She Remembers Pearl Harbor
On November 15 AraBelle Fuller (my grandma) departed San Francisco to serve as a Red Cross Nurse at Tripler General Hospital in Hawaii.
She arrived on the 11/20 and as we know, only a few days later (12/7) the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Working alongside any and all survivors she witnessed the atrocities of war first hand. She was not officially in the Army on the Day of Infamy and was not “recruited” until December 16.
To join her on her voyage a fellow nurse had given her a Dopey doll from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Dopey, a loyal and brave little soldier accompanied AraBelle to the hospital wards to bring a little cheer to the patients.
One patient in particular was so despondent he would not respond. To alleviate some of his suffering AraBelle placed Dopey at the end of his bed to keep an eye on him. A few days later when AraBelle reported for duty, the patient and Dopey were gone.
It was not long after his “kidnapping” that photos started to arrive of Dopey in exciting new locales having a grand ole’ time as a soldier.
It seems that Dopey was an honorary member of nearly every branch of the service, as displayed in the number of pins he collected along the way. At one point a sailor even made him a uniform.
On Christmas Day, more than a year later, Dopey reappeared as mysteriously as he left and was reunited with AraBelle – bringing along with him his new, Japanese wife.
#srph #veteransday
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