West

Bob Fernandez, a 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, dies peacefully at home 83 years after bombing

Published

3 weeks ago

December 14, 2024

Bob Fernandez, a 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, dies peacefully at home 83 years after bombing

Bob Fernandez, a 100-year-old survivor of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, died shortly after deteriorating health prompted him to skip a trip to Hawaii to attend last week’s remembrance ceremony marking the 83rd anniversary of the attack.

Fernandez died peacefully at the Lodi, California, home of his nephew, Joe Guthrie, on Wednesday. Guthrie’s daughter, Halie Torrrell, was holding his hand when he took his last breath. Fernandez suffered a stroke about a month ago that caused him to slow down but Guthrie said doctors attributed his condition to age.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DECEMBER 7, 1941, PEARL HARBOR ATTACK KILLS 2,403 AMERICANS, LAUNCHES US INTO WWII

“It was his time,” Guthrie said.

Fernandez was a 17-year-old sailor on board the USS Curtiss during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack that propelled the U.S. into World War II. A mess cook, he was waiting tables and bringing sailors morning coffee and food when they heard an alarm sound. Through a porthole, Fernandez saw a plane fly by with the red ball insignia known to be painted on Japanese aircraft.

Pearl Harbor Navy veteran Bob Fernandez is photographed at home Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Lodi, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

He rushed down three decks to a magazine room where he and other sailors waited for someone to unlock a door storing shells so they could pass them to the ship’s guns. He has told interviewers over the years that some of his fellow sailors were praying and crying as they heard gunfire above.

“I felt kind of scared because I didn’t know what the hell was going on,” Fernandez told The Associated Press in an interview weeks before his death.

Fernandez’s ship, the Curtiss, lost 21 men and nearly 60 of its sailors were injured. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. Nearly half, or 1,177, were sailors and Marines on board the USS Arizona, which sank during the battle.

“We lost a lot of good people, you know. They didn’t do nothing,” Fernandez said. “But we never know what’s going to happen in a war.”

Fernandez had been planning to return to Pearl Harbor last week to attend an annual commemoration hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service but became too weak to make the trip, Guthrie said.

He was “so proud” of his six years in the Navy, all of it aboard the USS Curtiss, Guthrie said. Most of his casual clothes, like hats and shirts, were related to his service.

“It was just completely ingrained in him,” his nephew said.

Fernandez worked as a forklift driver at a cannery in San Leandro, California, after the war. His wife of 65 years, Mary Fernandez, died in 2014.

He enjoyed music and dancing, and until recently attended weekly music performances at a local park and a restaurant. He helped neighbors in his trailer park take care of their yards until he moved in with Guthrie last year.

“I’d do yard work and split firewood and he’d swing the axe a little bit,” Guthrie said. “We’d call it his physical therapy.”

Fernandez’s advice for living a long life included stopping eating once you’re full and marching up stairs. He said it was OK to take a nap, but do something like laundry or wash dishes before going to bed. He recommended being kind to everyone.

Guthrie said he thinks Fernandez would want to be remembered for bringing people joy.

“He would rake people’s yards if they couldn’t do it. He would paint a fence. He would help somebody,” Guthrie said. “He would give people money if they needed something. He was so generous and such a kind person. He made friends everywhere.”

Fernandez is survived by his oldest son, Robert J. Fernandez, a granddaughter and several great-grandchildren.

There are 16 known survivors of Pearl Harbor that are still alive, according to a list maintained by Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors. All of them are at least 100 years old.

Fernandez’s death would have brought the number to 15, but Farley recently learned of an additional survivor.

Read the full article from Here

San Francisco, CA

Marin advocate for disabled gets San Francisco post

Published

56 minutes ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Marin advocate for disabled gets San Francisco post

Eli Gelardin, the longtime head of the Marin Center for Independent Living, has accepted an offer to lead the Mayor’s Office on Disability in San Francisco.

Gelardin, a longtime Marin disability rights advocate who led the center for 17 years, is set to start the new job on Jan. 6.

“It’s been an honor to work with a community that celebrates disabled joy and values lived experience,” Gelardin said. “Our collective efforts have always been about more than services — they’re about building a world where disabled lives are truly valued.”

Susan Malardino, the organization’s deputy director, will run it during the search for Gelardin’s replacement. The San Rafael organization offers social services and other resources to people with disabilities in Marin.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu announced Gelardin’s appointment on Dec. 18.

“We must continue to advocate for and protect our most vulnerable populations, and under Eli’s leadership the office will continue to work to ensure people with disabilities of all ages can live healthy, empowered lives in San Francisco,” Breed said.

