Remembering Louis "Lou" Conter #wwii #pearlharbor #history
697The National WWII Museum mourns the loss of WWII veteran Louis “Lou” Conter, who passed away April 1, 2024 at age 102. He was the last survivor of the sinking of the battleship USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Born in Wisconsin in 1921, Conter joined the US Navy in 1939 and was assigned to the Arizona in early 1940. On deck when the surprise assault began on December 7, 1941, he helped rescue fellow crewmembers and recover bodies in the days that followed. He served as a Black Cat pilot in the Pacific theater and later served during the Korean War. Conter also helped create the Navy’s first Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) program before retiring as a Lieutenant Commander in 1967.
Conter was awarded the Museum's Silver Service Medallion in 2022 for his life of service and leadership. We are also privileged to have his oral history in our collection, which can be found at the link in our bio. We are grateful for Mr. Conter's service, and our thoughts are with his family.