Oklahoma residents are mourning the death of a World War II veteran, Lt. Cmdr. Ed Vezey, who survived the bombing of the USS Oklahoma and went on to become a prominent storyteller and personality in his community. 

A resident of Moore, Oklahoma, Vezey died on January 2, but the stories he shared over the years will live on with his memory. He was 95. 

He had a great love of country and was one of the driving forces to see that the USS Oklahoma Memorial on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was completed in 2007.

One of his last storytelling sessions was with Russell Dougherty Elementary School fifth-grade students on in Edmond, Oklahoma on Veterans Day in 2015. His 11-year old great-grandson, Ethan Brady, was part of the class.

At the time Vezey spoke with the students, he believed he was the last Oklahoman to survive the attack on the USS Oklahoma while it was moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He shared his story of his survival while 415 other sailors and 14 Marines died when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941.

Vezey’s memories were clear as he told the students how being in the service brought order to his life, and he liked that. He also shared his thoughts with the students about responsibilities, friendships and love.

After the torpedoes tore through one side of the USS Oklahoma, the ship rolled to her side, capsizing in 11 minutes, Vezey said. He told of how, with no power, the doors could not be opened and of the people on the lower decks, very few got out.

Vezey said he found out later many of the men below deck suffocated, lasting two or three days before dying.

“We know that because tapping sounds could still be heard on the metal walls,” Vezey said.

Vezey, a retired Navy officer, has visited the USS Oklahoma Memorial each year since Dec. 7, 2007, when the memorial was dedicated to the memory of those sailors and Marines who fought and died during the Japanese attack.

“I had made many trips to the Islands before the memorial was dedicated to remember my friends and shipmates and those who lost their lives,” Vezey said as he showed photos of the memorial to the students.

At the USS Oklahoma Memorial dedication, Vezey told Greg Burns, who painted the USS Oklahoma, “You’re part of building a set of memories that would not exist without your work. Memories are very important. As you grow older you realize how important,” Vezey said. “A wise man once said ‘you can’t possibly understand a person or a country unless you know their memories.’ And this is all a part of establishing and maintaining some memories. The reason I’m still involved is because the memories can slip away and the basis for which we live can slip away very easily.”

In the 75 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Vezey said his memories are trickling away.

“Wartime combat is not fun. To kill other people is a grim business. The reality of war is people get hurt and soldiers get hurt and die,” Vezey told the students.

Vezey is survived by his grandson, Rickey Brady, and Brady’s wife, Stephanie, of Edmond, Oklahoma, along with great-grandchildren Meg, Ethan, Skylar, Breck and Rocky.

“People ask me why I live in Oklahoma. It’s because of the people, the wonderful people of Oklahoma who are now very much a part of my memory,” said Vezey told the students. “Just remember you are part of our building more memories now that will sustain me until the Lord calls me home and I hope will be passed along to the next generation.”

Resthaven Funeral Home in Oklahoma City is handling the arrangements for the family, and a memorial service will be scheduled for a later date. For more information, visit www.resthavenokc.com.

Miller writes for The Edmond, Oklahoma Sun.