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From Shaniko to Pearl Harbor
As a twelve-year old eye witness to the devastating attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Bob Weber tells the story of his Dad's journey from Shaniko, Oregon to the Naval base in Hawaii on that fateful Sunday morning.
His father, Oscar, who ran away from home at the age of 15 and became a cowboy in Eastern Oregon, was in the Navy most of his adult life. He was an enlisted man, a member of the reserves working on the base, a re-activated sailor, and finally a retired Chief, working at the Navy Base in Portland, Oregon.
Growing up as a Navy "brat" in a tropical paradise was a special life for Bob. His Dad, the Navy, and Hawaii managed to keep life exciting.
Bombs Dropped Oscar slept the night of December 6th on the submarine base, and his family came to pick him up the next morning just before 8:00 A.M, right when the bombs started falling. They had a front row seat as the planes swooped over and over, bombing and strafing
everything in their sight.
Their escape and eventual evacuation is an interesting part of history.
Trinette Weber's retelling of of her husband's experiences creates a personal memoir that captures this historic moment in time.
His father, Oscar, who ran away from home at the age of 15 and became a cowboy in Eastern Oregon, was in the Navy most of his adult life. He was an enlisted man, a member of the reserves working on the base, a re-activated sailor, and finally a retired Chief, working at the Navy Base in Portland, Oregon.
Growing up as a Navy "brat" in a tropical paradise was a special life for Bob. His Dad, the Navy, and Hawaii managed to keep life exciting.
Bombs Dropped Oscar slept the night of December 6th on the submarine base, and his family came to pick him up the next morning just before 8:00 A.M, right when the bombs started falling. They had a front row seat as the planes swooped over and over, bombing and strafing
everything in their sight.
Their escape and eventual evacuation is an interesting part of history.
Trinette Weber's retelling of of her husband's experiences creates a personal memoir that captures this historic moment in time.
62 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 26, 2013
With 60 pages this book is a short read. It does not claim to be an epic piece of literature. Yet for what it is, it surely deserves 5 stars.
The book has 3 parts. Part 1 is the actual eye witness report of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, which the author's husband happened to run into, at age 12, when he and his mother picked up his father from work. Part 2 is a flashback on the author's father-in-law's fascinating life story, which includes his participation in WWI. Part 3 tells about the evacuation of the author's husband and his mother (along with other family members of military men) from Hawaii to the mainland, via war-ship-turned luxury liner, navigating through enemy-submarine polluted waters.
This memoir (or rather non-fiction narrative tale) is well written. And while it is only a little story amongst the many documentaries and memoirs that deal with WWII, I consider it an important mosaic stone in the large picture of this era. Historic documentaries deliver basic information, tales of personal experiences let you feel what it was like. This is one tale of a personal experience you don't want to miss.
The book has 3 parts. Part 1 is the actual eye witness report of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, which the author's husband happened to run into, at age 12, when he and his mother picked up his father from work. Part 2 is a flashback on the author's father-in-law's fascinating life story, which includes his participation in WWI. Part 3 tells about the evacuation of the author's husband and his mother (along with other family members of military men) from Hawaii to the mainland, via war-ship-turned luxury liner, navigating through enemy-submarine polluted waters.
This memoir (or rather non-fiction narrative tale) is well written. And while it is only a little story amongst the many documentaries and memoirs that deal with WWII, I consider it an important mosaic stone in the large picture of this era. Historic documentaries deliver basic information, tales of personal experiences let you feel what it was like. This is one tale of a personal experience you don't want to miss.
February 26, 2014
A young boy wakes early on a glorious Sunday morning, anxious to go fishing, when his Mom asks him to go with her to pick up his Dad from work. Dad had to stay all night at his work and really enjoys when his wife and son meet him at the end of a long shift. At the last minute, he changes his mind and forgoes his fishing trip. As he and Mom wait for Dad to get off work that morning, they are witnesses to a moment in history…”a day that will live in infamy”. Because Dad works at Pearl Harbor and this is December 7th, 1941. An exciting and dangerous morning for young Bob!
A wonderful, if short, story about family and the momentous events in a young boy’s life. Trinette Weber relates the story of her husband Bob, the young boy whose fishing trip doesn’t happen in From Shaniko to Pearl Harbor. She tells the story of Bob’s father, Oscar, a young man who left home at 15 to find his way in life and arrives in Shaniko, OR. Oscar becomes a cowboy and then joins the US Navy in WWI. The story moves on to chronicle Oscar’s life and then young Bob’s. Amusing stories well-told, including how Bob got his birth name. This is a charming book about just regular folks caught in a moment of history. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
I received this as a free book from the author with a very nice letter. Thanks Trinette, a wonderful story!
