Pat Barcas photo
Pearl Harbor survivor Joe Triolo bows his head during the singing of the Navy Hymn by the West Aurora High School choir.

By Pat Barcas
Staff Writer
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012
     Just like they’ve done for the past 43 years, the men gathered in Aurora to reflect on lives past, tragic memories, and visions of hope for the future.
     It was the 43rd annual Pearl Harbor Day Memorial Luncheon, honoring local Pearl Harbor survivors James O’Flaherty, Jack Loane, Everitt Schlegel, John Terrell, and Joe Triolo. Since last year’s luncheon, three local survivors have died — Milt Card of Aurora, Clarence Wills of Chicago, and North Aurora resident George Hettinger.
     “It is a distinct honor and privilege to be here today, especially in the presence of these Pearl Harbor survivors,” said guest speaker Cmdr. Mike Thibodeau, executive officer at the Great Lakes Naval Station. “These men are American heroes. They are living legends. Men who did extraordinary things so that you and I can live ordinary lives as free Americans. They saved the world, and here they sit.”
     About 60,000 soldiers were stationed at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941. More than 2,400 died that day, including 1,177 soldiers aboard the USS Arizona. Fewer than 3,000 Pearl Harbor survivors are alive today.
     Thibodeau detailed the extraordinary rescue efforts that took place that day.
     “Your presence honors their acts of bravery. Sailors who manned battlestations and opened fire on Japanese planes even as their ships were ablaze and sinking. Men who plunged into murky waters to pull a shipmate to safety,” he said. “Rescuers who made it to their posts through the passage of burning oil to snatch a sailor from a watery grave. Pilots who took to the air to rebuke the enemy onslaught.”
     Thibodeau also drew comparisons to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
     “The memories of Dec. 7 and Sept. 11 are etched into our national memory. The images of smoke and twisted steel, and human suffering. But perhaps what’s most common about the two days is the uncommon courage of those who were there and their unbending will to turn tragedy into triumph, defeat into victory, and war into lasting peace,” he said.
     “On Sept. 11, it was as if the spirit of one generation was passed to another. We hope to emulate the World War II generation. As our fighting men and women take war to the enemy half a world away, I ask now that you remember them. Because they remember you,” said Thibodeau.

Pat Barcas’ e-mail address is pat@foxvalleylabornews.com.