Everett Ray Belt, Jr.
Everett Ray Belt, Jr. was born 17-May 1917 in St. Louis Missouri. His father was Everett Ray Belt (1890-1964) and his mother was Margaret Mae “Mae” Pucket Belt (1887-1984). He had one brother Robert. He graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1935. Everett enlisted in the Marines in August 1940. His service number was 291740. He was a Private First Class in the Marine Corps and stationed on the U.S.S. Arizona.
On 6-Dec 1941, the Arizona returned to its base at Pearl Harbor. The next morning, at approximately 7:55 AM, Japan launched a surprise attack on the naval base. For nearly two hours, more than 350 Japanese aircraft—which included torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters—dropped bombs on U.S. vessels. At approximately 8:10 AM, the Arizona was struck by a 1,760-pound (800-kg) projectile. The impact caused munitions and fuels to ignite, creating a massive explosion that reportedly lifted the battleship out of the water. As it sank, the ship was struck by more bombs. In addition, some claimed that the Arizona was also hit by torpedoes, though no evidence was found to support that assertion. While 334 crew members survived, the death toll on the Arizona was 1,177 and remain entombed on the ship today.
Everett Ray Belt Jr is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location. Everett was eligible for the following medals:
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
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KIA 7-Dec 1941-Everett Ray Belt