A wonderful, if short, story about family and the momentous events in a young boy’s life. Trinette Weber relates the story of her husband Bob, the young boy whose fishing trip doesn’t happen in From Shaniko to Pearl Harbor. She tells the story of Bob’s father, Oscar, a young man who left home at 15 to find his way in life and arrives in Shaniko, OR. Oscar becomes a cowboy and then joins the US Navy in WWI. The story moves on to chronicle Oscar’s life and then young Bob’s. Amusing stories well-told, including how Bob got his birth name. This is a charming book about just regular folks caught in a moment of history. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
I received this as a free book from the author with a very nice letter. Thanks Trinette, a wonderful story!
March 17, 2014
Trinette Weber sent me a copy of her late husbands book; From Shaniko to Pearl Harbor which is the story of Bob Weber growing up in Hawaii prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This is only a very short book, 62 pages with some nice B&W photographs thrown in (my favourite is on page 61 showing young Bob Weber next to a town sign for Shaniko), but it’s a heart-felt book.
I don’t think I can add much to the reviews posted by Mike and Lilo below other than to say if you want to get a young boy’s perspective of the Japanese attack on America and how he saw his father in those days then this is a book for you. It’s a nice story that I am sure Bob and Trinette Weber have wanted to tell for some time. As you close the book after finishing the story, for some strange reason you come away with a smile on your face and a feeling of happiness for some lovely people you have never meet before.
I don’t think I can add much to the reviews posted by Mike and Lilo below other than to say if you want to get a young boy’s perspective of the Japanese attack on America and how he saw his father in those days then this is a book for you. It’s a nice story that I am sure Bob and Trinette Weber have wanted to tell for some time. As you close the book after finishing the story, for some strange reason you come away with a smile on your face and a feeling of happiness for some lovely people you have never meet before.
October 8, 2013
Full disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author with the understanding that I would review it after I had read it.
The beginning of this book is the experience of Bob Weber, who was just a kid, and his recollections of the attack on Pearl Harbor. His dad, Oscar, was in the Navy, and spent the day – and the next three before he was able to come home, with the family unaware of his status! – helping the wounded and burnt sailors and retrieving the dead who were not entombed with the ships.
The middle is a biography of Oscar, and how he ran away from his Oregon home and worked as a rancher, then joined the Navy to see the world. He married a Turkish girl who passed away a short time later, then returned to a stateside post and persuaded the girl he had first been infatuated with to give him another chance, and after maximizing that opportunity, she became Bob’s mother.
The latter part of the book returns to life in Hawaii, where the family was able to live before civilians were evacuated in 1942. Their home had evidences from the attack (the family was evacuated during the raid), and Bob saved the souvenirs, which are pictured in the book.
All-in-all, a good memoir and a glimpse into civilian life in Hawaii during the early part of the war and on that day of infamy that gives a new perspective to history that is familiar to many.
The beginning of this book is the experience of Bob Weber, who was just a kid, and his recollections of the attack on Pearl Harbor. His dad, Oscar, was in the Navy, and spent the day – and the next three before he was able to come home, with the family unaware of his status! – helping the wounded and burnt sailors and retrieving the dead who were not entombed with the ships.
The middle is a biography of Oscar, and how he ran away from his Oregon home and worked as a rancher, then joined the Navy to see the world. He married a Turkish girl who passed away a short time later, then returned to a stateside post and persuaded the girl he had first been infatuated with to give him another chance, and after maximizing that opportunity, she became Bob’s mother.
The latter part of the book returns to life in Hawaii, where the family was able to live before civilians were evacuated in 1942. Their home had evidences from the attack (the family was evacuated during the raid), and Bob saved the souvenirs, which are pictured in the book.
All-in-all, a good memoir and a glimpse into civilian life in Hawaii during the early part of the war and on that day of infamy that gives a new perspective to history that is familiar to many.
July 17, 2014
Eh. Try Alvin Kernan's "Crossing the Line: A Bluejacket's Odyssey".
May 22, 2021
This book was an excellent source of material for a term paper or historical information. It provided me a personal experience of what it was like on the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. I found the one on one experience very fascinating and instantly knew that is was good for students. I gave it a 4 due to the length. More could be added.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews