The young sailors of today were there to honor the old sailors of yesterday. The dwindling number of survivors of Pearl Harbor and that infamous day. It's a ceremony that many cities have dropped-- but not Chicago.
"In America we forget too much. And we have to be reminded from one generation to another generation of the sacrifice men and women have made to make this country what it is today," said Mayor Daley.
Over 2400 were killed on that day; 118 of them were from Illinois. Four battleships went down - but somehow the U.S. survived to fight again and win the war.
The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association of Chicago was formed in 1958. At the time there were 400 members. Now there are just 80 left. Eight of them were there Monday… and that date that will live in infamy still lives within them.
"It was a day spent in hell," said John Terrell, Pearl Harbor survivor, "to come under unexpected hostile fire… It was devastating."
"I'd like to forget it ... forget what happened ..... but they won't let me forget it," said Frank Gibbons, Pearl Harbor survivor.
"I have promised myself and these men who are organized with me. ... That I'm going to carry on as long as I can in their memory," said John Barry, Sr., survivor.
