The nation’s oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor never rose above the rank of private first class during his service in World War II, but this past week on the eve of his 105th birthday PFC Joseph Eskenazi was treated like a five-star general.
From the moment he climbed aboard Amtrak’s 10 p.m. Sunset Limited in Los Angeles to be honored at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, it’s been all salutes and cheers for the Redondo Beach great-grandfather.
Standing beside his wheelchair through it all was his family – his daughter, granddaughters and great-grandson, Mathias, who turns 5 next month. A hundred years may separate the two, but thanks to the Gary Sinese Foundation’s Soaring Valor Program, they’ve had a chance to grow closer than ever before it’s too late.
“I am just so grateful my great-grandson could be here and experience all this with me,” Joe said. “This he’ll remember his entire life. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone involved. You brought back so many old memories and created new ones for my family.”
Those new memories began on that two-day train trip because Joe was not cleared medically to fly. At every whistle stop along the way, decorations were put up in his honor, and local residents gathered on the platform to cheer the nation’s oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor, waving to them from his private room.
“When we arrived in New Orleans Sunday night there was a big American flag all lit up and a crowd of people waiting to greet dad,” said Belinda Mastrangelo, 68, Joe’s daughter who traveled with him.
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![World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years...]()
World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, holds a photo of his younger self, at an event celebrating his upcoming 105th birthday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, center, who at 104...]()
World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, center, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, sits with fellow Pearl Harbor veterans, at an event celebrating his upcoming 105th birthday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. Left to right are Wallace Johnson, Gordon Wilson, Eskenazi, Billy Hall and Tony DiLisa. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![Joe Eskenazi of Redondo Beach, 104, the oldest living Pearl...]()
Joe Eskenazi of Redondo Beach, 104, the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor, blows out candles on his birthday cake in the dining car of the Amtrak train he will take to New Orleans. Eskanazi will take the train to New Orleans where he will visit the National WWII Museum as part of actor Gary Sinise Foundation’s Soaring Valor Program. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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![Joe Eskenazi of Redondo Beach, 104, the oldest living Pearl...]()
Joe Eskenazi of Redondo Beach, 104, the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor, center, joined other WW II veterans at Union Station in Los Angeles Friday, January 6, 2023. Eskanazi was boarding an Amtrak train headed for New Orleans where he will visit the National WWII Museum as part of actor Gary Sinise Foundation’s Soaring Valor Program. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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![Joe Eskenazi of Redondo Beach, 104, the oldest living Pearl...]()
Joe Eskenazi of Redondo Beach, 104, the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor, and four other WW II veterans, arrives at his train at Union Station in Los Angeles Friday, January 6, 2023. Eskanazi was boarding an Amtrak train headed for New Orleans where he will visit the National WWII Museum as part of actor Gary Sinise Foundation’s Soaring Valor Program. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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![WW II veterans, L to R; Bill Stewart, Wallace Johnson,...]()
WW II veterans, L to R; Bill Stewart, Wallace Johnson, Joseph Eskenazi, Billy Hall, and Gordon Wilson. The group met at Union Station in Los Angeles Friday, January 6, 2023. The group are headed for New Orleans where they will visit the National WWII Museum as part of actor Gary Sinise Foundation’s Soaring Valor Program. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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![World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years...]()
World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, sits with fellow veterans and his great grandchildren Mathias, 4, and Audrey, 1, at an event celebrating his upcoming 105th birthday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years...]()
World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, sits with his great grandson Mathias, 4, at an event celebrating his upcoming 105th birthday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Billy Hall, 96, participates in an...]()
World War II veteran Billy Hall, 96, participates in an event celebrating the upcoming 105th birthday of fellow veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the National World War II Museum to in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. According to the museum, Hall enlisted in Aug of 1941 at the age of 15 and flew over 150 Dauntless dive and Avenger torpedo bomb missions as a rear tail gunner in the Pacific over Guadalcanal, Peleliu and Munda. According to the museum, he is believed to be the last living veteran who enlisted before WWII, and saw combat in WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Harry Hammer, 94, participates in an...]()
World War II veteran Harry Hammer, 94, participates in an event celebrating the upcoming 105th birthday of fellow veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the National World War II Museum to in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. According to the museum, Hammer served in the occupation of Japan and completed his “jump school” in Japan. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Gordon Wilson, 99, participates in an...]()
World War II veteran Gordon Wilson, 99, participates in an event celebrating the upcoming 105th birthday of fellow veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the National World War II Museum to in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. According to the museum, Wilson served in the Pacific aboard the USS Lexington “The Blue Ghost”. Gordon was standing right outside the bridge when it was hit by a kamikaze. He was pulled inside by another sailor just before the hit. He received a Purple Heart. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Wallace Johnson, 97, participates in an...]()
World War II veteran Wallace Johnson, 97, participates in an event celebrating the upcoming 105th birthday of fellow veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the National World War II Museum to in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. According to the museum, Johnson joined the Navy in September 1941, serving on the USS Jamestown, a motor torpedo boat tender, making landings on Guadalcanal and Bougainville. He later worked on the Apollo space program with the original 7 Astronauts. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Tony DiLisa, 98, participates in an...]()
World War II veteran Tony DiLisa, 98, participates in an event celebrating the upcoming 105th birthday of fellow veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the National World War II Museum to in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. According to the museum, DiLisa served in England and was involved in preparing for and supplying Operation Overlord and the retaking of Europe. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years...]()
World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, sits with fellow veterans, his great grandchildren Mathias, 4, Audrey, 1, and their grandmother Belinda Mastrangelo, at an event celebrating his upcoming 105th birthday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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![World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years...]()
World War II veteran Joseph Eskenazi, who at 104 years and 11 months old is the oldest living veteran to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, holds a photo of his younger self, at an event celebrating his upcoming 105th birthday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
“That train trip was the beginning of many tears and emotions we would share throughout the week,” she added, after getting her dad down for a much-needed nap.
