Lou Conter, last survivor of USS Arizona, dies at 102

Louis Anthony Conter, the last remaining survivor of the bombing of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor, died peacefully Monday morning at his home in Grass Valley, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old. Conter was born Sept. 13 1921. At the age of 20, he signed up to serve his country in the United States Navy, where he became a pilot that was downed over enemy waters, twice; punched sharks in the nose to resist being eaten in enemy waters; rescued scores of Australian Coastwatchers (an equivalent of the U.S. Navy Seals); survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and the bombing of the USS Arizona; designed the Navy's SERE training (survival, escape and evasion, resistance to interrogation, and espionage); was an advisor to President John F. Kennedy; and retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander, among many other accomplishments. According to Conter though, his greatest accomplishments were his children, seven in total. Conter was surrounded by them at his home when he passed away Monday just after 6 a.m. He also was surrounded by his brothers, Jim and Jeff; and his daughter, Louann Daley. Conter lived independently in the Eskaton Village area and up until a few years ago, still had his driver's license and drove regularly. "At 102, almost 103, we were so blessed that we had him this long," Daley said Monday. Nearly 30 grandchildren and a handful of great-grandchildren will also follow in Conter's legacy. "He was funny and humble and kind and had a heart for people," close friend Mary Johansen said Monday. "We're going to miss him, but I'm glad that he's not suffering." Johansen and other friends of Conter's made regular outings to local diners such as Margarita's, which was also where many of his birthdays were celebrated. Everywhere he went, folks would go up to Conter to say hello. "He liked that, especially when young teenagers would come up to him and knew who he was," Johansen said. "We just don't want it forgotten," Johansen said in reference to the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Conter was big on telling his story over the years, even penning the book "The Lou Conter Story" in 2021 with the help of Annette C. Hull and Warren R. Hull. "Protect the future, remember the past," was one of Conter's messages. In the days following the bombing of the USS Arizona, Conter took part in recovery efforts for his fallen shipmates. In the years and decades to follow, Conter continued to return to the Arizona's wreckage as part of the annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony. He was unable to attend in 2018 and in some of the following years due to medical procedures, and though there were rumors of Conter making the 2023 ceremony, he ultimately was advised against it by his doctors. In lieu of Conter's presence, a previously recorded interview would be broadcast on television and to the hundreds in attendance at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The following are Conter's words to those at the 2021 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony: "I was grateful to have survived and to have had the opportunity to serve throughout World War II. But for thousands of people, the first day of the war was also the last that they saw of it," Conter said. "Millions of Americans were mobilized overnight, traveling thousands of miles to answer the call. Many took on roles that they had never dreamed of. Some of them who had never stepped foot off their city limits were now across seas. The war introduced a new realm of possibilities and opportunities that hadn't been available before, but also terrible dangers that tested our character at every turn. "Our generation faced those possibilities head on with valor and solace. Far from home we went above and beyond the call of duty, often making the ultimate sacrifice for our fellow Americans. Those efforts not only earned the title of the Greatest Generation, but also set a new standard of service for those who would follow. It is a great honor to recognize the men and women who were a part of this history. And especially those who didn't get to see the legacy they would leave behind. Before I finish this, I want to say, of the 2,403 servicemen that fell that day, 1,177 of my shipmates aboard the USS Arizona, God bless you. Today remains behind to those men. A lot of people call us heroes, but we're really not heroes. The ones who gave everything, their lives, are the heroes." A memorial is tentatively being planned in the coming weeks and will take place in Grass Valley, according to Conter's family.