Russel Reetz, a sailor aboard the USS Ward which was credited with firing the first American shots of World War II at Pearl Harbor, has died. The Maplewood resident was 88.

He died of complications related to lymphoma and heart and lung problems.

Reetz was 25 years old when his fellow crew members, including 82 reservists from St. Paul, fired two shots at a Japanese two-man submarine trying to sneak into Pearl Harbor a little more than an hour before the attack on Dec. 7, 1941.

One shot sunk the submarine, but it wasn't until two years ago that the wreckage was found by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory.

Reetz was elated by the discovery, said his daughter, Cindy Tritz. He asked her to write a letter to a skeptical admiral he met, because the admiral told him he didn't think it was possible that the Ward's shells could sink a submarine, she said.

``The letter said, 'Have you heard that they found it?''' Tritz said. ``He got a very nice response from the admiral that said, 'I'm glad to believe the impossible can happen.'''

In his later years, his involvement with the Ward become more important to him, said his widow, Loretta Reetz. ``That was what kept him going,'' she said.

He became the secretary-treasurer of the First Shot Naval Vets, a club formed in 1947 by the men of the Ward. The group also helped get the gun from the Ward brought to St. Paul in 1958, where it now sits on the Capitol grounds.

Born and raised in West St. Paul, Reetz joined the Naval Reserves in 1940. After the end of the war, he became a pipe fitter, taught courses at a technical school and worked at a wastewater treatment plant. He retired about 20 years ago.

Reetz is scheduled to be buried Tuesday at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Check out this site the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association. One of the veterans I just met yesterday told me I could go to this site and submit an application to get a certificate for my father. Anyone who participated in the Ardennes/Alsace Campaign can apply for this beautiful certificate. If you are interested go to the site and click on the Bulge Certificate link. Just print it, fill it out and mail it in. Pass it on!

Okay gang, I'm counting on all the WWII aircraft enthusiasts to jump on the bandwagon and visit the Yankee Air Museum. They are looking for monetary contributions and they also have a Needs List for the museum.

As most of you know, they suffered a devastating fire last month and they are trying to recuperate. Of course many things can never be replaced and now are only a memory.

So please stop by the site and at least take a look. Any contribution would be greatly appreciated. Pass along the info.

Thanks a million!

According to VA data:

In 2003, there were 4,370,000 living WWII veterans.

In 2003, the median age of WWII veterans was 80.1 years; there were

1,946,000 under age 80; 1,689,000 age 80 to 84; 607,000 age 85 to 89;

113,000 age 90 to 94; and 15,000 age 95 and over.

Talk to a vet today. Don't hesitate because time waits for no one.

This is second T.G.I.F. Remember Roy always sang songs with “The sons of the pioneersâ€

Just humm along, next Fridaty we will go on B-24 Mission

Off we go into the wild blue yonder----Here is second F-2

WW2 Marriages: A short “I do†and off to war

WW 2 marriages did not have tuxedos and long gowns but did have everlasting love. As a cadet we finished our tour at Gettysburg College and was given one week furlough Friday May 12,1944. From "Old Dorm" I called my fiancee and asked if she would marry me. She said yes, I jumped on a bus to Harrisburg, bought a new cadet hat, jumped on train for Detroit. On the train the porter looked at me, with wings on my shoulder, wings on my new cap, and humming our song "You'll never know how much I miss you". The porter said "Sir we have a better seat in the car ahead of us." I arrived home Saturday morning and found out we needed some papers filled out but offices were closed. Luck was with me, my future father-in-law had friends downtown, so everything was copasetic. We were married Monday May 15,1944 at 7 PM. We went downtown to the Hotel Fort Shelby. Shortly after arriving there my wife's sister and our best man came with White Castle Hamburgers. We spent the rest of the week on cloud nine floating around visiting friends. Sunday May 20, 1944 I left my love (boy, is this hard to write) and did not see her for two years while I went to Philippine Islands and Taegu, Korea. My wife is with our Lord now, looking down here and I can still hear her saying "Roy you are going to make yourself sick". Name Roy is another story, my middle name is LeRoy.

May 20 I was back to Gettysburg College and we were shipped out to Maxwell Field, Alabama for Pre-flight. After pre-flight we went to Avon Park, Florida where we started flying the open cockpit Bi-wing PT-17 Stearman. Then to Lakeland Florida with same type of plane. Then to Cochran Field at Macon, Georgia flying the AT-6 Texan. January 1945 I was given check flight by a Captain and one by a Major. (I had my pilot’s license before joining the Air Corps.) The Major said I did OK but they had too many pilots and I was put in the Army Infantry. I went to Gainesville,Texas for infantry training. Finished training and went to New Jersey and then by train to Pittsburg, California and shipped out June 1, 1945 for the Philippine Islands.