Vaughn P. Drake Jr., believed to be the oldest Pearl Harbor survivor, died at the age of 106. He was a 23-year-old Army engineer stationed at Kaneohe Naval Air Station during the attack on December 7, 1941. Drake recalled the incident, initially mistaking the Japanese planes for Army maneuvers. He also participated in the Battle of Saipan and later earned several commendations for his service. After the war, he returned to Kentucky and worked as an engineer. He is survived by a loving family who remembered him as a humble hero.
"We were getting ready to go to breakfast, and we heard all these planes flying over... We just figured it was the Army Air Corps carrying out maneuvers..."
"Finally we left to go to the chow line to get our breakfast, and we noticed these planes flying over the naval air station, diving and everything. We thought, 'Boy, they're really putting on a good show.'"
"To us, he was more than a hero... a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather and a humble man who lived with integrity every single day."
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