One of the final remaining survivors of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor has died at 102 years old in Oregon, his family said.
Richard “Dick” Clyde Higgins was born in Mangum, Oklahoma, on July 24, 1921, according to the Orange County Register.
Higgins, who later became a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, was serving as a radioman with a patrol squadron of seaplanes on the Oahu, Hawaii, base when the Japanese military attacked, the Associated Press reported.
“It took me about a tenth of a second to figure out what it was,” the veteran told KTVZ in 2016 of the moment he realized bombs were dropping.
Higgins served as a crew member for the remainder of World War II and was discharged with “numerous decorations and awards,” the outlet reported.
He passed away of natural causes on Tuesday after entering hospice care at his home in Bend, Oregon, a few days prior.
In December, he appeared as an honored guest at a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, with local officials and Bend Senior High School students and staff recognizing him and other veterans for their military service.
The city council of Bend also declared a “Dick Higgins Day” in his honor.
“I never expected something like this,” the veteran said at the time. “I’m very honored to be here. I just represent all those that couldn’t be here.”
His granddaughter, Angela Norton, announced his death in a heartfelt Instagram post:
Gramps went home to be with Jesus this morning. He was a humble, generous, funny and loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. This community has celebrated and honored him and we are forever grateful for the impact he has made on all of us. At 102 years old, we have lost a precious part of history but because of his belief in Jesus we know that this is not the end. We can’t wait to see you again. Always and forever, we love you Gramps.
“I just never left his side,” Norton, who lived with her grandfather, told the Register. “I wanted to be with him on his final breath. At 1:42 a.m., he went home to be with his savior and his wife, Winnie Ruth.”
According to Norton, Higgins had been living with her and her family since 2013 and had Alzheimer’s disease.
“We thought it was going to be a short time, but he kept living,” the devoted granddaughter said. “For a good part of it, he was independent. It was so incredibly worth it to have this treasure and have him there for the kids. We are grateful for the full and celebrated life he had.”
Higgins was the last living member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association’s Orange County Chapter 14, the publication noted.
After retiring from the Navy in 1959 after 20 years, he became an aeronautics engineer with the Northrop Corporation — which later became Northrop Grumman — and other private defense contractors.
He lost his wife of 60 years, Winnie Ruth McDonald Higgins, in 2004 when she was 82 years old.
Only 22 survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack remain, AP reported.
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