Nikki didn’t realize what her grandfather, Donald Stratton, had endured until her social studies teacher learned that Donald had been aboard the USS Arizona when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The teacher had many questions, none of which Nikki as a fourth-grader was able to answer. Nikki went to the source and began to question her grandfather about what happened to him on that fateful day on December 7, 1941. The answers were simply unbelievable.
Donald ultimately put those answers in a truly remarkable book called All the Gallant Men, which should be required reading for anyone determined to remember what happened. Today, Nikki keeps her grandfather’s memory alive by continuing to tell his story. She is also the sponsor of a nuclear-powered submarine that should be completed in 2028 called…the SSN Arizona.
Her story, and her grandfather’s legacy, are worth your time, especially given today's date, a day that will always live in infamy.
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00:00 Introduction
00:43 Opening Gifts
05:10 Introducing Nikki’s Grandfather, Donald Stratton
08:57 Surviving the Dust Bowl
13:53 Joining the Navy
21:44 Arriving in Hawaii
24:08 Writing His Book
28:30 Meeting Joe George
32:50 Experiencing the Bombing of Pearl Harbor
42:26 Getting Rescued
53:36 Highlighting the Underrated Role of Music
55:50 Recovering from the Attack
01:01:55 Telling the Role of Prostitutes
01:04:55 Preserving History
01:17:00 Sponsoring the Future USS Arizona Nuclear Submarine