Harry Chandler

Harry Chandler, a U.S. Navy veteran and one of the last survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor that thrust the U.S. into World War II, died December 30, 2024, at a senior living center in Tequesta, Florida at the age of 103.

Growing up in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Chandler dreamed of becoming a sailor. He begged his parents for a sailor suit, but in the tough times of the Great Depression, it wasn’t an option. When he turned 18, shortly before he graduated from high school, Chandler finally got his sailor suit when he enlisted in the Navy. He became a medic, and he was stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. 

Chandler was raising the U.S. flag at the mobile hospital at Aiea Heights when the attack began. From his vantage point, he was able to see the bombings of the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS Nevada, and he recognized the planes dropping the bombs as Japanese. He rushed to aid as many wounded sailors as he could, pulling them from the water and washing oil from their bodies. He later noted that in the moment, he was simply driven to help as many people as he could, too busy to feel fear. 

After serving in World War II, Chandler remained in the Navy Reserve for decades, retiring in 1981. He also co-owned an upholstery business. Unlike some Pearl Harbor veterans, he didn’t return regularly for memorial events. He went back to Pearl Harbor just twice, most recently in December 2023 for the 82nd anniversary of the attack. Along with the four other survivors who attended that year’s memorial, he was honored with a parade. 

Asked about the secret to his long life, Chandler said, “Just stay active. Keep my mind going ... help people. That’s the main thing. That’s what I do all the time. If I find someone who needs help. I help them.” — from an April 2024 interview for CBS 12 News

(Photo: AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, File)