It’s ironic that toward the end of his life he’s getting the recognition he never sought. Seldom had she heard her father talk about his years in the service, and not a word about Pearl Harbor.
Only when he turned 95 and began getting requests to take part in local Veterans and Memorial Day parades, did his war record become known. How on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when all hell was breaking loose, his captain in Company C of the 804th Engineers Battalion asked for a volunteer to clear a runway of all the debris at Pearl Harbor.
Only one hand went up — that of 23-year-old PFC Joe Eskenazi. He grabbed a bulldozer and went to work while in the air a Japanese Zero pilot did his best to stop him, strafing the runway and bulldozer until the pilot finally gave up and flew off.
They called Joe a hero after that, but he wouldn’t accept the recognition. The real heroes died at Pearl Harbor that morning, he always said. He was just doing his job.
He took that job and made it a career in civilian life. Among his biggest engineering projects was helping design the runways at LAX, not that far removed from that landing strip in Pearl Harbor he cleared in 1941.
When the Sinese foundation offered to send him and his family to the museum, all expenses paid, Joe initially was reluctant to travel that far.
“They came over to dad’s house with a pastrami sandwich and an idea to make the trip a 105th birthday present,” said Belinda. “Dad loves pastrami.”
Taking that sandwich was one of the best decisions he’s made in life. “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect something like this,” Joe said after visiting the museum’s “Arsenal of Democracy” section on Wednesday, Jan. 11, which features the Pearl Harbor exhibit.
With his great-grandson and granddaughters by his side, Joe was wheeled down a long hallway lined on both sides with museum employees clapping and thanking the veterans.
“I’ve replayed Pearl Harbor so many times in my dreams, and to be here now reliving it with my family, well, I’m just so appreciative of what this museum has done,” he said. “It’s incredible.”
It is incredible. That’s why Sinese’s foundation has sent hundreds of World War II veterans and their families to the National World War II Museum free of charge.
“Men like Joe are national treasures, and we must never forget that,” Sinese said. “We owe them everything.”
It was at the end of a long day Wednesday and Joe was beginning to fade. There was still one more event to attend at 4 p.m., a 48-minute movie. Maybe when the lights went down, he could doze off without anybody noticing.
He never dozed, never took his eyes off the screen. No one did, Belinda said. Her dad wasn’t 105 anymore sitting in that movie theater, he was 23 again. His eyes were clear and focused, the look on his face rapt in full attention of a man remembering an important moment in his past.
The movie, “Beyond All Boundaries,” was made in 2009, and it was produced and narrated by Tom Hanks exclusively for the museum. It’s a loud, powerful 4D cinematic journey through World War II that makes you feel like you’re part of the action.
It was amazing, Joe said, echoed by Belinda, a substitute teacher, tucking her weary father into bed early Thursday night after a long day of accolades.
“I just wish I could show it to every student from middle school up,” she said. “It would get their imagination going to hopefully learn more about the history of our country.”
In the meantime, her dad will do the honors. From time to time she’ll call him on her cell from some middle school history class she’s teaching that day. Invariably, a question about World War II comes up.
“Hi, dad, some of the students in my class have a few questions for you,” she’ll say, putting her cell on speaker phone so everyone can hear. “This is my dad, class, the nation’s oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor. He’s 105.”
They’ll look at her like she’s crazy or making some kind of joke. Nobody lives to be 105.
Then, PFC Joseph Eskenazi will get on the speaker phone, sounding like a five-star general giving out orders.
“So, what’s the question?” he’ll ask.
Dennis McCarthy’s column runs on Sunday. He can be reached at dmccarthynews@gmail.com.
