A remarkable story of love, survival, and service has resurfaced through a moving donation to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Museum. At 106 years old, former World War II nurse Alice Beck Darrow has given away a keepsake she had held onto for more than eight decades — the bullet that once rested in her late husband’s heart.
Alice met her husband, sailor Dean Darrow, in 1942 while treating him at Mare Island Naval Hospital in California. Dean had survived the attack on the USS West Virginia during Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when the ship was struck by multiple torpedoes and bombs, killing more than 100 crew members. Though he escaped the sinking, he was shot while trying to board a rescue boat. Months later, doctors discovered the bullet lodged in his heart.
Before undergoing risky surgery to remove it, Dean asked Alice if she would go out with him if he survived. She agreed, and after his successful operation, they married the same year. The bullet remained a powerful reminder of their bond, symbolizing both survival and the chance meeting that sparked their love. Together, they raised four children in California and remained married until Dean’s passing in 1991.
Alice preserved the bullet for decades, treasuring it long after her husband’s death. On September 18, 2025, while on a cruise stop in Honolulu, she chose to donate it to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. She described the moment as deeply emotional, explaining that while the bullet carried immense personal meaning, it rightfully belonged to history and to those who served and sacrificed.
Cruise ship captain Vincent Smit of Holland America, who hosted her voyage, said the company was humbled to support her in fulfilling such a meaningful gesture.
Alice, one of the last living connections to Pearl Harbor, has continued to inspire with her outlook on life. She was honored in 2024 for her service as a nurse and previously shared that having something to look forward to keeps both body and mind strong. Reflecting on her decision, she said she believes her late husband would agree that the bullet belongs at Pearl Harbor as a tribute to all who endured that day.
