Howard William Peckham
Howard William Peckham was born on 1-MAR 1920. He was the son of Leonard G. Peckham (1890-1961) and Magdalene B. Hermle Peckham (1890-1958). He had two sisters: Margaret and Muriel and one brother: Leonard.
The family resided on 1410 Evergreen Avenue in St. Louis and 6218 Julian Ave., Wellston, MO. Howard enlisted in the Navy on 11-SEP 1939. His service number was 3371867 and he was mustered aboard the USS Arizona.
On December 6, 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.
F2/c Howard William Peckham was killed on the USS Arizona (BB-39) on 7-DEC 1941 during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.
Howard Peckham was eligible for the following medals:
- Purple Heart
- American Campaign Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
- World War II Victory Medal
- Good Conduct Medal
Howard William Peckham’s name is listed on the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and on the Court of the missing in the National Cemetery of the Pacific.
For more of the story, click on the link below:
KIA 7-DEC 1941-Howard William Peckham
