- December 7, 2023 marks the 82nd anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.
- In 1941, the Japanese military attacked the United States Naval base in Hawaii.
- According to the National Park service about 2,403 service members and civilians were killed. Another 1,178 people were injured.
- The next day former President Franklin Roosevelt declared war with Japan, which started the United State's involvement in World War II.
- Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremonies were at the USS Lexington Museum and Sherrill Veterans Memorial Park this year.
The date Dec. 7 has lived in the Nation's memory since the Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. This year, a ceremony for the tragic event was held atSherrill Veterans Memorial Park.
There's a reason for the parks name.
Warren Joseph Sherrill was a Corpus Christi native. He also died during the Pearl Harbor attack and became the city's first casualty of World War II.
On March 23, 1952, the city dedicated its new City Hall on Shoreline. On the same day, "Sherrill Park", across the street, was dedicated in honor of Warren Joseph Sherrill.
The USS Lexington Museum also held a ceremony on Thursday afternoon. The Corpus Christi Veterans Band, Carroll High School NJROTC members, and the Corpus Christi Pipes and Drums Team were among those taking part in the ceremony.
One of the more solemn moments was a wreath laying, in memory of those who died for our freedoms.
The ceremony was sponsored by the USS Lexington Volunteer Organization and will be hosted by Captain Steve Banta, USN (Ret.), Executive Director, USS Lexington Museum on the Bay.
The Lexington Museum is dedicated to educating the public about American history. It also has a state-of-the-art multi-media exhibit dedicated to Pearl Harbor.
A new feature was unveiled after the Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony. The Lexington revealed a hologram of Naval Captain Robert "Bob" Batterson. He was believed to have been the Coastal Bend's last Pearl Harbor survivor.
The WWII hero lived to be 102-years-old. Batterson was passionate about eucating the public. He volunteered aboard the USS Lexington Museum for more than 30 years.
"Bob Batterson was a really special guy, somebody who really exemplifies the service of people in this country at that time. He signed up to join the Navy. He just wanted to do his part and he actually signed up before Pearl Harbor. He wanted to serve not just because of Pearl Harbor," Steve Banta, the executive director of the Lexington said.
