They took a torpedo intended for the USS Ogalala but the engineers performed damage control expertly and the electricians mates managed to, despite the hit, keep power to the gunmounts and the Helena's gunners were able to put up a lot of anti-aircraft fire. So much that she covered the nearby USS Pennsylvania in drydock even and the Japanese were unable to mount an effective attack on her again and had to steer clear of that part of the harbor for the most part.
At any rate, he was 18 at the time and was 22 by the time the war ended and went from Pearl Harbor to the deck of the USS Missouri to witness the surrender as an invited guest having been there for the opening of the war.
For those interested, the US actually fired the first shot of the war. The first shot came from the USS Ward which sunk a Japanese midget submarine trying to get into the harbor before the attack started. I guess that means the US fired the first shot and dropped the last bombs - although there were a few incidents after the surrender where some units hadn't received word the war was over.