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U.S. NEWS Saturday 8 december 2018

Survivors gather at Pearl Harbor for attack remembrance

By AUDREY McAVOY was scared. I was 17. I went
Associated Press to go see the world. What
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii did I get into? A war," he
(AP) — About 20 survivors said.
gathered at Pearl Harbor The 94-year-old from Stock-
on Friday to pay tribute to ton, California returns for
the thousands of men lost the annual remembrance
in the Japanese attack 77 each year because he's
years ago. now alone after his wife
They joined dignitaries, ac- died four years ago.
tive duty troops and mem- Adm. Phil Davidson, com-
bers of the public in observ- mander of the U.S. Indo-
ing a moment of silence Pacific Command, said the
at 7:55 a.m., the time the nation can never forget
bombing began on Dec. 7, the heavy price paid on
1941. that day. He cited 21 ves-
John Mathrursse was an sels damaged or sunk, 170
18-year-old seaman sec- planes destroyed, more
ond class walking out of than 2,400 people dead,
the chow hall on Ford Is- including servicemen and
land to see a friend on the civilians.
USS West Virginia when the "Despite these losses, it did Pearl Harbor survivors salute during the National Anthem at a ceremony in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
bombing began. not break the American on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018 marking the 77th anniversary of the Japanese attack.
"The guys were getting hurt, spirit. In fact, it charged it," Associated Press
bombs and shells going off he said in a keynote ad-
in the water. I helped the dress. the ceremony as none launched a new effort to Marines from the Oklaho-
ones that couldn't swim, The survivors are declin- of the men were able to analyze bones and DNA of ma since the exhumations
who were too badly injured ing in number as they push make the trip to Hawaii. hundreds long classified as three years ago. It has said
or whatever and helped well into their 90s, and are The Arizona sank after two "unknowns." it expects to identify about
them to shore," said Math- increasingly treated as ce- bombs hit the ship, trigger- In 2015, 388 sets of remains 80 percent of the 388 by
russe, now 95. lebrities. They say people ing tremendous explosions. were exhumed from the 2020.
Mathrusse, who traveled to ask for their autographs The Arizona lost 1,177 sailors USS Oklahoma and buried Several families were
Hawaii for the event from and request to take photos and Marines, the greatest in a national cemetery in scheduled to rebury their
Mountain View, California, and selfies with them. number of casualties from Honolulu. The Oklahoma newly identified loved ones
remembers carrying injured "I am given a lot of atten- any ship. Most remain en- had the second-highest on Friday, including Navy
people to the mess hall and tion and honor. I shake tombed in the sunken hull number of dead after the Seaman 1st Class William
setting them on mattresses hands continuously," said of the battleship at the bot- Arizona at 429, though only Bruesewitz of Appleton,
grabbed from the barracks Tom Berg, who lives in Port tom of the harbor. 35 were identified in the im- Wisconsin.
above. Townsend, Washington. Dozens of those killed in the mediate years after the at- His remains were buried at
Robert Fernandez, who was Berg, who is 96, served on attack have been recently tack. Arlington National Cem-
assigned to the USS Curtiss, the USS Tennessee. identified and reburied The Defense POW/MIA etery near Washington,
recalls being petrified. This year, no survivor from in cemeteries across the Accounting Agency has D.C.q
"I was kind of nervous too. I the USS Arizona attended country after the military identified 168 sailors and
Alaska Native tribes seek help from human rights commission

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — support in obtaining relief watersheds could consti- for about year on drafting The petition makes three
Fifteen tribal nations in from mine violations, the tute a violation of indig- the 215-page petition. main requests of the hu-
southeast Alaska have pe- Juneau Empire reported . enous people's rights. The "We are hoping the com- man rights commission:
titioned an international The petition sent to the petition also claims Can- mission will pick up the They visit the mines to inves-
commission for human Washington, D.C-based In- ada did not consult with case," said Ramin Pejan, an tigate and confirm threats,
rights for help in influencing ter-American Commission or seek consent from the Earthjustice attorney. "The they hold a hearing to
the Canadian government on Human Rights claims the tribes during the permitting goal here really is to inject investigate the petition's
to take action against six mines are likely to pollute and approval process of or raise human rights viola- claims, and they prepare
mines in British Columbia. rivers, threatening fish pop- the mines. tions as a key part of the a report setting forth the
The Southeast Alaska In- ulations essential to main- Earthjustice, a nonprofit narrative with these mines, facts and laws regarding
digenous Transboundary taining life in the tribes. environmental law firm, and that has been missing Canada's failure to imple-
Commission filed the peti- They claim that failing to has been working with the in the approval process ment adequate protective
tion Wednesday, seeking prevent pollution in Alaska transboundary commission thus far." measures.q