One of the last survivors of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor has died at the age of 102 in Oregon, his family has announced.
Richard “Dick” Clyde Higgins was born on July 24, 1921 in Mangum, Oklahoma. according to to orange county register.
Higgins, who later became a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy, was working as a radio operator for a seaplane patrol squadron at the Oahu base in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked, the Associated Press reported. report.
“It took me about a tenth of a second to realize what it was,” the veteran said. KTVZ In 2016, the moment I realized a bomb was falling.
Higgins served as a crewman for the remainder of World War II and was discharged with “numerous medals and awards,” the newspaper reported.
He died of natural causes on Tuesday after entering hospice care at his home in Bend, Oregon, several days earlier.
In December, he was a guest at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Ceremony where local officials and Bend High School students and staff honored him and other veterans for their military service.
The Bend City Council also declared “Dick Higgins Day” in his honor.
“I never expected something like this to happen,” the veteran said at the time. “It’s such an honor to be here. I just represent the people who couldn’t be here.”
His granddaughter, Angela Norton, announced his death in a heartfelt Instagram post.
This morning, Grandpa went home with Jesus. He was a humble, generous, funny and loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. This community celebrates and honors him, and we are forever grateful for the impact he had on all of us. At the age of 102, we have lost a precious part of our history, but thanks to our faith in Jesus, we know this is not the end. I look forward to meeting again. We always and always will love you, Grandpa.
“I never left his side,” said Norton, who lived with his grandfather. register. “I wanted to be there for him in his final moments. At 1:42 a.m., he went home to be with his savior and his wife, Winnie Ruth.”
Norton said Higgins had lived with her and her family since 2013 and had Alzheimer’s disease.
“We thought his life would be short, but he lived on,” said his devoted granddaughter. “To a large extent, he was independent. It was incredibly valuable to have this treasure and have him there for our children. We is grateful for his full and blessed life.”
Higgins was the last living member of Orange County Chapter 14 of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, the publication said.
After retiring from the Navy in 1959 after 20 years of service, he became an aeronautical engineer for Northrop Corporation (later Northrop Grumman) and other civil defense contractors.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Winnie Ruth McDonald Higgins, in 2004 at the age of 82.
According to the Associated Press, only 22 survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack remain.
