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WWII veteran who notified world of Pearl Harbor attack dies

Ed Chlapowski survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and spent the rest of his long life making sure those who died on that infamous day would never be forgotten.

On Sunday, a little more than 69 years after notifying the world that "This is no drill - Pearl Harbor is being bombed by the Japanese - this is no drill," the 88-year-old Navy veteran died at his home in Billings.

He was one of Montana's last survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack that propelled the United States into World War II.

A member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Chlapowski was frequently asked to speak about his experiences and was often interviewed by reporters pulling together stories commemorating one of the most significant events in U.S. history.

In a 2007 interview, he told a reporter that it was his job to report the deaths of Pearl Harbor survivors to the association and see that plaques are presented to their families. Someone else will have to perform that duty for him now....
Read entire article at The Missoulian (Montana)