“It’s getting harder and harder each year to find the survivors,” he said.

But keeping the memory of that fateful day alive is something Placette and McKinley have done for many years until their health began to decline.

McKinley recalled a sad instance where he was speaking about Pearl Harbor and his experiences to seniors at a local Mid-County high school. After the speech he asked if anyone in the audience had questions. One girl raised her hand and asked, “who won that war?” The question bowled McKinley over but he quickly answered, “America.”

Whenever Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day rolls around Placette will receive calls from family and former shipmates. Some may consider the day an “anniversary” of the attack but Placette refuses to use the word because it gives a connotation of a party, he said.

“Our mission now is to keep Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day alive and that’s what we intend to do,” he said. “What if we had one (attack) tomorrow, where would our country be?”