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←Created page with '‘’’Joseph P. McDonald (September 29, 1919 -- August 7, 1994)’’’ was a U.S. Army Air Corps Private stationed at Ft.Shafter’s Information Center near Pearl Harbor. He was instrumental in receiving initial reports of Japan's impending attack on Pearl Harbor, ignored by his superior officer, then Lieutenant Kermit Tyler.<ref> New Haven Register. Son recounts father's day during bombing of Pearl Harbor.” Dec. 6, 2013. ht...'
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Revision as of 21:52, 17 August 2021

‘’’Joseph P. McDonald (September 29, 1919 -- August 7, 1994)’’’ was a U.S. Army Air Corps Private stationed at Ft.Shafter’s Information Center near Pearl Harbor.

He was instrumental in receiving initial reports of Japan's impending attack on Pearl Harbor, ignored by his superior officer, then Lieutenant Kermit Tyler.[1][2][3]

On November 29, 2005, McDonald was posthumously awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his valiant, though unsuccessful efforts to notify his superiors of an impending Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, US. House of Representative John Larsen, East Hartford Mayor Melody Curry and Major. General Thaddeus Martin attended the ceremony.[4]

Early Life, Personal Life

McDonald was born on September 29, 1919 in Archbold, Pennsylvania. The son of an Irish immigrant, he attended and graduated from Archbold High School. In 1940, McDonald enlisted in the U.S. Army. McDonald was married to Elizabeth Murphy McDonald. They had two sons: Robert McDonald and George McDonald.

Pre-Pearl Harbor Attacks

On December 6, 1941, McDonald arrived for his 5:00PM shift to relieve relief his tent mate and fellow staffer, Private Richard Schimmel,, at Ft.Shafter's Information Center on the then-U.S. territory of Hawaii's island of Oahu.[5] The center served as the tracking center for the US Army Air Corps's radar monitoring, then a new technology. It utilized five radar systems located across sites from various locations on Oahu. For several weeks, information center staff had been on high alert because military intelligence had not been able to locate the Imperial Japanese Navy's whereabouts.[6][7]

At 6:00PM December 6, 1941, McDonald monitored the center's switchboard. At 4:00AM December 7, 1941, US Army Air Corps radar plotters arrived to operate radars for their scheduled 4:00AM to 7:00AM. After the radar plotters left the Information Center at 7:00AM to eat breakfast, McDonald remained at his post beyond his 6:00AM schedule until his shift replacement, Private Shiemmiel, arrived from breakfast.[8][9]

At approximately 7:00AM, the center's switchboard buzzed. When McDonald inserted the plug into the phone and answered, a frantic SCR-270 radar staffer at Fort Shafter’s Opana Radar Station in northern Oahu, Private George Elliott, requested the plotters.[10] Prior to the call, Elliot and his more experienced fellow staffer Joseph Lockard, both stationed at Fort Shafter’s Opana Radar Station, saw a massive formation of aircraft on their truck-mounted mobile radar’s oscilloscope. After initially puzzled over the oscilloscope’s pronounced reading, they contacted the Information Center at Fort Shafter after confirming the radar was in good working order.[11]

When McDonald indicated that the plotters had left, Elliott warned that a large number of planes were en route to Hawaii from the north 3 points east. Assuming he was the only one left at the center, Joseph replied that he did not know what to do since no one else was there with him.[12] Suddenly, the connection went dead.[13][14]

After checking the time on the center's clock, McDonald saw a US Army Air Corps Lieutenant, Kermit Tyler (April 13, 1913 – January 23, 2010) sitting at the plotting table. McDonald informed Tyler that McDonald had received a call from 6QN Opana reporting a large number of planes coming in from the north 3 points east. Inexperienced in the information center's operations and on his 2nd day on the job, Tyler downplayed the report. After returning to the switchboard, McDonald called 6QN Opana back and instead reached his good friend, Joseph Lockard, Elliot’s more experienced mentor at Opana. McDonald relayed to Lockard that Lieutenant Tyler’s general lack of urgency. More frantic than his colleague Elliot, Lockard warned that a large contingent of aircraft were headed quickly towards Oahu, so large to cover an entire scope. Holding Lockard on the line, McDonald returned to Lieutenant Tyler at the plotters table, notifying him of the seriousness in Lockard’s voice. When Tyler suggested to McDonald that it was likely a formation of U.S. aircraft from the states, Lockard requested to speak directly with Tyler. When Lockard again warned Tyler about planes enroute to Oahu, Tyler told Lockard, “Don’t worry about it.” After ending the call with Lockard, McDonald asked Tyler if they should contact the plotters and notify Wheeler Field on Oahu, Tyler again replied, “Don't worry about it".[15][16]

Believing Lockard’s report, McDonald intended to contact Wheeler Field. However, he was concerned that he would be court-martialed for circumventing Lt. Tyler. At 7:45 McDonald's shift replacement arrived at the center, relieving McDonald.[17][18]

Exhausted from working a 14-hour shift, McDonald elected to contact Wheeler Field from the orderly tent next to his tent overlooking Pearl Harbor. However, the orderly tent’s Sergeant was using it. After returning to his tent, McDonald warned tent mate, Private Richard Schimmel that the Japanese were enroute to Oahu. Moments later, McDonald and Schiemmel heard a large resonance indicating the arrival of a large formation of aircraft. Suddenly, they saw Japanese planes in a single file attacking Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field.[19][20] McDonald and Schimmel retreated to the top of their mess hall as the Japanese destroyed the US Fleet.[21]

