Days away from his 105th birthday, Redondo Beach resident Joseph Eskenazi is ready for a quiet life, but attention is hard to elude when you happen to be America’s oldest living Pearl Harbor Survivor.
It certainly followed him to Los Angeles’ Union Station on Friday evening, Jan. 6, where a crowd gathered to cheer him on his Amtrak voyage to New Orleans, where he is set to visit the National WWII Museum, courtesy of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s Soaring Valor Program.
“There were so many kids that were fine young people that were in their twenties and I hate to think that they were all killed without any warning,” Eskenazi said, reflecting on Pearl Harbor at his send off. “The thing that bothered me most is to see those wonderful people go into another world without getting a chance to enjoy this one.”
Eskenazi was a private first-class in the C-Company, 804th Engineers and survived being strafed by a Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane on the day of the attack. More than 2,400 Americans, including civilians, were not so lucky and perished.
“Every morning when I wake up I think of those fine young people who were killed in vain,” he added.
As the living memory of WWII stretches further and further from the nation’s collective conscience – it’s estimated there are less than 500,000 WWII veterans alive today – efforts like the Soaring Valor Program seek to recognize veterans for their bravery and remind others of their immense sacrifice. Since its launch in 2013, the program has brought over 1,500 WWII veterans to the National WWII Museum, said Tom Gibbs, education manager at the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Eskenazi, who is traveling by train as opposed to plane because of health concerns, was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on Sunday evening. He was joined at his sendoff by four other local WWII veterans. They, alongside four additional Southern California-based based WWII veterans, will fly to join Eskenazi at the museum in New Orleans.
While in the Big Easy, a historian sponsored by the Gary Sinise Foundation will record oral histories of all nine veterans’ war experiences so they can be preserved for future generations.
Although Pearl Harbor took place more than 80 years ago, Eskenazi still remembers it like it was yesterday.
He was just 23 years old, sleeping at Schofield Barracks, when at 7:55 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, the sound of Japanese bombers shook him from his slumber.
He and his fellow soldiers rushed out of their bunks to witness the horrifying sight of Zeros zooming overhead. Immediately, they knew they were under attack.
Eskenazi felt the vibrations from the Japanese torpedo bombs detonating on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, located 17 miles from his inland barracks.
When his captain asked for volunteers to help clear the airfield adjacent to Pearl Harbor only one hand shot up – Eskenazi’s.
While following his captain’s orders to retrieve a bulldozer, he noticed a black dot on the horizon. Suddenly, that black dot came closer and bullets started raining down on him.
“When people call my grandpa a hero, he kind of corrects them: ‘actually, I’m not a hero. I’m a survivor,’ but really, he is” said granddaughter Marcella Mastrangelo. “He knew the mission was dangerous and my grandpa’s hand was the first that went up, so to me, that’s a hero.”
Fortunately, Eskenazi survived being strafed by a Zero that day. Now, over eight decades since his brush with death, Eskenazi is preparing to celebrate his 105th birthday on Jan. 30.
As he boarded the train to New Orlean’s he was surprised by an early birthday cake.
There are many family theories floating around regarding his secret to longevity.
His granddaughters, Marcella Mastrangelo and Raquel Mastrangelo Nassif, said it’s because of his active and healthy lifestyle, regimented schedule and his desire to constantly stay on top of the news and learn new skills — like operating an iPhone.
“He is a really carefree, young heart, a spirited guy, he loved to sail, he loved to travel. He hated when his license got taken away at 98. He still wants to drive,” said Marcella.
“He’s like ‘hey, it’s only because of my vision, it’s not because I can’t drive’,” added Raquel, proudly chuckling at his persistent independence.
His daughter, Belinda Mastrangelo, says his long life is because, in part, of his Mediterranean diet, which he inherited from his Spanish and Greek family who migrated from Turkey to the US in 1911.
Eskenazi was born in New York in 1918 and also lived for several years in Mexico City. This is where he met his wife Victoria Faradji after the war. The two married in 1947 and settled in Redondo Beach where they raised Belinda.
Belinda also credits Eskenazi’s close relationship with Victoria for his longevity as the pair were happily married and best friends for 74 years. Many of his recent years have been dedicated to caring for Victoria, who passed in June, 2021.
“He never wanted to leave her side. He would always hold hands with her. He was very affectionate with her and he told her, no matter how bad she looked, ‘oh, my beautiful wife’,” Belinda said. “He was always so sweet with her.”
Following Victoria’s passing, Eskenazi has found a new community and renewed purpose in telling his story as America’s oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor. For much of his life it was a subject he didn’t often discuss, Belinda said.
“Now, this is bringing him joy and it’s connecting him with the world,” said Raquel. “I think through this whole ‘hero’s recognition’ he’s gotten new people to talk to and friends in his old age.”
Eskenazi has also served as an inspiration for his grandson Mike Mastrangelo, who is continuing Eskenazi’s military legacy by serving as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. Soon that legacy will be recorded for perpetuity at the National WWII Museum.
Source: Orange County Register
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