81 years after the day that would live in infamy, only one World War II veteran attended Wednesday’s Pearl Harbor ceremony at Lake Springfield.
Would the shared sacrifice of the day – saving grease and rationing food – go over at all today?
“I’m 98 years old,” said John Phillipich, “and I lived the best part of time this country ever had.”
Phillipich said after Pearl Harbor, he pestered his parents until they let him drop out of high school and join.
Concluding the ceremony, children of Pearl Harbor survivors tossed a wreath into the lake.