MAYPORT, Fla. – Today marks the 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Over 200 veterans and service members were aboard the USS Taylor to remember those who lost their lives that day.
"I lost a lot of buddies on the ship I was on, the USS West Virginia. We took eight torpedoes and we were sunk at Pearl Harbor," said Robert Beaudreau.
Beaudreau is a surviving sailor of USS West Virginia during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is 95-years-young and served in the Navy from 1940 to 1960.
"On days like today, we remember the sacrifices and actions of those who have served before us. We do not remember to just reminise on the actions of others, but to remind ourselves of the examples and level of performance that they have set," said Commander Murzban Morris, of the USS Taylor, during the remembrance ceremony.
"I owe it to a lot of the people who didn't make it. There is only a few of us left, so I gotta keep carrying on," said Charles Hannon, a US Navy and World War II Veteran.
During the ceremony, the National Anthem was played, followed by the reading of several poems devoted to those who experienced the attack on Pearl Harbor.
"I never expected this at all. I thought it would be just a little ceremony. I'm very proud to be here," said Beaudreau.
The ceremony was sponsored by the Mayport Fleet Reserve Association Branch 290 and has been a tradition since 1966.