Heroes Among Us not fazed by rain
Members of the Pensacola Chapter 138, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association were honored at “Heroes Among Us” ceremonies, August 29, 2014. Scheduled to take place at the Veterans Memorial Park, the event was relocated to A&J Mugs store on Palafox Street because of rain.
Honorees included Frank Emond, (CWO4, USN Ret.), William Braddock, (Stg. Maj., USMC RET.) Jay Carraway, (ETC, USN RET.) and Cass Phillips (LCDR USN RET.)
Pearl Harbor Honor Flight co-organizers Holly Shelton and William Phillips, (Lt. Col. USAF RET.) introduced our National Treasures. Each survivor recounted his unique experiences during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. All nonagenarians, their memories were sharp and the store packed crowd hung on every word.
Pearl Harbor Survivor, Jim Landis (SCPO, USN RET.) was unable to attend due to health issues. His story of December 7, 1941, as written in the book “Pearl Harbor Honor Flight: One Last Goodbye,” was shared by author Billie Nicholson.
Heroes Among Us Special Guest
In addition to the survivors, Mrs. Earline Williams, who was a 12 year old, living with her family on Ford Island on December 7, 1941 shared her experiences that day. Their home was across from the berth of the USS Oklahoma, which was torpedoed and rolled over, trapping many sailors inside. Some of her clothing was used to cover the dead and wounded.
“What take home lesson would you like us to have from your experience,” someone in the crowd asked. “Pay attention to what is going on in the world around you and always be prepared,” responded survivor Cass Phillips.
When asked to what they owed their resilience and long life, Frank Emond replied, “Keep you mind active, and your body, too. I paint and volunteer one day a week at the Veterans Medical Center.”
Read the Pensacola News Journal article here. If you can’t find this in PNJ’s archives, see it here.