The USS Midway Museum hosted a Pearl Harbor ceremony on its flight deck Saturday with a two-bell ceremony, wreath laying and missing-man flyover.
The event commemorated the 83rd anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack, which launched the United States into World War II.
The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Imperial Navy took the lives of more than 2,400 military members and civilians, including several San Diegans, Thirteen ships sank, and three were a total loss, including the USS Arizona, which remains underwater below a memorial.
“We must never forget their bravery,” said Dave Koontz, a director at the Midway Museum, while announcing that there are plans for a statue of John Finn, who was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from Pearl Harbor, at the future Freedom Park.
Construction of the new attraction at Navy Pier is set to begin next year. Finn died in 2010 in Chula Vista.
Karl Zingheim, the museum’s ship historian, provided keynote remarks. A San Diego native, Zingheim graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1986. He has been with the museum for more than 20 years and helped establish the exhibits department.
Following the free morning event, attendees received complimentary admission to enjoy the museum for the day. The event was streamed live and remains available for viewing.
– City News Service
