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thedrifter
08-27-07, 07:44 AM
Veteran describes his experience in Pearl Harbor
By Melissa Cotter
Published: Sunday, August 26, 2007 4:53 PM CDT

Just mention the two words, “Pearl Harbor,” and many Americans recognize the event which included a surprise attack from the Empire of Japan on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor at Oahu, Hawaii, the morning of Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941 -- an event that thrust the U.S. into World War II.

The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyed five U.S. Navy battleships, along with 188 aircraft, one minelayer, and three destroyers, and killed 2,388 and wounded 1,174.

While much of the information that can be recollected by the general public is knowledge gained through reading history books, there are some remaining veterans who can recall personal accounts associated with Pearl Harbor.


Bebincio Lliaban, 83, of Rolla, also known as Ben, is one veteran who in addition to joining the military during World War II, witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor at the age of 17 while at a 2,000-acre pineapple plantation nearby.

“I could see the black smoke,” Lliaban said. “It was a strange day. There wasn’t TV in those days. The radio was silent for awhile and then it came on, and we were told we had been attacked by a foreign power.”

Lliaban said the radio announcer informed listeners they did not know who had made the attack, and people were to stay in their homes until further notice was made.



“That was that day of Pearl Harbor,” Lliaban said.

Lliaban’s uncle worked at the naval base at Pearl Harbor as a night janitor and was killed in the attack.

Lliaban said when he saw the black smoke and later realized what had happen, it was a shock.



“We were shocked, and then we became mad,” Lliaban said. “That following Monday we played hooky and went to be recruited,” Lliaban said.

Lliaban, along with other members of plantations went to be recruited into the military

Lliaban said he, along with the others, were of all different nationalities. Lliaban’s family is from the Philippines, and he said there were two men from the plantations who were American Japanese which were not allowed into the war. Instead, those men were taken to concentration camps in California.



Lliaban’s first choice was to join the Marines. However, the marines turned Lliaban away because of his height.

“You had to be 5-feet 7-inches to make the Marines,” said Lliaban, who is 5-feet 5 1/2-inches.

When Lliaban attempted to join the Navy, he was told he would have to finished his high school education before the Navy would accept him. Lliaban went back and finished his senior year in high school and returned again to join the military.



On June 19, 1942, Lliaban went into the service with the Navy. He was shipped to San Diego for boot camp, and then he was transported to different training facilities and schools where he learned the necessary information to fulfill his positions as an aviation officer and later an electronic technician.

Lliaban said one of his tasks while in World War II was to ride in the bottom of military planes where bombs were being carried and give navigation information to the pilot.

“I gave navigation to the pilot to get back to the carrier or where ever we were going,” Lliaban said. “I did what was called the Relative Bering.”



Lliaban said the navigation information was used to drop bombs on areas to clear out beaches and land prior to Marine invasions.

“We were going down the Pacific doing different operations,” Lliaban said. “Outside of the Army, all we did was hit beach heads to control the beach for the Marines. We strategically hopped our way to Japan.”

Lliaban was aboard the USS Wasp during World War II.



Lliaban spend six years in the service during World War II, and 120 days after being released, he went back to serve during the Korean War. Lliaban spent four years in the Korean War, and another four years in Hawaii at a naval airstation.

While working during the Korean War, Lliaban learned secret language codes used so enemies did not decipher military messages. Lliaban worked decoding messages for the Navy.

Lliaban settled in Seattle after serving in the military and six years ago moved to Rolla, and now is living at the Rolla Apartments. He is a proud life-member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.



“My service organizations are very important to me, and that’s where I go to night meetings, associating with other veterans,” Lliaban said.

Lliaban said he also can relate to the soldiers currently overseas fighting.

“I know how those guys feel over there,” Lliaban said.



Lliaban said the soldiers fighting in Iraq are probably frustrated.

“They have all these guns, but can’t do what they want,” Lliaban said. “It’s not like World War II or the Korean War where it was like, ‘Go for it.’”

Lliaban said if he could speak to a soldier overseas he would tell them, “Hey buddy, I wish you well and know what you’re going through right now. All I would ask you to do is hang in there.”

Ellie