Pearl Harbor thoughts

Ed Vezey, Oklahoma City

You can't go there and not cry. 
It's Dec. 7 every day in Pearl Harbor where the gleaming white USS Arizona Memorial straddles the hulk of the battleship, still oozing oil, and the coffin of more than 1,000 American sailors.
I was privileged to visit a few years ago when my Air Force son was stationed there. Since then I've been fortunate to meet Ed Vezey, a survivor of that day, a sailor on the USS Oklahoma.
That happened on the inaugural Honor Flight, a non profit organization taking WWII vets to see the memorials in Washington. Look at the hat he's wearing. There are so many stories. Check their web page for many photos of vets and the trips: http://oklahomahonorflights.org
I tried to tell the story of the honor flights in the November-December issue of Oklahoma Today, "Day of Honor." I've also written about the flight, with photos on the blog. Here is the first of the links from May, 2010.Veterans' stories.
It's been a long time ago--but I'm thankful for men like Ed Vezey who helps keep them alive. And for the Navy, and the silence and salutes as each ship passes that gleaming white monument.

Photo from the Honolulu Star Bulletin