Lou Conter
Lou Conter | |
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Birth name | Louis Anthony Conter |
Born | Ojibwa, Wisconsin, U.S. | September 13, 1921
Died | April 1, 2024 Grass Valley, California, U.S. | (aged 102)
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1939–1967 |
Rank | Lieutenant commander |
Unit | USS Arizona (BB-39) USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) Patrol Squadron ELEVEN (VPB-11) |
Battles/wars |
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Louis Anthony Conter (September 13, 1921 – April 1, 2024) was an American naval officer who was a
Early life
Louis Anthony Conter was born in
Military career
Conter enlisted in the
Pearl Harbor
The USS Arizona returned to her base at Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941. On the morning of December 7, Conter was on watch on the quarterdeck station between the third turret and main deck, when the ship was attacked by a squadron of Japanese torpedo planes and bombers at 8 am. About five minutes later, the Arizona was struck by a 1,760-pound (800 kg) bomb between the first and second turret, which ignited the ship's ammunition magazine. The following explosion blew off the ship's bow and lifted the battleship out of the water, knocking over Conter while killing and injuring many others. As the ship burned and started to sink, she was hit by more Japanese projectiles. Meanwhile, Conter was aiding wounded fellow sailors, keeping them from jumping in the burning oil covering the water's surface. When Conter was already knee deep in water, the captain gave the order to abandon ship and Conter took to the lifeboats. The Arizona sank in nine minutes, taking the lives of 1,177 of her crew. Her 334 surviving crew struggled to escape the burning ruins, of which Conter saved several by pulling them out of the water into his lifeboat before rowing to shore. Following the attack, Conter spent several weeks helping to put out fires and recovering the bodies of the fallen.[6]
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The Arizona's forward magazines explode in a still from a film made during the Japanese attack.
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The Arizona burning after the Japanese attack
World War II
Following the
Post World War II
Following the end of the war, Conter returned to California where he had completed his basic training back in 1939, and joined the Naval Reserve. Recalled to active duty during the Cold War, Conter saw action again during the Korean War in the 1950s, serving on the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. Conter decided to remain on active duty and eventually retired from the Navy in December 1967, having achieved the rank of lieutenant commander.[10]
Later life
After his retirement from the Navy, Conter pursued a career as a
References
- ^ "Louis Anthony Conter Collection". loc.gov. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Matt, Andrew J. (November 1, 2022). "Epic Survivor | Louis Conter is one of the last living veterans of the USS Arizona bombing at Pearl Harbor". Knights of Columbus. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ "CONTER, LOUIS "LOU"". ww2online.org. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Knodell, Kevin (April 2, 2024). "Lou Conter, last survivor of the USS Arizona, dies at 102". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Goldstein, Richard (April 1, 2024). "Lou Conter, Last Survivor of the Battleship Arizona, Dies at 102". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "Louis Conter: Survivor". Veterans Administration (va.gov). September 2, 2021. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "CONTER, Louis 'Lou' Anthony – QM3/c USN – Living". ussarizona.org. September 30, 1999. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ "Lou Conter". arizonafinalsalute.com. 2020. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-62787-859-3. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Elias Funez, ed. (May 29, 2023). "Last known survivor of Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona recounts deadly Japanese bombing: 'I consider the heroes the ones that gave their lives'". The Union. Grass Valley, CA. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Padilla, Cecilio (April 1, 2024). "Lou Conter, last living USS Arizona survivor after Pearl Harbor attack, dies at 102". KOVR. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "Lou Conter obituary, last survivor from the Arizona in Pearl Harbor attack". The Times. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ "Last living survivor aboard USS Arizona during Pearl Harbor attack dies aged 102". The Guardian. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.