Ernest Laverene Lund

In the late spring of 1944, the Second and Fourth Marine Divisions were finalizing their preparations for the invasion of Saipan in the Mariana Islands. Ships and equipment were gathering across the Hawaiian Islands, with many moored in Pearl Harbor’s West Loch. The majority were Landing Ships, Tank (LSTs), loaded to the gunwales with vehicles, ammunition, and fuel for the upcoming operation – as well as large contingents of Marines.

On the afternoon of 21 May, a massive explosion rocked LST-353, sending shrapnel and men flying through the air. High octane gasoline stored on her decks spilled into the water and ignited, covering the loch in flames. As the stricken ship continued to detonate, falling debris landed on nearby LSTs, starting new fires, explosions, and chaos. Blazing ships drifted out of control, colliding with each other, and spreading the conflagration. It would take hours to get the catastrophe even remotely under control, and some ships continued burning for days. In all, six LSTs were destroyed, along with smaller craft, artillery pieces and vital supplies. The cause of the disaster has never been conclusively determined – nor has the final death toll, which is variously estimated between 132 and 392, though most sources claim a total of 163.

According to an eyewitness, Private Ernest L. Lund, a recent addition to Company B, Second Armored Amphibian Battalion, was belowdecks on LST-353 when the explosion occurred.