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Courtesy of Johnson family 

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Honoring History’s Heroes

Eleven-year-old Harrison Johnson raised more than $100,000 for a war memorial in Hawaii. 

January 6, 2025
By Talia Cowen

As You Read, Think About: Why is it important to learn about what happened at Pearl Harbor?

December 7, 1941, started out like any other day in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. But around 8 a.m., a swarm of Japanese aircraft appeared over the U.S. military base. Suddenly, the planes dropped bombs and torpedoes on the sailors below. 

The base was thrown into chaos. Sailors scrambled to safety as battleships went up in flames. Thick smoke filled the air. More than 2,400 Americans were killed in the surprise attack. The next day, the U.S. declared war on Japan and entered World War II (1939-1945). 

Today more than a million people visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial every year. They honor those who died and learn about the attack. 

Harrison Johnson from North Raleigh, North Carolina, made the trip in April 2022. It inspired him to raise money to help tell the stories of more of the heroes of Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor: The Day That Changed the Nation
Watch a video about the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Growing Curious

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Earlier that year, Harrison’s third-grade teacher had assigned a research project about U.S. landmarks. Harrison chose the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. At the time, he didn’t know much about it. But as he read books and watched movies, his curiosity grew. 

Harrison convinced his parents to take him to visit the memorial. There he explored one of the ships using virtual reality (VR). Wearing a special headset, he got to see what happened on the USS Arizona on the morning of the attack.

“Everything I had read, researched, and watched was right there in front of me,” Harrison, now 11, recalls. “I could imagine it all happening around me.”

Harrison returned home and handed in his project. But he couldn’t stop talking about what he had learned. Harrison found out that most people knew Pearl Harbor was attacked. But many didn’t know the details of what happened that day.  

That inspired him to start “Harrison’s Heroes.” His goal was to collect $100,000 to create educational materials for the memorial. One of his dream projects was a new VR experience to introduce kids to some of the heroes they might not learn about in school (see “Meet One of Harrison’s Heroes”). 

Jayme Pastoric/US Navy

The USS Arizona Memorial stands above the sunken battleship in Pearl Harbor.

Harrison’s Plan

Courtesy of Johnson family 

Harrison Johnson

Harrison reached out to Pacific Historic Parks. That’s the organization that supports the memorial. The group agreed to help Harrison reach his goal. 

Then Harrison got to work. After school and on weekends, he went door-to-door, asking people to donate to his cause. He gave speeches at local events and convinced businesses in his area to donate.  

All of his hard work paid off. Harrison reached his goal last May. He had collected more than $105,000!

Harrison is now working with the Pacific Historic Parks team to design the new VR experience.

“To get every story I wanted into the virtual reality experience takes a lot of time and work,” he says. “But I am up to the challenge.”

For Harrison, the project is about giving thanks to those who lost their lives in the attack. 

“There were 2,403 men and women who died on that historic day,” he says. “We should always remember those who sacrificed.” 

Meet One of Harrison’s Heroes

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Doris Miller (right) served food and cleaned tables on the USS West Virginia. On December 7, 1941, he was below deck when the battleship was rocked by an explosion. He raced to the main deck and helped carry the ship’s injured captain to safety. Miller hadn’t been trained to use the ship’s heavy machine guns, but he took control of one. He began firing at Japanese planes. Miller later helped sailors escape the sinking ship.

A few months later, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross, one of the Navy’s highest honors. He was the first Black sailor to receive the medal. Sadly, he died in 1943 during a battle in the Pacific Ocean.

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images 

The USS Arizona begins to sink on December 7, 1941. 

  1. What is the meaning of the word chaos? How does the author support the idea that Pearl Harbor was thrown into chaos on December 7, 1941?
  2. What was the goal of the “Harrison’s Heroes” fundraiser?
  3. What does the author mean when she writes that Harrison’s hard work “paid off”?
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