(Trail of Honor VIP: 2022)
Chief Warrant Officer Frank Emond – In December 1941, Frank was a French Horn player in the band of the battleship USS Pennsylvania, the flagship of the Pacific Fleet. The ship was in the dry-dock in Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7th. The band was assembled on the fantail ready to play Morning Colors when the Japanese attack began. Frank saw the first bomb dropped and saw it explode at a hangar on Ford Island. Several bombs caused serious damage to the USS Pennsylvania with 67 wounded and 15 killed. Frank served as a stretcher bearer carrying casualties to safety and allowing the crew to fight fires. That night he was issued an M-1 rifle and he stood guard duty on the dock. He stayed in the Navy and became a band leader retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer – 4.