Howard Kenton “Ken” Potts

Ken Potts was present at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941, abruptly thrust the United States into the Second World War. Like many young servicemen stationed in Hawaii, he experienced the chaos, destruction, and sudden loss that defined that morning—an event that would shape the course of his wartime service and leave a lasting mark on his life.

The attack transformed routine military duty into immediate combat reality. For those who lived through it, Pearl Harbor was not only a historical turning point, but a deeply personal moment that marked the beginning of years of sustained wartime service.

Entry into Service

Ken Potts enlisted in the United States Navy prior to the outbreak of the Second World War for the United States and was serving as a member of the crew of the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39) at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.^[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Potts
At the time of the Japanese attack, the ship was moored along Battleship Row.

His assignment to Arizona placed him at the center of one of the most devastating losses suffered by the U.S. Navy during the attack. When the battleship was struck by a catastrophic explosion following a bomb hit near the forward magazines, Potts survived an event that claimed the lives of 1,177 of his shipmates.

Ken Potts’ wartime service thus began under extraordinary circumstances, with his survival at Pearl Harbor marking the opening chapter of a naval career shaped by one of the defining moments of twentieth-century military history.

Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941

The previous day, 6 December, Potts had been ashore in Honolulu. In later accounts, he described making his way back toward the harbor as the attack unfolded—travelling part of the way by road before reaching Battleship Row by small boat.^[2]Naval History and Heritage Command, In Memoriam: Boatswain’s Mate First Class Howard K. Potts, published 11 July 2023.

Potts remembered the overwhelming sensory impact of the attack: sirens, aircraft, explosions, and the scale of destruction unfolding across the harbor. “All you could see was fire… It looked like the whole world was on fire,” he later recalled. He told interviewers that when he reached Arizona, the ship had already been strafed but had not yet been destroyed.^[4]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Pearl Harbor survivor, 100, recalls tragic day 80 years later,” VA News, 7 December 2021.

As the attack continued, Arizona was struck by multiple bombs. At approximately 8:06 a.m., one penetrated near the forward ammunition magazines, triggering a catastrophic internal explosion that destroyed the forward section of the ship and caused rapid loss of life.
Of the 1,512 officers and men aboard that morning, 1,177 were killed, making Arizona the site of the greatest single-ship loss of life in U.S. naval history.^[5]National Park Service, USS Arizona – Pearl Harbor National Memorial, casualty figures and attack chronology.

Potts recalled escaping from the area by boat as the situation deteriorated and making his way toward Ford Island, assisting in the effort to rescue sailors from the water where possible. He remembered many of the men as badly injured and covered in oil, and described the scene as chaotic and overwhelming.
After reaching the island and checking in at the receiving station, he learned that news of the attack had spread so quickly that his family had already been informed he was missing or presumed dead.^[6]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Pearl Harbor survivor, 100, recalls tragic day 80 years later,” VA News, 7 December 2021.

Potts also recalled returning to Arizona later that same day to assist in searching for survivors and spending the night aboard what remained of the ship. “We were looking for guns and ammo. No one slept that night,” he later said.^[7]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Pearl Harbor survivor, 100, recalls tragic day 80 years later,” VA News, 7 December 2021.

The loss of USS Arizona has remained one of the defining tragedies of Pearl Harbor. The wreck, still resting on the harbor floor, continues to serve as both a war grave and a national memorial to those who died there.

Aftermath and Further Service

Ken Potts survived the destruction of USS Arizona and continued to serve in the United States Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the immediate aftermath, he was assigned to duty at the Pearl Harbor Shipyard, where he assisted with salvage and recovery operations in the damaged harbor.^[8]Naval History and Heritage Command, In Memoriam: Boatswain’s Mate First Class Howard K. Potts, published 11 July 2023.

Following this assignment, NHHC records indicate that Potts undertook temporary duty aboard an oiler, supporting refueling operations for ships operating outside Pearl Harbor.
He was subsequently assigned to the Harbor Defense Office in Honolulu, where he performed port security duties for the remainder of the war.^[9]Naval History and Heritage Command, In Memoriam: Boatswain’s Mate First Class Howard K. Potts, published 11 July 2023.

Potts remained in service throughout the duration of the Second World War. He returned to the continental United States in September 1945 and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1946, having attained the rate of Boatswain’s Mate First Class.^[10]Naval History and Heritage Command, In Memoriam: Boatswain’s Mate First Class Howard K. Potts, published 11 July 2023.

In reflecting on his wartime experience, Potts later described his survival of 7 December 1941 as both the best and worst day of his naval career. He noted that while many of the surviving crew of Arizona chose to leave the Navy after the attack, he elected to continue serving for the duration of the war.^[11]Naval History and Heritage Command, In Memoriam: Boatswain’s Mate First Class Howard K. Potts, published 11 July 2023.

Post-War Life and Legacy

Following the conclusion of his naval service, Ken Potts returned to civilian life while remaining closely associated with the history of USS Arizona and the events of 7 December 1941. In later years, he came to be recognised as one of the last surviving crewmen of the battleship, a status that placed him among the final living witnesses to one of the most defining moments in American military history.^[12]Naval History and Heritage Command, In Memoriam: Boatswain’s Mate First Class Howard K. Potts, published 11 July 2023.

Potts spoke openly about the long shadow cast by the attack, noting that 1,177 members of Arizona’s crew were killed, many of whom remained entombed within the wreck. His recollections helped preserve the human dimension of Pearl Harbor, providing a direct link between the historical record and the lived experience of those who were present in 1941.

By the time of his death on 21 April 2023, Potts was identified as the oldest living survivor of USS Arizona. In recognition of his life and service, flags were flown at half-mast over the USS Arizona Memorial, a rare honor reflecting both his personal history and the national significance of the ship he served aboard.^[13]Naval History and Heritage Command, In Memoriam: Boatswain’s Mate First Class Howard K. Potts, published 11 July 2023.

Obtaining the signature

Ken Potts signed The Logbook Project on 21 July, 2017 during the same occasion on which Donald Stratton was presented with the logbook in Washington, D.C. Potts, himself a survivor of USS Arizona, was present with the group and graciously agreed to add his signature.

That moment brought together two surviving members of the same battleship, both witnesses to the attack on Pearl Harbor and both part of a rapidly diminishing group whose lived experience connects directly to one of the most pivotal days in modern history. The opportunity to record Potts’ signature alongside Stratton’s was not planned, but it represented a rare convergence of living history—one that directly reflected the purpose of The Logbook Project itself.

Ken Potts’ legacy rests not only in his wartime service, but in the role he played as a witness to history. As the number of Pearl Harbor survivors diminished, his presence—and his signature within the logbook—served as a reminder that the attack was not an abstract historical event, but a lived experience carried forward by those who endured it.