his world exploded.
The sailor was serving officers below deck before 8 a.m. on Dec. 7 when he heard first signs of Japan’s aerial attack. Fernandez’s battle station was deep inside the Curtiss, so he ran cross-ship to the magazine room. There, he joined others tasked with passing ammunition to the gunners who needed it. After the assault on Pearl Harbor was done, over 2,400 American military members had been killed, including 21 of Fernandez’s crewmates.
For the next four years, Fernandez served in the Pacific during the height of World War II, including during action at Midway, Guadalcanal, and the Solomon Islands. When his time at war aboard the Curtiss had ended, he did what so many other American soldiers did: he left the service, got married, and worked a regular job for the rest of his days. His wife, Mary Fernandez (1927–2014), passed a decade ago.
Fernandez was set to attend a yearly Pearl Harbor remembrance on Dec. 7, 2024, but last-minute health concerns cancelled his travel to Hawaii.
Notable quote
“I’m not the only guy that was over there. There were thousands of guys over there who did a lot of fighting. I just happened to be there at that time. I’m not a hero. I just came out alive.” — interview with the Los Angeles Times, 2024
Tributes to Bob Fernandez
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
