Congresswoman to Recognize Hero

More than sixty years after the USS Aaron Ward was hit by kamikaze and bomb attacks during World War II, one overlooked African American sailor will be recognized for his heroism.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, will present 95-year-old Carl Clark of Menlo Park with the prestigious Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with the Combat Distinguishing Device at Moffett Field on Tuesday.

On May 3, 1945, the USS Aaron Ward was hit by six kamikaze planes and two bombs.

Clark was an E-6 Steward First Class in charge of the Officer's Mess at the time of the attack near Okinawa, Japan, and one of six black sailors aboard the ship, according to Eshoo's office.
In a statement to the Secretary of the Navy's office, Clark described the events of that evening in detail.

"...I watched the pilot's face as he slammed the plane into our ship, port side," he said of the second kamikaze plane. "This impact and explosion blew me into the air ... and it seemed as though I floated down in slow motion."

"After confirming I still had my legs I put my shoes on and preceded to the nearest fire hose, and began fighting the fires, raging on the deck. I was still unaware of the fact that the first Kamikaze killed all seven of the other men in my team...," his statement read.

Clark is credited with single-handedly manning a fire hose, which normally requires four men to control, and dousing flames that threatened to burn the ammunition locker.

Had the ammunition locker gone up in flames, the explosion would have cracked the ship in two, according to Eshoo's office. After helping to save the ship, Clark, suffering from a broken collarbone, helped to carry injured sailors to safety.

Despite his extraordinary actions, Clark concluded his report to the secretary's office by saying, "I do not consider myself a hero or anything like that, I only did the best I could do in a very ugly and demanding situation."

Clark's story was brought to Eshoo's office by Shelia Dunec, an instructor at Foothill College, who was recording the stories of local veterans for a documentary. With the assistance of Dunec and local reporter Scott James,
Eshoo's office began to compile a case for Clark to be recognized for his
actions.

Eshoo's office said building a case was complicated by a lack of documentation as well as the lack of first-hand reports after so many years. Eventually, however, they received an eyewitness account from Capt. Lefteris "Lefty" Lavrakas -- the last surviving officer from the Aaron Ward.

Tuesday, 66 years after the attack, Clark will finally be recognized for his heroism in front of hundreds of supporters, Eshoo's office said.

"Carl Clark served our nation during a time when the Navy was deeply segregated and a culture of racism was prevalent," Eshoo said in a statement.

"It is a singular privilege to be in a position to correct the record for those who have fought to preserve our freedoms," she said.

--Bay City News