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CNN Saturday Morning News
Pearl Harbor Veteran Recounts Historic Day
Aired May 26, 2001 - 09:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "PEARL HARBOR")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the Empire of Japan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: "Pearl Harbor," a retelling of the story of Japan's 1941 surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii. It opened nationwide yesterday. The production has been called a big-screen love story wrapped around a war. It was a must- see movie for many who were there when the bombs fell.
Vicki Nouwen (ph) of Central Florida 13 reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VICKI NOUWEN, CENTRAL FLORIDA 13 REPORTER (voice-over): Described as a war story and a love story, the film "Pearl Harbor" is inspired by the Japanese attack that catapulted the United States into the Second World War.
For the film's debut, veterans from the Central Florida Chapter of Pearl Harbor Survivors were offered a free show at the Cinemark Theater.
BETTY BOYER: We wanted to see if they actually captured the reality of what happened over there.
NOUWEN: And after watching the three-hour movie, veterans and their families had mixed emotions.
CHARLES BOYER, PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR: When it all started, it caught me up in it right away.
EDNA FREYTAG: I thought overall it was very well done, quite realistic.
DICK GARTY, PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR: Well, I thought it was a very disturbing movie, very poignant.
NOUWEN: "Pearl Harbor" cost an estimated $135 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive movies in Hollywood history.
But the film has received negative reviews from many critics nationwide, who say it's overly dramatic. Still, the veterans here say they hope people will see this movie not for the Hollywood but for the history.
CHARLES BOYER: Do not forget what happened, because if you forget it, you're bound to repeat it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, let's get more reaction on the movie from a World War II vet who survived the Pearl Harbor attack. Joining me here in Atlanta is Mack Abbott. He was a 19-year-old Marine at the time of the Japanese attack.
Good to see you, sir.
MACK ABBOTT, PEARL HARBOR VETERAN: Thank you, thank you.
PHILLIPS: Why don't you take me back to the attack? Describe what you remember when you were 19.
ABBOTT: That morning at 7:55, I had just gotten back to my barracks from eating breakfast early. I was going to take flying lessons that morning. And just as I got back, a plane flew right by our window, and it was a Japanese plane that had just dropped its bombs there in the harbor. My barracks was right next to the harbor. We were separated by a row of warehouses.
I grabbed my rifle and (UNINTELLIGLIBLE) belt -- still have it -- went downstairs to the administration building, got a bandoleer of ammunition, and with my 1903 rifle, I started firing at these planes as they came over the barracks.
And in about five or 10 minutes, there was about probably a couple dozen Marines out on the parade field doing the same thing. The Navy gave us credit for shooting down three of the 29 planes that were shot down that day.
PHILLIPS: Wow. Did you ever feel any fear? I mean, I know you're a Marine, and those are the big bad boys. But was there ever a time...
ABBOTT: We didn't have time for that. And then after that, four of us got on the truck, went over to the docks, and pulled men out of the water, took them over to the hospital and laid them out on the ground, and then came back and got other men, till we got them all out.
PHILLIPS: Wow. So when you see this movie, "Pearl Harbor," do you think this is good for veterans, or is this something that just is better left unsaid, for the healing?
ABBOTT: It's very good, because I talk to a lot of schools, and I know their feelings. This will do a lot of good, to bring the awareness of what we're trying to tell them in the motto of our organization, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, is Remember America, Keep America -- I mean, Keep America Alert, Remember Pearl Harbor.
And by doing that, this movie has brought out a lot of life and it will lift -- in fact, it's a lot better than "Tora! Tora! Tora!" which I admired very much, and the movie "Private Ryan"...
PHILLIPS: You think it's accurate.
ABBOTT: Oh, yes. "Private Ryan," I think it's about two to one over that one, and will be well remembered.
PHILLIPS: Anything in the movie that you wished -- maybe something would have been focused on a little bit more?
ABBOTT: Yes, I certainly do. To answer that question directly, I think they should have done more of the history of the Japanese people as to why they attacked us. I think they should have done that. And at the end, they should have ended up, you know, with a different series showing the -- actually what went on after that.
PHILLIPS: Tell me what did go on.
ABBOTT: Well, of course, after Pearl Harbor, I left shortly after on a destroyer. Our mission -- I didn't know at that time -- was to reinforce Wake Island. We got out there about 300 miles from Wake, and we found ourselves in the middle of a Japanese fleet. So our convoy had to split up. I eventually ended up at Midway, and I was there for the Battle of Midway. I fired a fixed-caliber machine gun there.
PHILLIPS: Wow.
ABBOTT: Then my outfit got together again, they was based out of Pearl Harbor. We went in for the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tilaga (ph) there, and then came back, reformed, went back over again, Soppington (ph) and so forth.
PHILLIPS: This could be part two.
ABBOTT: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: Now, before we let you go, I got to ask you, for the younger generation, what would you say would be something you would really want folks to take away from this movie?
ABBOTT: What actually happened there, because there's been so many books and movies about Pearl Harbor that this is the most accurate movie I've ever seen about Pearl Harbor, even though some of it was overdramatized, but it was accurate. I'd like to see it in a two-hour movie instead of a three-hour movie.
PHILLIPS: Well, I know you're working on a book, so will you come back and visit us, Mack, when you're finished? ABBOTT: Yes, I will, because I'm looking forward to getting that book out, "I Fired the First and Last Shot of World War II," which will be out in November. And by the way, I do want to mention that tomorrow, Sunday before Memorial Day, every year we have a dedication to all the deceased Pearl Harbor survivors in Georgia, at 2:00.
PHILLIPS: We won't forget. Mack Abbott, thanks so much.
ABBOTT: Thank you, appreciate it.
PHILLIPS: All right, sir.
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