A 106-year-old former nurse, Alice Beck Darrow, has donated the bullet that was lodged in her late husband’s heart after he was wounded during the December 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. The bullet, which became a cherished keepsake for the couple, is now being returned to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Museum as a tribute to the soldiers who served, and to honor her husband’s legacy.
Darrow and her husband, Dean Darrow, met in 1942 when she was caring for him at Mare Island Naval Hospital, a place where many of the wounded from the USS West Virginia attack were treated. Despite the bullet being found in his heart months after the attack, he survived the surgery, and the two were married that same year. After Dean’s passing in 1991, Alice kept the bullet as a personal memento, but recently decided to donate it to the museum, where it will serve as a reminder of the courage of those who fought in the attack.
The bullet, which had remained with the couple for nearly 50 years, was given to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Museum on September 18, 2025, during a trip aboard the Holland America cruise ship Westerdam. Darrow made the decision to return the bullet to its original place of significance, stating that it belongs to ‘those who served and sacrificed.’ The moment was described as ‘deeply emotional’ by Darrow, who emphasized the importance of sharing such a personal memory with the public to honor those who sacrificed their lives in the attack.
The attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred on December 7, 1941, resulted in the sinking of the USS West Virginia and the deaths of over 100 sailors. The bullet, which was still lodged in Dean Darrow’s heart, was discovered months after the attack and required a surgical procedure to remove. The incident not only led to the birth of a romance between Darrow and her husband, but also became a symbol of the resilience and determination of those who lived through the war. Darrow, a nurse who has lived through the last century of history, has become one of the last living links to the attack, and is now a source of inspiration for many who seek to understand the personal stories behind historical events.
Darrow’s decision to donate the bullet marks a significant moment in the preservation of wartime artifacts and the recognition of individual stories that contribute to a broader historical narrative. By returning the bullet to the museum, she ensures that its significance as a reminder of both the tragedy and the resilience of the people who endured it is not lost to time. The bullet will now be displayed alongside other artifacts that tell the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the sacrifices made by the men and women who served during World War II.