Birth Place: Winona, Winona, Minnesota - Death Place: Winona, Winona, Minnesota - Parents: Felix A & Julia - Mother's Maiden Name: Cierzan

Survivor Edward Janikowski was a Coxswain assigned to the 7th Division (boats and cranes) on 12/7/41 when our ship was destroyed by Japanese aircraft during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He enlisted at Minneapolis at age 19 on January 9, 1940. His home was and still is Winona, MN. He reported on board Arizona on 3/26/40 after completion of training at NTS, Great Lakes.

He had been on duty only a few minutes as Boatswain's mate of the Watch (portside) supervising the loading of a motor launch that would take shipmates ashore for church and liberty when the Japanese started their attack.

When general quarters sounded, it took a few minutes to handle certain duties. He was racing to go to his battle station in the foremast when a bomb struck the forecastle by turret II. The resulting concussion blew him backwards 20 feet over the ship's rail and into the water. Hampered by a shrapnel wound to his right foot, he began to swim to shore. Sailors from the launch he had been loading only moments before fished him from the oily water and flames. The Japanese machine gunned the launch but miraculously only one man was injured. Janikowski was taken with the injured to the hospital ship USS Solace where he ws treated for shock, burns to his hands, head, face and legs and the shrapnel wounds to his foot and chest. Eleven days later, his parents received a telegram signed by Admiral Chester Nimitz stating that he had been wounded in action in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country. They were asked not to divulge the name of his ship to prevent possible aid to our enemies. He recuperated on board SOLACE until he was shipped to the Naval Hospital in Vallejo, CA. He arrived there on Christmas Day 1941. After recuperating, he returned to duty at Pearl Harbor in March, 1942 and served 38 months aboard an Admiral's launch. He did not take part in another battle because of his burns. The back of his hands are still smooth from the burns.

He is fortunate that he was momentarily delayed before heading for his battle station. The force of the explosion on the forecastle caused the foremast to lean forward into the fire that burned for three days. All who reached their battle stations perished.

In January 1942 he was well enough to spend a two week leave at home in Winona. He was welcomed as a hero and inducted into the Earl H. Neville Post 1287 of the WWII VFW as the first member of WWII and the first Winonan wounded in combat in that war.

He returned to Winona in 1945 to marry Genevieve Salaski. He then had duty as captain of a tug in Bremmerton, WA, a yard oiler at Guam and in Japan served aboard a degaussing ship. He also say duty in Hong Kong and Korea before being assigned to the reserve fleet at Astoria, Oregon. He retired as Chief Boatswain's Mate after 21 years of naval service. He then spent 16 years working in the Bremmerton shipyard and retired from that employment in 1976 and again returned to Winona.

In 1985, he married Marion Legreid; they traveled to Hawaii for the 50th Pearl Harbor Anniversary. They and other survivors joined with President Bush and the First Lady in saluting the flag that still flies above the ship and the approximately 900 still entombed in her hull.

He is a member of the USS Arizona Reunion Association, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, the VFW, American Legion, Eagles Club and the Red Men. He appears on TV every December 7th to inform the public about Pearl Harbor. He also goes to schools at the 5th grade level to inform them of the attack and hands out cards with his autograph.

While he was in the hospital in Vallejo, a charred sailor recognized him and called his name. Edward did not know who he was because he was burned so badly. He said, "I'm Goshen." He was burned all over his body (e.g., GOSHEN, William E., from Kentucky).



Additional Information:
Name: Edward Joseph Janikowski
Relative Name: Mr. Felix A Janikowski
Relative Relationship: Father
State: Minnesota
Country: United States
Type of Casualty: Wounded In Action
Roll: ww2c_27

Obituary:
Edward J. Janikowski

Winona hero dies at Lakeview Court: Edward J. Janikowski passed away Aug. 19, 2004.

Edward was born in Winona to Felix and Julia (Cierzan) Janikowski, Feb. 2, 1920.

Edward was on the battleship Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941 when it was attacked by our enemy Japan. Edward was in charge of the gunnery crew when attacked. They were given orders to abandon ship when he had a shrapnel wound in his right leg. He was blown into the water, which was covered with burning fuel oil. He was later rescued unconscious. His folks received a letter from Admiral Nimitz declaring him missing in action. On Christmas Day 1941, he called home to tell his folks that he was in California. His mother commented many times that that was the best present they ever received. Edward retired a chief for the U.S. Navy after 38 years of service.

Edward is survived by his daughter, Mary (Wayne) Riley; son, David Janikowski, Port Orchard, Wash.; his wife, Marion; three stepchildren, Beverly Engel, Marita Legreid and Ralph Legreid, Jr.; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two brothers, Lawrence and John (Isabelle); and one sister, Bernadine (Valentine) Modjeski.

Edward was a member of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, Polish Hall of Fame, Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 1243, Veterans of Foreign Wars Neville-Lien Post 1287 and Pearl Harbor Survivors.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22, at Watkowski-Pronschinske Funeral Home and again on Monday at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church, where the body will lie in state from 10 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., with the Rev. Thomas J. Hargesheimer officiating.

Entombment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery with full military honors provided by the American Legion. Pallbearers will be members of the American Legion, Leon J. Wetzel Post 9, John Meyerhoff, Del Frahm, Bob Ozmun, Lee Lubinski, Jack Ehlers and Dennis Luedtke.

A Watkowski-Pronschinske Funeral Service.

September 02, 2004

Pearl Harbor survivor Edward Janikowski, 84, of Winona, Minn., and formerly of Bremerton, died Aug. 19 in Winona.

He was born in Winona to Felix and Julia (Cierzan) Janikowski.

On April 21, 1945, he married Genevieve Salaski.

Mr. Janikowski served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years. He was stationed aboard the USS Arizona when it was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

He went on to work as an electrician at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for 16 years, retiring in 1976.

Mr. Janikowski was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Genevieve; his parents; and siblings, Alice, Josephine and Phil. He is survived by his wife, Marion; a son, David Janikowski of South Colby; a daughter, Mary Riley of Port Orchard; four grandchildren, Chris, Scott and Tim Riley and Julia Janikowski; a great-grandson, Ian; two brothers, John of Rochester, Minn., and Lawrence of Lansing, Mich.; and a sister, Bernadine Modjeski of Winona.

Services and burial took place in Winona.

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