LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tuesday was National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. For many, it's a time to reflect on our nation's history -- and honor those who sacrificed for our country.
80 years ago on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor was attacked and more than 2,000 Americans were killed. The very next day, the United States entered World War II.
Dec. 7 became a national holiday of remembrance in 1994, and to this day, flags are flown at half-staff to honor those who served our country.
For the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the Frazier Museum in downtown Louisville partnered with Honor Flight Bluegrass to host a special program titled “Saluting our Veterans: The 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor."
The event allowed community members to gather with people who could share their experiences from that time.
During the event, they paid tribute to one of Kentucky's only living survivors of Pearl Harbor, 100-year-old David Payne from Hardin, Kentucky.
Andy Treinen, President and CEO of the Frazier History Museum said, "It's important to remember how we got here, and the sacrifices of the people who put us in this position."
Most Pearl Harbor and WWII veterans are well in their 90s and above, which makes celebrating and honoring them important now more than ever.
A veteran who attended the Frazier event said they remember the newsboys yelling 'extra, extra read all about it' up and down their street when papers reported what happened.
There were military vehicles and artifacts from the war, along with a special story about a selection of world-historical documents that made their way to Kentucky for safe-keeping on Dec. 27, 1941 — two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
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