Jessie A. Mahaffey, one of the final survivors of the USS Oklahoma’s sinking during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, passed away on March 1 in Alexandria, Louisiana, at the age of 102. With his death, only two known survivors of the Oklahoma remain, according to Kathleen Farley, president of the California chapter of Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors. Farley’s records also indicate that just 14 veterans who survived the Pearl Harbor attack are still alive today.
Born on November 23, 1922, in Florien, Louisiana, Mahaffey joined the Navy in the summer of 1941 after graduating high school. Following boot camp in San Diego, he was assigned to the USS Oklahoma. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Mahaffey was preparing for an inspection when Japanese torpedo bombers launched their surprise attack.
In a December 7 interview with KTBS-TV in Shreveport, Mahaffey recalled the chaos of that day. “It was a quiet Sunday, and we had the day off except for the yearly admiral inspection,” he said. “Then we heard a siren, saw planes and smoke. It must have only gone on for 45 minutes, but it was crazy.”
The Oklahoma was struck by three torpedoes within 10 minutes, and two more hit as the ship began to capsize. Crew members were strafed by enemy fire as they abandoned ship. “It turned upside down, and we had to slide over the bottom of the ship into the water,” Mahaffey recounted. He swam to the nearby USS Maryland, which was moored beside the Oklahoma, and survived the attack.
Mahaffey’s brush with death didn’t end there. He was later assigned to the cruiser USS Northampton, which was sunk on November 30, 1942, during the Battle of Tassafaronga in the Solomon Islands. The Northampton was part of a mission to block Japanese reinforcements from reaching Guadalcanal when it was struck by two torpedoes. The crew abandoned ship and spent the night on rafts before being rescued.
His funeral was held on March 8 at Warren Meadows Funeral Home in Many, Louisiana.
RIP Legend.