Gelardin will oversee Americans with Disabilities Act implementation in city departments and programs. The position also provides guidance to the mayor’s office, the Board of Supervisors and other city departments on issues related to disabled people.

The Office on Disability staffs the Disability Council, which provides a public forum for policy.

“I look forward to working with him on our city’s efforts to make every service, program and space accessible to people with disabilities,” Chu said.

Gelardin has achondropolasia, a form of dwarfism. He was born in Boston and moved to Ross with his family when he was 7.

Gelardin graduated from Redwood High School in 1997 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2002.

He joined the Marin Center for Independent Living in 2003 and became executive director in 2008.

In August, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Gelardin to serve on the California State Rehabilitation Council. It advises the California Department of Rehabilitation on employment and independent living programs for people with disabilities.

Gelardin’s work as head of the Marin Center for Independent Living has been lauded.

Lee Uniacke, a member of the board, said, “Eli’s made sure that our community has a seat at the table in every state and regional coalition of consequence. He’s a natural leader who people enjoy working with.”

The center was founded by a group of volunteers in 1979 and established as a nonprofit organization in 1980. It is the leading disability rights organization in Marin and has an annual budget of about $2.1 million.

Source link

Denver, CO

Broncos-Chiefs inactives for Week 18

Published

1 hour ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

The Denver Broncos are being gifted a berth into the AFC playoffs by the Kansas City Chiefs today. As you can see from the below inactives list, they will be resting all of their best players and likely will limit the snap counts of those that remain active for this game.

There is literally no excuse for Sean Payton in this game. The Broncos should win by double-digits, but I don’t care how they win as long as they win. It has been a long nine year wait for Broncos Country.

Here are your gameday inactives for the Broncos-Chiefs game in Week 18.

Broncos inactives

Player	Position
Player	Position
Zach Wilson	QB
Blake Watson	RB
Levelle Bailey	ILB
Frank Crum	OT
Matt Henningsen	DL
Eyioma Uwazurike	DL

Chiefs inactives

Player	Position
Player	Position
Patrick Mahomes	QB
Isiah Pacheco	RB
Chris Jones	DT
Travis Kelce	TE
Jawaan Taylor	OT
George Kaarlaftis	DE
Trent McDuffie	CB

Source link

Seattle, WA

Byron Murphy II Active as Seahawks Wrap Up Season at Rams

Published

1 hour ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Byron Murphy II Active as Seahawks Wrap Up Season at Rams

Despite missing practice time this week with a new back injury, after receiving a questionable designation on Friday, Seattle Seahawks rookie Byron Murphy II will be active for the team’s season finale against the Los Angeles Rams.

Selected out of Texas with the 16th overall pick in April’s NFL draft, Murphy will look to finish his first season with the Seahawks on a strong note. Going into Sunday’s finale, he has produced 34 combined tackles, half a sack, and 21 quarterback pressures, playing a key role in helping the team’s run defense improve over the course of the season and providing more of an impact than his general numbers may suggest.

After placing tackle Abraham Lucas and cornerback Josh Jobe on injured reserve on Saturday, Seattle had to deactivate several healthy players for Sunday’s final road contest due to the 46-man limit on game day. Among them, quarterback-turned-receiver John Rhys Plumlee won’t suit up for his NFL debut and receiver Cody White will also be held out as a scratch with Jake Bobo and Dareke Young being active as reserves behind starters DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

In addition, the Seahawks listed Jaren Hall as their emergency quarterback for the third straight game, and he would be eligible to play if Geno Smith and Sam Howell both suffered injuries and could not continue playing on Sunday. Tight end Tyler Mabry also won’t play after being signed back onto the 53-man roster this week.

On defense, with Murphy good to go after testing out the injury in pre-game warmups, Seattle deactivated defensive tackles Quinton Bohanna and Brandon Pili after elevating the former from the practice squad and signing the latter to the 53-man roster earlier in the week. Linebacker Patrick O’Connell also won’t suit up for the finale with special teams ace Josh Ross getting the nod instead behind starters Ernest Jones and Tyrice Knight.

Seahawks Sign CB Artie Burns, NT Brandon Pili From Practice Squad

Report: Seahawks, Ernest Jones IV Pause Contract Talks

Seahawks’ Geno Smith Previews Rams Finale

Seattle Seahawks Draft Position All But Decided Due To Winning Too Much

NFL Power Rankings: Where Are Seahawks Going Into Week 18?

Source link