Guest Opinion | William Paparian: The Day of Infamy

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan”.

The quote is from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech, given to Congress on December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines.

In the speech, President Roosevelt also discussed the severe damage to American military and naval forces, the loss of American lives, and the torpedoing of American ships. He asked Congress to declare war on Japan and stated that the United States would defend itself and ensure that this type of treachery would never happen again.

On that “Day of Infamy” our city lost 5 sons at Pearl Harbor: Gilbert Livingston Kinney; Harold Thomas Robinson; John Albert Karli; Gregory Wallace; and James William Robinson.

Gilbert Livingston Kinney, one of the first sons of Pasadena to fall during World War II.  He had been a member of the Sea Scouts of Aurora, Troop 10 in Pasadena. In January 1939, on the 50th anniversary of the Rose Parade, he was one of three local scouts selected to ride on a float. Shirley Temple was the grand marshal that year. After graduating from Pasadena City College, he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1939.

On December 7, 1941, Kinney was serving as a Petty Officer on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He is memorialized at Courts of the Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Two of his brothers also served in the Navy. One brother, Sheldon Howard Kinney, became an Admiral. He served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He also served as s Commandant of the U.S. Naval Academy, from which he had graduated in 1941. The youngest brother, Donald Edward Kinney, became a Commander, a pilot, he also served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. They were the sons of Harold Kinney, a draftsperson, and Gladys Hoard Kinney, a homemaker.

One of his shipmates aboard the U.S.S. Arizona was also a son of Pasadena, Seaman Second Class Harold Thomas Robinson, Jr., the only son of Harold T. Robinson, Sr., and Hazell Nott. T. He is also memorialized at Courts of Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii. Another shipmate from the U.S.S. Arizona was Seaman Second Class James Willilam Robinson, the only son of Olin Robinson and Beemie Rita Nee. He is also memorialized at Courts of Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Two other sons of Pasadena were also at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, aboard another ship, the U.S.S. Oklahoma. Seaman First Class John Albert Karli, the only son of Albert Karli and Hildur Rudin. And Seaman First Class Wallace Gregory Mitchell, the son of George and Isabell Mitchell. Both are memorialized at Courts of Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that the remains of Seaman First Class Karli had been identified and accounted for. He has been laid to rest near his family at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena.

On December 7th, remember the 5 fallen sons of Pasadena.

Former Pasadena Mayor William Paparian served on active duty during the Vietnam Era in the Marine Corps. He continues to serve the County of Los Angeles as a Deputy District Attorney and the State of California as a Captain (CA) with the Military Department, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate.