When Bob Fernandez joined the Navy in August 1941, his innocence was forgivable.
He was only 17 years old, grew up in San Jose and left school after the eighth grade. He quickly followed his older brother to the local boxing circuit with his hands and feet and was ready for new opportunities.
Four months later, on December 7, Fernandez became an adult.
He once said of his employment: “I just thought I would go dancing all the time, have a good time and see the world.” What did I do? I got caught up in the war.”
Fernandez, one of the country's last survivors of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, died Wednesday in Lodi, California. He was 100 years old. His death brings the number of Pearl Harbor survivors to just over a dozen.
Fernandez had planned to attend the 83rd Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Saturday, the same day he was featured in the Times. He would have been at the annual memorial service in Hawaii along with two other Pearl Harbor survivors, ages 102 and 104.
Until recently, Fernandez was in good health. He was an avid dancer and a regular at a restaurant and dance hall in Stockton. But late last month he was hospitalized with an infection and his family decided against traveling to Hawaii.
Fernandez was stationed aboard the USS Curtiss and was working in the mess hall when he heard the first explosion. He had been looking forward to going ashore that evening, but soon ran to his battle station and passed ammunition from the magazine room to the anti-aircraft guns on deck.
When the attack was over, 21 men aboard the Curtiss had been killed and nearly 60 injured. Just over 2,400 military personnel were killed that day.
Fernandez remained on the ship for another four years, serving during the Midway, Guadalcanal, and Solomon Islands campaigns. He retired from the Navy in 1947 and returned to the Bay Area, where he worked as a forklift operator, married and had two sons. He and his wife eventually moved to Stockton.
After his wife Mary died in 2014, Fernandez continued to live alone. Earlier this year, he moved in with his nephew Joe Guthrie and his wife Kimberly Guthrie, who became his primary caregivers.
Although many called him a hero for his efforts during the attack, Fernandez downplayed his role.
“I’m not the only one who was there,” he said. “There were thousands of people over there who fought a lot. I happened to be there at the time. I'm not a hero. I just got out alive.”