Article Summary –
Richard C. Higgins, one of the last survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack, passed away at the age of 102. During the infamous attack on December 7, 1941, Higgins was stationed at the naval base as a radioman and later spent his life sharing his experiences with schoolchildren and on social media. According to his granddaughter, Angela Norton, there are now approximately 22 living survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack.
Richard C. Higgins: Pearl Harbor Survivor Passes Away at 102
Richard C. Higgins, one of the few remaining survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 102. His granddaughter, Angela Norton, confirmed his natural cause of death, and stated that he had been living in her home.
Stationed at the Pearl Harbor naval base as a radioman on Dec. 7, 1941, Higgins witnessed the surprise bombing attack by Japan that claimed the lives of more than 2,400 Americans. This devastating event led the United States to declare war on Japan.
In his later years, Higgins often shared his experience of the attack, speaking to school children and using social media to recount the event. He described the frantic scene; moving planes away from the path of falling bombs and from planes that were already on fire.
Higgins’ Early Life and Military Career
Richard Clyde Higgins was born on July 24, 1921, on a farm near Mangum, Oklahoma. He experienced the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, which he described as “slim pickings”. In 1939, Higgins joined the Navy and trained as an aviation mechanic. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor and was on patrol mission just two days before the Japanese attack.
Following the attack, Higgins spent the next three days at the plane hangar, sleeping on a cot and working to get planes back into commission. After retiring from the Navy in 1959, he worked as an aeronautics engineer. His wife, Winnie Ruth, whom he married in 1944, passed away in 2004.
Legacy and the Dwindling Number of Pearl Harbor Survivors
Mr. Higgins is survived by a son, a daughter, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. With his passing, the number of Pearl Harbor attack survivors is estimated at 22, as noted by Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors organization.
In the later stages of his life, Higgins was committed to sharing the story of the attack and the sacrifices made by his fellow servicemen. His granddaughter, Ms. Norton, stated that Higgins never considered himself a hero. In his words, the real heroes were those who didn’t come home from the war.
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