NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — Inside the halls of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in New Richmond, veterans of all ages gathered Dec. 7.
A date, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated, will live in infamy.
These veterans, their families and community members all gathered for Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. This marks the 84th anniversary of when Japanese forces bombed the U.S. naval base in the early morning hours.
The attack launched the United States into World War II, changing the course of history.
"It just shows that, yeah, we do still remember and we know the importance of it," Mahan said. Richard Mahan serves as vice commander for the American Legion County Council in Clermont County.
Watch to see how Clermont County Veterans honored Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day:
Local students sang the national anthem, led the Pledge of Allegiance and even brought the crowd together in a rendition of "I'm Proud to be an American."
"They were people before us, and they made a promise to the country that we'd never forget. And some of those people are not around, so it lies on us now to continue to keep that promise," Mahan said.
One of the speakers was Clermont County Commissioner David Painter, who read a proclamation declaring the day as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, along with an announcement from Gov. Mike DeWine to fly all flags at half-staff.
"It shaped who we are as a people and as a nation," Mahan said.
I spoke with a local veteran who gave a recount of the attack during the ceremony, and he was overcome with emotion during his speech.
"I had a lot of friends who died during Vietnam, so when I start talking about those who died, even before I was born, at Pearl Harbor, I really get somewhat emotional," Ellis said. Ken Ellis is a chaplain at the New Richmond VFW Post.
During the ceremony, attendees were taken outside, where they witnessed a 21-gun salute and heard "Taps." Then, a wreath was placed in the Ohio River, signifying the thousands killed during the Pearl Harbor attacks.
