At102, one Pearl Harbour attack survivor passes away

One of the last people to survive the assault on Pearl Harbour, Richard C. “Dick” Higgins, died on Tuesday in Bend, Oregon, of natural causes at the age of 102, his family said.
On December 7, 1941, Higgins was a radioman assigned to the Hawaii naval installation during the Japanese bombardment.

“I jumped out of my bunk and I ran over to the edge of the lanai and just as I got there, a plane went right over the barracks,” Higgins recalled the assault day with vivid detail in a recent interview.
He remarked, “So, there was no doubt what was happening in my mind because of the things that had been going on,” referring to the Japanese aircraft flying the Japanese flag as “big red meatballs.”
Higgins, who was born in Oklahoma in 1921, joined the Navy in 1939 and worked as an aeronautics engineer, contributing to projects such as the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Throughout his life, he shared his memories from World War II and the Great Depression with students and the community, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to his profession and nation.
“It was never about him,” Angela Norton stated, characterising her grandpa as “humble and kind.” She continued, “The heroes were those that didn’t come home.”
At the age of 82, Winnie Ruth, his wife, passed away in 2004. Their marriage spanned sixty years.
Twenty-two assault survivors are still living, according to Kathleen Farley, the state chair for the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbour Survivors in California. According to Farley, there could be more survivors out there who aren’t aware of her since they didn’t sign up with the Pearl Harbour Survivors Association when it was established in 1958.
Two children, two grandsons, and four great-grandchildren survive Higgins. The family plans to have a full military honours ceremony on Thursday after a memorial service at a church in Bend. After that, his remains will be moved to California, where he and his spouse will be buried.