Photo By Sgt. Khalil Ross | Col. Eric W. Schaefer, commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, thanks and...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Pearl Harbor veterans took a tour of the island visiting memorials as well as Marines of Headquarters Battalion and Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on Dec. 5, 2014.
The veterans wanted to pass on the knowledge of their experiences to keep young service members informed of the past.
The 12 veterans went to the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy and met with all ranks, from lance corporal to master gunnery sergeant, answering any questions they had.
Lance Cpl. Casey Loveless, with MCAS K-Bay said, to this day Marines are feeling a sense of pride carrying the same title as the veterans who paved the way for them.
“It’s cool because it’s not something you can get from television,” Loveless said. “It’s history that you can only get from these guys.”
Hearing some of the stories that these vets have to tell they can’t help but be motivated, said Loveless.
World War II survivors like Michael “Mickey” M. Ganitch like to come and see the Marines and remember how it was in the service.
“We were all just kids growing up,” said Ganitch, born in 1919. “We were all scared but we did what we were trained to do.”
Following the question and answer session members of the Greatest Generation went to the Klipper Memorial where they met with Col. Eric W. Schaefer, the commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. There they laid a wreath at the base of the memorial and Schaefer shook hands and thanked each veteran for their service.
His participation in the military is something he will always remember with fondness, Ganitch said.
He lived during a time where America experienced the “roaring 20s,” the stock market crash and eventually World War II.
Ganitch said he and the other veterans enlisted to help in anyway they could.
Now, the veterans come back every year they can to see the new service members, Ganitch said.
The last event of the visit the Pearl Harbor survivors went to Anderson Hall Dining Facility and ate with the Marines who asked them questions, continuing to answer more questions into the evening.
“(We visit) trying to bring back memories to the people,” Ganitch said. “Hoping people can learn from the past.”
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.09.2014 19:49 |
| Story ID: | 149874 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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