On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and surrounding military and civilian targets and the Honolulu Fire Department sent Engines 1, 4, and 6 to Hickam Field.
The attack crippled Hickam Field's hydrant system, gutted the base fire station and destroyed its engines, forcing firefighters to draft water from bomb craters in between waves of Japanese aircraft.
Three Honolulu firefighters died in the attack:
Captain John Carreira
Captain Thomas Macy
Hoseman Harry Pang
Six others were injured:
Fire Lt. Frederick Kealoha
HosemAn Moses Kililikani
Hoseman John A. Gilman
Hoseman Solomon Naauao
Hoseman Patrick McCabe
Hoseman George Correa.
All were awarded the Purple Heart, the only civilian firefighters in the U.S. to receive this recognition.
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