Michael Mickey Ganitch was born in November 1919 in Mogadore, Ohio. He grew up on a farm with all the associated hard work involved seven days a week. He was fortunate to be there during the Depression. Food and money to buy it was scarce for many people. His family helped those less fortunate than they. That became a mantra for Ganitch. He graduated from high school and went to work for the WPA, the Works Progress Administration. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated that to create jobs for the unemployed. Ganitch saw no future continuing to work with the WPA so he went to Oakland, California to live with his sister and seek work. He obtained a job with a rubber company. The workers went on strike every Christmas time for about a month. Ganitch did not approve of that. He decided to join the Navy and enlisted in January 1941.

Michael Mickey Ganitch enlisted in the Navy, scored well on tests, and was sent to San Diego for boot camp. He requested assignment to a large ship so that he could participate in sports. He joined the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) in August 1941. She had a good football team and he became a player. The team was scheduled to play the USS Arizona (BB-39) on 7 December 1941. The Pennsylvania had returned from maneuvers with propeller problems and was in the dry-dock. It was the flagship of the fleet and a prime target for the Japanese, but it was not at its usual pier. The Japanese dropped a bomb on it during the second attack and missed Ganitch by about 45 feet. He was up high in the crow's nest, his usual battle station. He had a vantage point as look-out up high to the nightmare surrounding him. He trained the ship's guns on incoming enemy aircraft and was glad to see one go down. The ship lost 24 men during the raid. The dry-dock served to protect the Pennsylvania making her fortunate that day. After the attack, the Pennsylvania was patched up and returned to the United States for rearming. She participated in the return to the Aleutians, as well as, the amphibious invasions of Makin, Eniwetok, Palau, Saipan, Guam, the Philippines and Okinawa. She was used as a shore bombardment platform because of her age and lack of speed to escort aircraft carriers. While in Leyte Gulf, an adjacent destroyer was hit by a kamikaze while Ganitch was steering the Pennsylvania. As the destroyer sank, its torpedoes energized. Ganitch had to carefully steer through the incoming fish [Annotator's Note: the term "fish" is naval slang for a torpedo]. One torpedo on track to hit the battlewagon passed underneath her while she was making a radical turn. That was the only close call for the ship until 12 August 1945 at Okinawa where fighting was still ongoing. The Pennsylvania had just been refitted with new guns. The main guns had been recovered from the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) after it was sunk at Pearl Harbor. The Oklahoma had been righted but sank while in transit back to the United States for repair. Her guns had been removed at Pearl Harbor and were retrofitted stateside on the Pennsylvania. At Okinawa, the admiral returned to the Pennsylvania as his flagship. At night on 12 August 1945, a Japanese plane launched its torpedo at the battleship. It hit the starboard propeller. Ganitch's quartermasters were bunked in the proximity of the explosion. He lost 20 of his 24 men. The Japanese surrendered the next day. The Pennsylvania appeared at risk of sinking so she was floated to Guam and dry-docked for repairs. The peace treaty was signed in Tokyo Bay on the USS Missouri (BB-61) since Harry Truman was president. Otherwise, the flagship Pennsylvania might have been the platform for the surrender. The wounded battleship returned to the United States under limited power. She eventually became part of the atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll in 1946. Ganitch was a participant in the testing of the results of the bomb on Pennsylvania. Despite being ten miles away and shielding his eyes, he still saw the flash of the blast above surface. Next, he recorded results from the underwater atomic blast that was unleashed. He had to destroy his clothes and bathe after leaving the blast site. Considering his many descendants, apparently there was no long-term effect from the bombs on Ganitch. That along with other instances of his survival indicates to Ganitch that God had other plans for him.

Michael Mickey Ganitch enjoyed the sights and sports in Pearl Harbor. He was a bit of a loner because he did not drink or smoke. Fellow crewmen came to him for money, and he got in the habit of helping others. The sailors suspected that some combat would be coming their way but they downplayed the prospect because of their confidence in the Navy and their individual capabilities. With all the war talk prior to his service, he joined the Navy to avoid having to get in a foxhole. He liked the idea of a hot meal and a dry place to sleep. He spent 23 years in the Navy. He would do it again as a career. Civilian jobs he held prior to enlistment seemed less permanent than the military. The Navy provided him with the opportunity to see the world through a porthole. The morning of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was on blocks in the dry-dock. When the bombs hit, the ship shuttered. Ganitch was below deck preparing to play in a football game. General Quarters were announced. It was no drill. Ganitch went in his football uniform to his battle station. He reacted without thinking as his training took over. People traversed the practiced routes to their stations to avoid collisions with others. He reached his crow's nest station and was armed only with binoculars and a helmet. He directed the ship's fire that brought down an enemy airplane. [Annotator's Note: Ganitch smiles.] Looking around was like a bad dream. The USS Nevada (BB-36)'s move to exit the harbor was foolish. If it had sunk en route, it would have blocked access to or from the harbor facilities. The third wave of Japanese bombers was canceled so the harbor's oil reserves were not hit. The destruction of those fuel supplies would have forced the fleet to refuel in California. It was fortunate that the aircraft carriers were off on assignments because the war in the Pacific quickly centered on carriers and not battleships. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted the enemy to make the first move because it would serve to motivate the citizens. The public did not mind the rationing, victory gardens, or war production efforts. That united the country unlike during the times of Vietnam, Korea or even now. Ganitch was happy to serve. Those who do not like the country can contend with Ganitch. Any battle station on the Pennsylvania could communicate with any other during the Pearl Harbor attack. They used sound powered telephones for quick updates. Though it was like a party line [Annotator's Note: a shared line for all communicators], urgent messages could get through quickly. The sailors did not stop to think before reacting to what was going on. Later, they thought more about just what might have happened. Fire was coming from everywhere. Ships were aiming at the planes but inadvertently firing toward their own fleet.

