PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Eighty years ago, most Americans had never heard of military, let alone were able to find it on a map. Yet the attack on an island 2,500 miles from the mainland came to define the ‘world-war-two” target=”_blank”>Greatest Generation’<, expected to attend Tuesday’s 80th commemoration ceremony in Hawaii. For many it will be a bittersweet reunion, arriving with suitcases full of memories of youth and friends lost.
HOLDER ASKS FOR CARDS FOR HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY
Holder received many awards for his service.
(Jack Holder)
“I’d seen seamen jumping in the water covered with oil that was on fire,” and most of them died in the water, he said.
To honor those who died and remember their sacrifice, Holder shares his story several times each year with high school students. Last month we joined him on a visit to Highland High in Gilbert, Ariz.
“We learn so much in history, but it’s a completely different feeling having someone actually talk to you about it and tell you their own personal stories,” said student Audra Lockheed, following Holder’s 90-minute presentation.
“It definitely made me feel kind of like a pride for our country,” added student Casey Moss.
A small boat rescues a USS West Virginia crew member from the water after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941.
(AP Photo, File)
For many attending Tuesday ceremonies on Oahu, the trip brings them full circle. Anyone who enlisted after the attack, would be at least 98 years old. Holder turns 100 next week.
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In his presentation, Holder makes note of how the attack transformed the U.S. from a largely isolationist country protected by two oceans, to a global superpower. By the end of the war, 12% of the U.S. population had served in the armed forces. That shared common purpose is something he wants today’s generation to appreciate. His advice:
“They need to stay in school. And remember two things: treasure the flag and remember that they live in the greatest country in the world.”
