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The Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service remember and honor the more than 2,000 men who died in the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during a special event at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
WASHINGTON — Under clear blue skies, 15 survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor gathered at the National World War II Memorial to see their service of 73 years ago recognized.
"As the years stretch, the stories of every sailor, soldier, Marine, airman, nurse or citizen who was at Pearl Harbor grow more precious, and we use this anniversary to retell them," U.S. Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, vice chief of Naval Operations, told the 400 people gathered at the hallowed ground between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. "We understand that the collective toughness of the American people, our survival, and the eventual success of this country, is due to them."
About a dozen of the veterans of what President Franklin D. Roosevelt termed "a day which will live in infamy," came to Washington as guests of Honor Flight Austin. Austin, Texas, Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who was scheduled to speak, was unable to attend due to sickness, so the non-profit's chairman, Allen Bergeron, spoke in his place.
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"Here you are, 73 years later, still living the American dream," said Bergeron, addressing the veterans, now aged 91 to 95. "We're living the American dream because of you."
Among those veterans was Jack Jones, 91, who was aboard the battleship Tennessee when Japanese bombs began raining on Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, killing more than 2,000 men and drawing the USA into World War II.
Pearl Harbor survivors from Austin, Texas, visiting the National World War II Memorial move to lay wreaths remembering those lost during the attack with U.S. Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, vice chief of Naval Operations, on Sunday.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
"I was overwhelmed," Jones said. "We had to clean up the harbor — take the dead and bury them. I was just 17 years old. It kind of missed up my head a little bit.
"Everybody says you're a hero, but I was just a fuzzy-faced kid who did what others did. Today is really special for me because I'm just a little nobody."
Flying with him to the ceremony was James Leavelle, who was 21-year-old sailor on board the USS Whitney during the attack.
"It was like being in hell," Leavelle, 94, said. "It was about as bad as it could get."
Leavelle later worked in the Dallas Police Department's Homicide Bureau and was handcuffed to President John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, when Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby.
Leavelle, who originally declined the invitation to attend Sunday's ceremony to stay home with his sick wife, decided to come at the last minute. His wife passed away just weeks ago, after 73 years of marriage. They met at Pearl Harbor.
The Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service remember and honor all those who died in the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor during a special event at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
"This ceremony meant a lot to me," said Leavelle.
The trip also held special meaning for Jesse Lopez, a young man recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. His presence on the Honor Flight was a result of efforts by the Make-a-Wish Foundation to grant him his wish of meeting a World War II veteran.
"My history teacher told me a lot of them are dying off, and that made me really sad, which is the real reason I wanted to meet one right now since there might not be a time for me to meet them later," Lopez said. "It's a honor for me to be with them, especially the ones that were involved at Pearl Harbor."
The event, co-hosted by Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service, also featured appearances by the United States Navy Ceremonial Band, the Armed Forces Color Guard, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks Robert Vogel, and chairman of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial, Lt. Gen. Claude Kicklighter.
Though more than 16,000,000 Americans served in the Second World War, only 1,711,000 are alive today, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Of those, an average of 555 pass away each day.
It's for this reason that Jan Duncan, daughter of attending Pearl Harbor survivor and World War II vet Pat Duncan, believes events like the one held Sunday should be more common.
"I'm really proud of all the World War II veterans and Pearl Harbor survivors who were very traumatized and went on and fought the rest of World War II," Duncan said. "We need more events like these, because it means the world to them to be appreciated and acknowledged."
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