Michael Mickey Ganitch was aboard the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) in the Pearl Harbor dry-dock on the morning of 7 December 1941. There were two destroyers forward of it at the pier. The smaller ships were hit and capsized. Bombs were hitting all around them but torpedoes could not reach the battleship in the dry-dock. The flagship was a prime target but it was not at its normal pier. [Annotator's Note: The audio in the interview is lost for a period of time.] Ganitch was responsible for plotting course for the battleship. The second wave of the enemy planes was chaotic in the harbor. The Oklahoma [Annotator's Note: USS Oklahoma (BB-37)] had overturned and the Nevada [Annotator's Note: USS Nevada (BB-36)] was moving to exit the harbor. The ships sinking in the harbor was better than being hit out of the harbor. As it was, they mainly sunk down in the mud and were able to be repaired. Otherwise, if the ships had been at sea and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, they would not have been repaired. Only the USS Arizona (BB-39) and the Oklahoma were unable to continue the war following repairs. Following the air raid, there was a significant concern about the Japanese launching an invasion of the island. Sailors were issued weapons and gear to standby to repel an anticipated invasion. A trigger happy officer on the dry-dock pier accidentally fired his weapon and provoked consternation on the Pennsylvania. Following temporary repairs, the Pennsylvania returned to San Francisco for more extensive repair and refit in preparation for participation in future invasions.

Michael Mickey Ganitch served on the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) during the Aleutian Islands Campaign. It was cold and foggy there. Until the advent of radar, visibility was hindered and sightings of enemy vessels were difficult. If a ship sunk in the bitter cold, few survivors could be rescued. The Pennsylvania had 12 – 16 inch main guns to provide fire support for the amphibious invasions. It was given tough situations. On Guam, the battleship would be called upon to knock out enemy pillboxes. One salvo would wipe them out. The Pennsylvania was known as the "fightingest ship in the Navy." Only the hospital ships had more shots than the battlewagon. The Pennsylvania was the flagship in the Aleutians after the invasion of Attu and through taking Kiska. The Japanese evacuated Kiska prior to the invasion. Ganitch was in charge of steering the ship. On order from his captain, Ganitch managed to steer his 30,000 ton battleship backwards through a fleet of ships. He is proud of that accomplishment.

Michael Mickey Ganitch was aboard the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) during the fight for the Marshall Islands. The ship's main job was to provide fire support for amphibious invasions. She would also supply antiaircraft fire against enemy aircraft when she reached the Philippines. Ganitch took bearings to position the ship so that she could provide fire support. The men got used to eating fast so their food would be hot. Battlestations could be sounded anytime and the food would be cold when they returned to it. The Pennsylvania took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf when three Japanese fleets prowled the invasion area. Admiral Halsey [Annotator's Note: US Navy Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey] was lured away by one fleet while another came up the Surigao Strait. A third Japanese fleet attacked the small aircraft carriers and their destroyer escorts that were providing aircraft support for ground troops. The Pennsylvania and five other battleships were at the Surigao Strait and "crossed the T" on the Japanese fleet sailing in-line. Only the lead Japanese ship could fire on the American ships [Annotator's Note: as opposed the the American ships which could all fire on the Japanese vessels steaming toward them]. The enemy fleet was wiped out by the tactic. Enemy survivors were picked up after it was discovered that some were carrying knives to use against their captors. During the large scale battle, the small aircraft carriers and their escorting destroyers saved the invasion fleet by beating back the other Japanese fleet. When the Pennsylvania reached Lingayen Gulf in the northern Philippines, Ganitch was able to observe MacArthur [Annotator's Note: US Army General Douglas MacArthur] when he returned to the Philippines. The Pennsylvania was unsuccessfully attacked by a kamikaze during that time.

Michael Mickey Ganitch and the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) sailed past Japanese held islands en route to Okinawa. The ship was hit by an enemy shell but luckily, it was a dud. Following the war, the battleship was taken to Bikini Atoll to participate in atomic bomb testing. Afterward, it was taken to Kwajalein and sunk by torpedoes. On V-J Day [Annotator's Note: Victory Over Japan Day, 15 August 1945], the ship was in Guam for repairs in dry-dock. The ship was slated to return to the United States but then was needed for the tests at Bikini in 1946. Ganitch had progressed through the rates through studying on the ship. He joined the ship in 1941 and left it in 1946 as a Chief Petty Officer. He decided to make the Navy a career. He had attempted to become a pilot at one point but was rejected due to his eyesight. That turned out to be right for him because he survived the war.

Michael Mickey Ganitch was changed by the war. His family was affected by the Depression. They were lucky to be on a farm which provided food supplies for them. They learned to pull together just like the country did during the war. There were rationing, sacrifices and victory gardens. People learned to account for their own actions. That is not the case today. Lack of responsibility is a major problem today. Young people need to be responsible. World War 2 made the United States the world's keeper. We help other countries but they forget to appreciate it. Ganitch has no animosity toward the Japanese. They did what they were trained to do. Ganitch salutes the honesty of the Japanese people today. The National WWII Museum helps keep the memory of the war alive. People are not taught about the history in schools today. Ganitch is a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and is proud to keep the memory alive. Ganitch was never wounded during the war. When the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was hit by a torpedo during Okinawa many of his subordinates who bunked near him were casualties. Luckily, Ganitch had left the compartment just a short time beforehand. He had relocated to write a letter. He was not hurt although he had previously been right where the explosion had occurred. There were several close calls during the war. Ganitch is proud of his country. There is no other country as good as this one. Everyone should do their part for the country and be honest in their efforts.