Pearl Harbor veterans to mark anniversary of attack

Local veterans will share their perspectives of a day that made history on Friday when they gather to commemorate the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The observance will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the Centennial Center at the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at The Quay, 100 Columbia St.

The 71st anniversary commemoration is open to the public.

About a dozen local military veterans were stationed in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. Several of them are expected to attend the event and will tell how they responded to the attack that pushed the United States into World War II.

“Each year, this program brings out those who haven’t participated before,” said Penny Ross, secretary of the Pacific Northwest Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors.

As Pearl Harbor veterans fade away, the nonprofit group was formed to keep their memory alive, Ross said. Her father, Don Ross, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism on the battleship USS Nevada.

The event will include an exhibit of mementos and artifacts, as well as a floral tribute that will be cast into the Columbia River.