It’s a small ceremony that helps this group of strong men remember that day, their military life after and most importantly how they managed to stay strong.
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December 7th marks the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. “He would have gone right over there, and he wouldn’t have stopped until the flags were lowered”.
On Monday, veterans and members of our military gathered together for a remembrance ceremony for the victims killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, which included hundreds of sailors who died that die aboard the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma.
“It’s very very touching today and throwing the wreath…in memory of their loved one was very very touching”, says Hamilton. “He would have been here”.
Alfred Wagner, the son of a World War II veteran, attended the event on Monday and said he is glad to live in an area that has such high regards for their veterans.
Dorinda Nicholson said she was 6 years old at the time of the attack, living inside Pearl Harbor.
“It’s just an honor for me to remember my father like this and all the veterans that defend our nation”, Dorris said. “We did just exactly what we were told to do”, he said.
Bernard Gearing, 86, is a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam wars. The air strikes killing more than 2,000 Americans would be the catalyst that launched the United States into the Second World War.
Harris quoted the “sage advice” in the motto of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association: “Keep America alert” because “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”.
Mitchell, who joined the navy in 1940, was serving on the destroyer USS Jarvis at the time of the attack, according to this KTAR news story on him from 2013.
“I try not to think about it. I don’t talk about it, even with my family”, he said.
Doyle also recalls the gunners who, while under withering attack, took to their anti-aircraft weapons and tried to take out as many Japanese pilots as they could.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, Ducey went to the room in the memorial where the names of those killed in the ship are engraved in stone.
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He says he saw Japanese planes flying overhead. “You ask majority, they don’t know what you’re talking about”.
