I haven’t yet visited the USS Arizona Memorial but I know friends who’ve enjoyed this privilege. On Sunday, December 7th, the last official reunion of the survivors of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. I can’t even imagine what it feels like to be among the small group of veterans still alive that gather to honor their fallen comrades. Each year, they gather and fewer members of their group remains. To shake their hands is nothing short of an honor and too soon, they will all be gone and we lose the opportunity to hear them tell their stories directly.

One of my friends recently shared a USAA story about this last reunion and I felt compelled to share it. The global community has its own sentiments about war depending on their location with respect to the epicenter of conflicts and their connection to the veterans that serve. I am not here to debate the political correctness of war but merely to share the stories of veterans, even those I haven’t met. This story provides some broad strokes of the lives lost, the importance of remembrance, and the duty to honor the last remaining survivors when death finally calls them.