Ceremony marking 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor held at Sacramento's Discovery Park
SACRAMENTO — Local veterans on Wednesday marked 81 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor with a memorial and wreath-laying ceremony at Discovery Park in Sacramento.
It's the 36th year of the wreath-laying ceremony which veterans, elected officials and community members attended. Their goal is never to forget a day that will live in infamy.
At the exact moment bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the ceremony occurred at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers as a salute to the men and women killed that fateful day.
The attack was a catalyst for the United State's involvement in World War II. Each year, the Greater Sacramento U.S. Submarine Group commemorates what took place with a special ceremony.
"It was such an amazing effort by the American citizens to come together as a nation and join forces. The war was going on in Europe. There was a lot of negativity in this country around that war in Europe. Pearl Harbor galvanized our nation," veteran Barry Wyatt said.
In addition to honoring the heroism, dedication and painful sacrifice, veterans recognized all 65 of the American submarines lost in war and peace with a tolling of the lost boats.
Naval ROTC members presented the colors. Their instructor is Max Schell.
"They find out relevancy and can apply it to their lives, and then they go on to do good stuff for us," Schell said.
To find out how you can volunteer to be a part of this ceremony, go here.