Opinion : Local Pearl Harbor memorial ceremony deserves large audience

"This is amazing, but we should have had a lot more people here."

I didn't catch his name, but the grey-haired veteran who stood up at the end of the very first annual Pearl Harbor memorial service at Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School was adamant that more people should have been there to learn about the history behind Dec. 7, 1941, and to honor those who died that day.

I agreed with him. 

Whatever you have planned for this Sunday – sitting in church, or screaming at the TV as your team plays football, – there is one more important place to be this Dec. 7: In the VS Middle School library for the annual Pearl Harbor memorial service.

Mr. Alex Vasquez and his students plan a simple but significant tribute to the Americans who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor that brought World War II to America.

Mr. Vasquez has worked hard over the years to preserve the story of Pearl Harbor. He worked with the National Park Service to obtain a piece of the iron from the Arizona. His grandfather, a WWII Navy man, came home with a blanket from an American ship that had been sunk. That blanket is among the artifacts Mr. Vasquez will have on display. There are also replica newspapers and several items from those days. 

Those who attend are likely to learn a few things about Pearl Harbor that they did not know before. But more important than teaching us new things, Mr. Vasquez is giving us an opportunity do to something that way too Americans do way too little: Remember.

So, this Sunday, at noon. Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School. Be there. Join Mr. Vasquez and his students in honoring veterans and remembering one of the most important days of American history, and the more than 2,000 Americans who died that day. 

I have attended every year, and have learned something new every time. 

I hope to see you there.