After the Japanese aircraft had started its bombing on Pearl Harbor, McDonald and Schimmel were called back to the Information Station. Schimmel found McDonald’s message from Elliot balled up in a trash can.[22] Before the message would be retrieved by authorities towards an investigation, Schimmel copied the message word-for-word in a spiral-bound notebook with the date “December 7, 1941” and the words “a great number of planes coming in from the north.”[23]

Post-Attack Investigation

Post-attack, McDonald was interviewed by authorities investigating the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts told McDonald his warning to Tyler was more urgent and historic than the famed “Message to Garcia", when 1st Lt. Andrew S. Rowan delivered an urgent message to the Cuban insurgent General. Calixto García, from President of the United States]] William McKinley warning of Spain’s insurgency during the Spanish–American War.[24][25][26] Colonel W.H. Tetley, Commanding Officer of the 580th Aircraft Warning Company Signal Corps, lauded McDonald’s efforts to notify Lieutenant Tyler, noting that had Tyler notified the Fighter Wing, it may have been able to get airborne in sufficient time to intercept and reduce Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, saving lives and crew.[27] In August 1942, the Naval Board of Inquiry found that Tyler had been assigned to the Information Center with little or no training, no supervision, and no staff with which to work. They subsequently cleared Tyler of all wrongdoing, taking no disciplinary actions against him.[28] Tyler would continued to serve in the US military, eventually retiring as a US Air Force lieutenant colonel in 1961.[29]

Post Pearl Harbor, World War II

McDonald continued to serve in World War II’s central Pacific theater including assignments on Kanton, Makin, Kwajalein, Guadalcanal, New Guinea and Saipan.[30]

Legacy

Post-Military

A resident of East Hartford, Connecticut, McDonald worked at [[Pratt & Whitney for 20 years. In 1984, he moved to West Palm Beach, Florida.[33]

McDonald was a lifelong member of the Pearl Harbor Attack Veterans.[34]

Death

McDonald passed away on August 7, 1994 in Florida. He was 75.[35]

References

  1. ^ New Haven Register. Son recounts father's day during bombing of Pearl Harbor.” Dec. 6, 2013. https://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/Son-recounts-father-s-day-during-bombing-of-11416239.php
  2. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  3. ^ Pearl Harbor Survivors. “Pearl Harbor Survivor. “Joseph P. McDonald.” http://pearlharborsurvivors.org/Memory/mcdonald.html
  4. ^ Star Bulletin. “Dec. 7 pleas honored: An Army switchboard operator attempted to sound the alarm.” Gregg K. Kakesako. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/11/30/news/story06.html
  5. ^ Los Angeles Post Examiner. “Pearl Harbor survivor recalls unheeded warning from radar station.” ANTHONY C. HAYES. · DECEMBER 7, 2016. https://lapostexaminer.com/pearl-harbor-survivor-recalls-warning-radar-station/2016/12/07
  6. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  7. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  8. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  9. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  10. ^ Los Angeles Post Examiner. “Pearl Harbor survivor recalls unheeded warning from radar station.” ANTHONY C. HAYES. · DECEMBER 7, 2016. https://lapostexaminer.com/pearl-harbor-survivor-recalls-warning-radar-station/2016/12/07
  11. ^ Los Angeles Post Examiner. “Pearl Harbor survivor recalls unheeded warning from radar station.” ANTHONY C. HAYES. · DECEMBER 7, 2016. https://lapostexaminer.com/pearl-harbor-survivor-recalls-warning-radar-station/2016/12/07
  12. ^ Social Studies for Kids. “The Attack on Pearl Harbor: An Eyewitness Account.” https://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/pearlharboraccount1.htm
  13. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  14. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  15. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  16. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  17. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  18. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  19. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  20. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  21. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  22. ^ Los Angeles Post Examiner. “Pearl Harbor survivor recalls unheeded warning from radar station.” ANTHONY C. HAYES. · DECEMBER 7, 2016. https://lapostexaminer.com/pearl-harbor-survivor-recalls-warning-radar-station/2016/12/07
  23. ^ Los Angeles Post Examiner. “Pearl Harbor survivor recalls unheeded warning from radar station.” ANTHONY C. HAYES. · DECEMBER 7, 2016. https://lapostexaminer.com/pearl-harbor-survivor-recalls-warning-radar-station/2016/12/07
  24. ^ Robert McHenry, ed, Webster’s American Military Biographies.New York: Dover, 1984, 362.
  25. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  26. ^ PROCEEDINGS OF ARMY PEARL HARBOR BOARD 2123. “TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH P. McDonald, TECHNICIAN FOURTH‑CLASS; 580TH AIRCRAFT WARNING; APO 958, c/o POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.” http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/myths/radar/mcdonald_1.html
  27. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  28. ^ "Navy Court Of Inquiry: Kermit A. Tyler". Joint Congressional Committee, Nov. 15, 1945, to May 31, 1946. U. S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  29. ^ "The Times obituary: Kermit Tyler". The Times of London. February 27, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  30. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  31. ^ “Joseph P. McDonald Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” George McDonald. https://www.uh.edu/engines/mcdonald.htm
  32. ^ Star Bulletin. “Dec. 7 pleas honored: An Army switchboard operator attempted to sound the alarm.” Gregg K. Kakesako. gkakesako@starbulletin.com. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/11/30/news/story06.html
  33. ^ Hartford Courant. “MCDONALD. JOSEPH P.” August 11, 1994. https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1994-08-11-9408110621-story.html
  34. ^ Hartford Courant. “MCDONALD. JOSEPH P.” August 11, 1994. https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1994-08-11-9408110621-story.html
  35. ^ Hartford Courant. “MCDONALD. JOSEPH P.” August 11, 1994. https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1994-08-11-9408110621-story.html
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