LEXINGTON, Ky. — Veterans and leaders are connecting Lexington's youth, seniors, and more to the historic tragedy that shook Hawaii over 80 years ago.
Though it's not just about what happened, but how people in Kentucky were impacted.
To commemorate the events of Pearl Harbor, one of the most detrimental attacks on the U.S., Morton Middle School students and veterans in Lexington gathered for the annual remembrance.
The ceremony focused on informing and educating people on the events and their outcomes, shedding light on their direct impact on Lexington.
Treasurer of the Naval League of central Kentucky and the chair for Pearl Harbor day events Phillip Morgan says honoring the day helps keep the memory alive and real for everyone, including these middle schoolers.
“I think a lot of it is forgotten in the children and so I think that it is important to talk about it that day and what happened that day. The videos are great to show that this was kind of a tragic event in which a lot of people lost their lives, including people like them in Kentucky,” Morgan explained.
This year, the community also recognized the special men from Kentucky who were involved or lost their lives in action, people like U.S. Naval photographer George Lucas.
Showing his remarkable images of Pearl Harbor before, during and after the attack is Lexington’s Senior Center and social worker Lindsey Medley.
She says it’s significant to see firsthand the accounts of those events in order to avoid another life-changing incident. “To learn because we know that if we don’t learn about history, we are doomed to repeat it. And so we want to keep Pearl Harbor relevant, especially with our younger generation,” Medley said.
The day of remembrance ended with a presentation from guards and flags lowered to half-staff.
Over 2,000 Americans were killed in the Dec. 7, 1941 tragedy, which drove the U.S. to join World War II.