About 50 people gathered in Ansonia’s Veterans Park Wednesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
And as we lose more and more of the generation of Americans who fought and won World War II with each passing day, speakers at Wednesday’s event noted, it’s more important than ever to observe the occasion that brought the country into the conflict.
The Dec. 7, 1941 surprise attack by Imperial Japan’s air force and navy killed more than 2,000 men and crippled America’s armed forces in the Pacific early in the war.
Patrick Freeman, the commander of the Comcowich-Carter Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 597, was the guest speaker for the event.
A disabled Vietnam veteran, he urged those in attendance to remind subsequent generations about their predecessors’ sacrifices.
“It’s important for us to be vigilant. It’s important for all of us to mention it to our grandkids, our great-grandkids,” Freeman said. “That fateful day that dragged us into World War II should always be remembered.”
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti echoed Freeman’s sentiments, saying it’s important “to ensure that (children) understand what history and freedom is all about.”
“We have that obligation to educate the younger generations about the horrors of war and about the price that people have paid for our freedoms in this country,” Lauretti said.
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti also read a proclamation marking the occasion.
“We owe a great debt to those members of our armed forces who lost their lives in the attack,” he said.
Afterward a salute was fired by members of the St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic War Veterans, after which “Taps” was played.
Peter J. Danielczuk emceed Wednesday’s ceremony, and thanked Kazimierz Brejwo for helping to organize the event.
Rev. Russell Lesiw of the Seymour Evangelical Baptist Church offered an invocation and benediction.
