Lou Conter, the last remaining survivor of the USS Arizona battleship that was sunk during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, has died at the age of 102. Conter, a quartermaster on the Arizona, passed away at his home in Grass Valley, California, on Monday due to congestive heart failure.

The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, led to the United States' entry into World War II. The USS Arizona suffered a devastating blow, resulting in the loss of 1,177 sailors and Marines – nearly half of the total casualties of the attack.

Conter vividly recalled the events of that fateful day. Standing on the main deck of the Arizona, he witnessed Japanese planes flying overhead as they began their assault. Just minutes into the battle, a bomb penetrated the ship's steel decks and ignited more than one million pounds of gunpowder stored below. The resulting explosion lifted the battleship out of the water and engulfed the vessel in flames.

In his autobiography, "The Lou Conter Story," Conter recounted how he and other survivors worked tirelessly to tend to the injured, many of whom were blinded and badly burned. They only abandoned ship when their senior surviving officer was confident that all living crew members had been rescued.

The wreckage of the USS Arizona still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, serving as a somber reminder of the lives lost during the attack. More than 900 sailors and Marines remain entombed within the ship, with only 335 crew members surviving.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Conter joined flight school and became a pilot, flying PBY patrol bombers. He served with a "Black Cats" squadron, undertaking nocturnal dive bombing operations painted in black. Conter completed 200 combat missions in the Pacific theater.

Conter's resilience and survival instincts were put to the test again in 1943 when his plane was shot down near New Guinea. Stranded in shark-infested waters, Conter and his crew awaited rescue, maintaining a calm and determined mindset throughout. They were eventually saved when another plane dropped them a lifeboat.

Later in his career, Conter became the Navy's first SERE officer, specializing in survival, evasion, resistance, and escape tactics. For the next decade, he trained Navy pilots and crew on how to endure and survive in hostile environments, drawing from his own experiences.

Lou Conter's legacy extends beyond his service at Pearl Harbor. His training and guidance helped several Navy personnel survive as prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. His indomitable spirit and commitment to survival will continue to inspire generations to come.

As the last living survivor of the USS Arizona, Lou Conter leaves behind a remarkable legacy. His memories and experiences serve as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made on that infamous day in American history. The nation mourns the loss of an American hero.