On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the sun peeped through wind clouds as the temperatures dropped in Mathews County, Virginia. At 5:00 p.m., our family huddled around the portable radio near the wood-burning heater in the dining-sitting room. It was time for “The Friends Hour” with Albert J. Fryhoff and the Newport News Friends Church choir—our favorites. Midway the quartet’s number, a heavy masculine voice burst into the program, saying: “We interrupt this program for a SPECIAL NEWSCAST—STAND BY!”

Then, a pause before he continued: “The President has announced that the Japanese Air force bombed our Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor early this morning…” Then, silence.

We were shocked, almost numbed. Who could think?

After he felt everyone had heard his bulletin, the reporter took time out to say that Pearl Harbor was on a Hawaiian Island in the Pacific Ocean. It seemed far away.

“I’d better get outside to feed the animals and milk the cows or we’ll miss church,” Daddy said, breaking the solemn stillness.

We all arose and left the battery-operated radio playing—unusual since the batteries wore out quickly enough when we only used it for special programs. Mamma, Barbara and I made our way into the kitchen. We girls began to make ready for a light supper while Mamma arranged the strainer and bowls to take care of the evening milk.

Later, when we arrived at Peniel Friends Church before time for the Christian Endeavor Youth Meeting, no one else seemed to have heard the news, regarding the bombing of Pearl Harbor. That was until Pastor Wilbur C. Diggs came. He opened the evening service with prayer for our country and our president; all needed wisdom to fight the evil forces trying to overtake our free country. Then, after preaching service, many were riled to think that we would have to fight Japan. And what about the European front and our ships in the Atlantic? The future appeared bleak until Mr. Millard Owens reminded everyone that God was in control.

Monday morning, Barbara and I met the school bus as usual. By that date, we rode a new bus with regular seats and only walked to the end of our lane where the driver had room to turn around.

At every turn in Mathews High School, someone asked if I’d heard about our losses at Pearl Harbor. When my homeroom teacher, Georgie Hudgins, entered the auditorium on the way to her classroom, she was carrying a portable radio. Before we left her room for classes, she explained if we’d be back around noon when President Roosevelt spoke to the nation, we could hear the historical event live. Miss Georgie also invited her history classes throughout the morning. Though other teachers probably had radios, I was in the crowded room, where I’d been invited at the given time. After a brief introduction, President Roosevelt began speaking.

Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was…

With confidence in our armed forces—with the unbounded determination of our people—we will gain the inevitable triumph—so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, a state of war has exited between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

One could have heard a pin drop in the room. All had listened intently as he spoke. I heard one girl sob, so I guessed she had a brother or boy friend in the area. Most of us were numbed as I had been on Sunday afternoon. Little did we know what lay ahead!

Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. It meant that we had two fields on which we must defend ourselves. Mathews’ seamen still sailed the entire earth in merchant ships—a prime target for German submarines. The eastern coastal waters of the United States, Canada and Caribbean routes were their main targets. ... Our country needed the merchant vessels as much as the Army, Navy and Marines. … Germans declared war against the United States in mid December 1941, they quickly made their presence known in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters where our ships worked. From that time until mid 1943, German submarines sank one thousand eighty-six merchant vessels. …

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Genious Hudgins, Jr.’s ship sank in May 1942, but he and two shipmates survived in a lifeboat. A British ship rescued the three and took them to a South American port. Hudgins wrote his wife, Salome, from there to let her know he had survived, but saved nothing. …

Miami Herald on May 18th: Second Mate Dean fired flares from a flare gun every two hours, assisting in the location of Third Mate Hudgins, Seaman Lupton and himself.

Once back in Mathews County, Hudgins stayed long enough to get duplicate copies of his papers. He not only received his papers, but was also promoted to Second Mate at that time. Before the end of June, he said goodbye to Salome and their two-year old daughter, Vicki, sailing again on another merchant ship.

Capt. George Dewey Hodges, son of Capt. Jesse Hodges, who at 68 was the oldest skipper out of Mathews County, had need of a second officer. He hired Genious Jr. for the position. After they were on the sea, Hudgins wrote Salome. His daughter Vicki Hudgins Pritchett has permitted use of a fragment from the letter:

“It hurts me an awful lot when I say goodbye to you and all at home and I leave, but it would hurt me an awful lot worse if we had to live under Hitlerism or the Japanese, for I feel I might get back to you on here but if they get in control, I don’t even know.”