DAY OF INFAMY VETERANS FEWER IN NUMBER, BUT PROUD AS EVER.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
The phone calls will start early today in Leon Kolb's North Hollywood home. They'll come from family members, friends and people he's never met who saw him on the History Channel not long ago. They'll all want to know how the 88-year-old Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor, land-locked harbor, on the southern coast of Oahu island, Hawaii, W of Honolulu; one of the largest and best natural harbors in the E Pacific Ocean. In the vicinity are many U.S. military installations, including the chief U.S. survivor is doing, all want to thank him one more time. He's legally blind now and it's hard to get out much anymore, Leon says. He had to pass up traveling to Hawaii this year with his buddies in the local Pearl Harbor Survivors Association The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, founded in 1958 and recognized by the United States Congress in 1985,[1] is an organization whose members were at or in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941. to attend ceremonies at the USS Arizona Memorial USS Arizona Memorial: see National Parks and Monuments (table). . But it's the 65th anniversary of this country's Day of Infamy Notoriety; condition of being known as possessing a shameful or disgraceful reputation; loss of character or good reputation. At Common Law, infamy was an individual's legal status that resulted from having been convicted of a particularly reprehensible crime, rendering him , and more than 1,000 Pearl Harbor survivors will travel from across the United States to be there today. ``Five or six of our guys went with their wives, but the rest of us couldn't make it physically anymore,'' Leon said Wednesday. The rest of them. The local San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. chapter is down to about 12 active members from more than 100 only a decade ago. Old age is catching up with our Pearl Harbor vets. They're all in their late 80s and early 90s now. That's why the phone calls they get every Dec. 7 are so important. It's nice to be remembered, Leon says. He was 23 and manning a forward gun turret on the USS USS abbr. 1. United States Senate 2. United States ship USS abbr (= United States Ship) → Namensteil von Schiffen der Kriegsmarine Oklahoma the morning 429 sailors on his battleship battleship, large, armored warship equipped with the heaviest naval guns. The evolution of the battleship, from the ironclad warship of the mid-19th cent., received great impetus from the Civil War. died 65 years ago. It was the second- highest loss of life -- to the USS Arizona's 1,177 men. ``It really touches your heart when you pick up the phone on Pearl Harbor Day and there's a child you've never met on the other end saying, `Thank you, sir,''' Leon said. ``Their parents saw me on the History Channel when they did a show on the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. They've called me every year since, and I really look forward to it.'' Al Rodrigues, 86, will be getting more than phone calls today. The Hawaii resident is one of a half-dozen Pearl Harbor survivors who volunteer at the USS Arizona Memorial. Twice a week, he stands in the lobby of the memorial visitor center, directing people into the auditorium for a 23-minute film on the history of Pearl Harbor. When it's done (jargon) When It's Done - A manufacturer's non-answer to questions about product availability. This answer allows the manufacturer to pretend to communicate with their customers without setting themselves any deadlines or revealing how behind schedule the product really is. , he takes them on an eight-minute boat ride out to the memorial itself to reflect in the shrine room for 15 minutes -- looking at a memorial wall full of names, and into the ocean at the Arizona below. This is when the tears start coming, Al says. When people he has never met, never seen before in his life, walk up to him and ask for a hug. ``It never fails to touch you,'' Al says. ``You always get a lump in your throat, especially when it's little kids coming up to you for a hug. ``Most of them come here with their parents, not really knowing anything about that day, but they learn,'' he says. ``They learn real fast. ``I just hope the day never comes when we forget.'' For more information on the USS Arizona Memorial, call its toll-free number (866) DEC1941, or go online to pearlharbormemorial.com. dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3749 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Leon Kolb, 88, survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, manning a forward gun turret on the USS Oklahoma 65 years ago today as the U.S. was drawn into World War II. Daily News |
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