Ken Potts, One of the Last Pearl Harbor Survivors, Dies at Age 102: 'Keep Their Memories Alive'
Lou Conter, 101, is now the only remaining survivor from the USS Arizona
One of the last remaining survivors of the USS Arizona, which sank during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 102.
Ken Potts died on Friday at his home in Utah, Randy Stratton — the son of Donald Stratton, Potts' crewmate and friend, who died in 2020 — told the Associated Press.
Stratton told the news agency that Potts celebrated his birthday on April 15, a milestone he was happy to reach.
Although Potts "had all his marbles," he had been having difficulty getting out of bed. "He knew that his body was kind of shutting down on him, and he was just hoping that he could get better but (it) turned out not," Stratton said.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, per the news agency.
Related:One of the Last Pearl Harbor Survivors, 101, Asks Next Generation to 'Keep a Record,' 'Be Positive'
Originally from Honey Bend, Illinois, Potts served in the U.S. Navy from 1939 to 1945.
Potts had been working as a crane operator, and was shuttling supplies to the USS Arizona on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, according to a profile by the Utah National Guard. When the attack occurred, he used his boat to transport sailors who had jumped into the harbor to the safety of nearby Ford Island.
"I still see and feel it...most times as a nightmare," he said at the time. "It was unbelievable how it could happen. It was turmoil. The whole place was on fire. The water was burning because the oil was on fire."
The attacks left 2,403 American personnel dead, including 68 civilians, and led to the U.S. formally entering World War II. 1,177 sailors died on the USS Arizona.
Related:'Outstanding' Navy 'Hero,' Thought to Be Oldest American Who Survived Pearl Harbor, Dies at 103
In a 2020 interview with the Americans Veteran Center, Potts said that what happened on that day left a lasting scar.
"For a long time, even after I got out of the Navy, out in the open, and heard a siren, I'd shake," he said.
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101-year-old Lou Conter, who is currently living in California, is now the only remaining survivor from the USS Arizona, Stratton told the Associated Press.
"This is history. It's going away," Stratton told the news agency. "Our job now is to keep their memories alive."
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