Pat Perry Duncan – Pearl Harbor Survivor – USS Raleigh’s Bugler December 7, 1941 is a story of a young farm boy growing up by the river in Meridian, Texas. During the depression, Perry has dreams of being in the service. He is very close to his family and promises his mother to write every day he can. San Diego boot camp and bugle training were written about almost every day. It was something that this farm boy never complained about.Perry was assigned on the USS Raleigh CL7, a light cruiser. When he arrived in Hawaii, he thought it was a beautiful place, but too far from home.He really wasn’t too crazy about Hawaii. At the time, it was undeveloped with a fraction of the activities that San Diego had, and it was so far from home. He guessed that he relayed that message back home a little too much, about all the sailors that were there.“Everywhere you looked there were sailors. The Hawaiians didn’t like us much either.” Perry didn’t harbor any bad will toward the Japanese people, for there were many on Oahu that were very friendly. Most of them had been born and raised on the islands.It was common for there to be visitors from the other ships. Perry was friends with a sailor on the Arizona, who came aboard to ask a favor. “All the boys have me spoiled I guess. They all call me their kid. If anyone makes out like he will bother me, the boys in my divisions say, “Leave my kid alone.” They all know how much I like to listen to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” that they call me the Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy.”On December 7, 1941, fate places him on the quarterdeck on the USS Raleigh and he becomes an eyewitness of the Pearl Harbor attack and was first hit by a torpedo. In 1944, Perry was transferred to the USS Stoddard DD 566. He had wanted a break from all the heavy fighting, but now on a battleship, that was like sailing into a ring of fire. Out of Pearl Harbor, the Stoddard sailed for Adak, Alaska. The mission of TF 94, the task force with the Stoddard, was to harass enemy outposts in the Kuriles, where the Japanese launched their planes to bomb Pearl Harbor. It was used to lure Japanese Akagi planes to be shot down by destroyers. The USS Stoddard with this task force was later called, "The Sacrificial Lamb."Fighting all of WWII, he escapes alive and marries Carol and builds a wonderful life. They attend many WW II Reunion functions. Later, their children, William and Jan give them opportunity to travel to Hawaii many times. There in Hawaii, 60 years later, he is surprised to find out some fascinating facts about the Japanese attack on the Raleigh. There are excerpts from the book; “The Emperor’s Sea Eagle,” a Japanese perspective on the war, translated by Naomi Shin. Perry had photos taken before the war that were sent to his mother to develop the film. Although losing all of his belonging during the attack, he was able to keep all documents and important items that are displayed throughout the book. His mother kept most of his letters and other information that he sent her, making this book a significant time capsule to share.Pat Perry Duncan, QM 1/c, his life and times filled with photos, documents and letters. A patriotic, loving and heroic man, who was loved by many, captures the interest of young and old. He was a quiet man but very witty and funny when he would get to know someone. Get to know him now, by reading this piece of history and by this captivating story. Perry has surprises all throughout his life and you will too when you read this book.