Dec 6, 2021 5 min read

Virginia Flickinger remembers it as if it were yesterday.

However, it was 80 years ago today that she was a witness to history. Flickinger, 101, and a one-time resident of Washington, was working as a nurse in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, tabbed the next day by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as “a day which will live in infamy.”

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor.

It was the largest assault on U.S. soil at the time. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, 2,043 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were injured.

Flickinger was born April 12, 1920 in Honolulu, which at the time was the capitol of Hawaii. In 1941, she was working part-time as a professional hula dancer and full-time as a nurse’s aide at the Naval Hospital Pearl Harbor.

She was at home in Waikiki the morning of Dec. 7 when she heard bombs exploding in her neighborhood. At that point, all civilians were told to flee to the mountains in anticipation of a Japanese invasion.

The attack began at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian time. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters, level and dive bombers and torpedo bombers) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.

Two days later, she returned to work at the hospital and supported the nurses in the aftermath of the attack that prompted the United States entry into World War II.

In 1953, she married Ray Flickinger, and they moved to Pennsylvania when he went to work directing the ROTC program for Washington & Jefferson College. Their three children – Glenn, Tom and Kathy – grew up in Washington.

In 2020, her 100th birthday was celebrated with a socially distanced party that took place along the street in front of her Scott Township home. The soiree was attended by friends, neighbors and even police officers from nearby communities.

Us kids all five of her kids have known forever that she wass there

nurse’s aide.

All she really did she worked at pearl harvbor Hospital lioved in a coatteg near the hospital assistant to the nurses’ nothing medical worked at pearl harbos bhospitral since she was 19. also worked she stayed five nights a week. on Sunday Dec. 7 it was her weekend off. she lived in Waikiki mnot very far.

when the bombins srated she was at home several of the japanes boms in residential area didn’t mean to drop them thjere was abomb dropped near her homne home shook gallses fell off the table everyone ran outside as she looked up she saw twqo japaned planes flying by.

Ran inside heard okn the radsio pearl harbor is being normal confusion advised all the civilioans to basical;l;yu evacuate to awealk up into the hills behind waikiki they did they styed over night at somebody’s house went back Monday Tuesday returned to job they were askig she saw sqaw all the damage the Arizona partially sunk west virgini OIklahom haul exposed she saw all the bodies some being stacked up

near she lived and worked near the hiospotal over whelemd with sailors and soliders stayed at work a week straight helping with clean-up effort.

She went back hme she worked for the most part Pearl hjarbor mom married twice Barber he was a navay during World War II stationed in Hawaiui they were Mom Ray Flickjinger 1951

during Korean war three more children four boiys and one girl Bill Barber and John Barer Marine corps Combat veteran honored at the game

people ask my mom father Ray a enlisted manmnin the army he was family farm cohranton near meadville boiunced back and forth m,ainland transferred 1960 tranferred to W&J Colle taught ROTC Tom is a graduate Tom county treasurer for Washoington County.

sister Kathy born in states in Virginia all grew upo in Washington PA Back then WAall male 75 percent ROTC

My dad owned gas sation repair shop in washington for 30 years. My brother and Kathy went to Washington 

John and Bill went to East Washington High School.

at the game yesterday 

first brsak at third queretr honored brother had clip of his service vietnam 80 years ago John’s mother was at pearl harbor Steelers came to her house last week clip 

big she was a vwery young 101 mit’s vry vivid I;m bot of an ameauteur histoiry gone around helping my momn tell the pearl harbor story to a few different I help put the story in contxt most it wasn’t really I just help tell the story of pearl harbor why did they attack how did they get away with it. What impact that had started 

I love doing that with her she’s remarkable harder amnd harder 

It’s an imprssion on your mind never goes away she’ll remeber it to her last day

says how saiud it was people killed an inuured fom that

dour unciues serve in World War II.

been a military historican all my life

veterans breakfast club. one day 25 years ago in my 40’s mom and i talking all those young man came through hamaii .

they were all just kids and it hit m,e think of vetans back in 41 and 42 all 19-year old kids. My mo says how said it all is saw all those yop0ung man injured akilled or injured youing men and women whop fight thes these wars make sacrifices neded to make.

hear from a lot of carred for 

Glenn lives Upper St. Clair.

busy