Students at Hickam Elementary received an incredible history lesson today from a group of Pearl Harbor survivors in a special visit from "The Greatest Generation," who came to share their stories of the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Third, fourth and fifth graders heard first-hand recollections of the attack, the chaos of the battle and the heroic actions of the survivors in the aftermath. Students were able to ask questions of the Pearl Harbor survivors, now in their nineties, to gain a better understanding of the events of that historic day.
"For my students, it means the world to them because they're not from Hawaii. They come from all over and they are living on such a famous base – Pearl Harbor and Hickam – and they visit the Arizona Memorial, and now they get to meet people who actually survived the attack and get to make that connection first hand," said DeAnna Roose, fourth grade teacher. "This is something that they're never going to forget."
Members of "The Greatest Generation" have visited Hickam Elementary for the past two years to share their experiences from that fateful day. Today's visit also included student performances by the school's music department and a lunchtime talk story session. This visit bears an even greater significance as it comes during the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.
Asked about the importance of sharing his personal experiences with the students, Pearl Harbor Survivor Robert Fernandez said, "I think it's a wonderful idea and they should know everything they can learn and they should know what happened."
75th anniversary commemoration events will continue through Dec. 11. For more information, visit pearlharbor75thanniversary.com.
