Dec 7th

[ksmith]

My dad was a WWII vet. He enlisted in the Marines 2 days after he graduated high school, and served in the South Pacific as a tail gunner. Sometime during each December 7th, he'd say "Remember Pearl Harbor."

Pearl Harbor survivors are meeting today, as they have every 5 years since the day. Their numbers are dwindling--many are in their 80s and 90s--and they think this may be their last reunion.

Like the man in the article said, it's the passing of a generation.

Comments

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of the June 6, 2004 D-Day reunion at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford County, VA (about an hour from me). There were quite a number of D-Day vets in attendance...and they too figured this would be their last gathering there.

It seems odd to me, as young as I am, that I can remember a time when World War One vets were still numerous, and World War Two greats like Omar Bradley, Pappy Boyington, and James Doolittle were still with us. Stranger still to know that I'll probably live long enough to see all of the veterans from both wars pass away.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

When I was in grammar school, WWII was only twenty years in the rear view.

The Chicago Trib marks the veterans' obit notices with flags, and some days there are a lot of flags.

[merlinpole.livejournal.com]

There were two WWI veterans at the state ceremonies for Veteran's Day in Massachusetts... the younger of the two died this past week, at the age of 106. The sole remaining WWI veteran known to be in-state, is 110.