O. Harold Mainer, 98, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, died August 16, 2020. He was a faithful member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Caulksville, Arkansas (Arkansas Presbytery). He served in the United States Navy in World War Two and is believed to have been the last living Pearl Harbor survivor in Arkansas. At the beginning of 2020, there were estimated to be only 20 living Pearl Harbor survivors. Harold was born August 22, 1921, in Paris, Arkansas, to coal miner Clarence Mainer and Ruby Core Mainer.

Harold enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression and then at nineteen, in the navy. After training, he was assigned to the cruiser USS Helena CL-50, stationed at Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, he witnessed the Japanese attack first-hand. He recalls, “I was standing at the fantail of the Helena on the morning of the attack, about to go ashore to celebrate a shipmate’s birthday when the Japanese bombs hit. I sprang into action and did the best I could to stay alive. You didn’t have time to be scared.” The Helena took a torpedo hit, but luckily was in shallow water and didn’t sink deep. Harold witnessed the capsizing of the USS Oklahoma, and the sinking of the USS Arizona across the harbor. The Helena was taken to the ship yard for repairs and within two months was back in action, participating in several battles in the Pacific Theatre before being sunk by three Japanese torpedoes on July 6, 1943, in Kula Gulf. Harold was then assigned to the ocean tug USS Munsee ATF 107 until the end of the war. The Munsee patrolled Tokyo Bay on the day of the Japanese surrender.

Harold received an honorable discharge from the Navy on January 17, 1947. After the war, he worked as a mail carrier for the US Postal Service, retiring in 1983 after 32 years of service. He was proud to have been a Mason for over 60 years.

Read more: https://www.arkansasonline.com/obituaries/2020/aug/19/o-mainer-2020-08-19/