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December 12, 2016 - VFW Post 8904 and Auxiliary held a Pearl Harbor memorial ceremony on the Historic Shelby County Courthouse lawn at the Veterans Memorial on December 7, 2016.
Larry Hume led the ceremony and following a prayer by post member Cynthia Islas, the pledge of allegiance was recited.
Hume thanked everyone at the event for their presence as they remember those who were at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii 75 years ago and specifically remembered those individuals from Shelby County.
"It all began when Japanese aircraft appeared in the air above Pearl Harbor Hawaii just before 8am on a Sunday morning. When the attack ceased shortly before 10am less than two hours after it had begun American forces had paid a fearful price," said Hume.
He reported 18 ships were either damaged or sunk, 180 aircraft destroyed, 2,403 were dead and thousands of others were wounded.
"Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke with forewarning when he stated, 'No matter how long it may take us to overcome the premeditated invasion, the American people will in their righteous might will win through an absolute victory. With the unbounding determination of our people we will gain inevitable triumph, so help us God.' And we did," said Hume.
Newton Johnson, Post Senior Vice, then hung the memorial wreath from the Shelby County Veterans Memorial.
The names of those veterans from Shelby County known to have been at Pearl Harbor were then read by Cynthia Islas, Sandy Risinger, and Becky Maidic. The names are as follows: Oswald "Bill" Adams, US Navy; Sidney A. Dry, US Navy; Sammie Lovell, US Army; Clarence "Chuck" Otterman, US Navy; A L "Mann Pinkston", US Navy; Glenn Prince, US Navy; V.A. "Buck" Reynolds, US Navy; Harold Rogers, US Navy - Seabees; Robert Rupe, US Navy; James R. Stephens, US Army; R.D. Strong, US Navy; Henry R. Victory, US Army; Willie Edward Windham, US Army; Earl O. Wood, US Army.
"Of all those names read, the last name, Mr. Earl Wood is the only one still alive in Shelby County. Not a native of Shelby County, but he has lived here for the past several years to be close to his family, he is part of our veteran family, he is 94 years old," said Hume.
Hume asked if anyone present had anything to say about Pearl Harbor or any relative who may have been there.
Evelyn Adams, daughter to Oswald "Bill" Adams took the opportunity to speak, "Daddy came back from the war, he didn't talk about it much. He had the visions, and he always heard the planes. The only he would tell us kids was describe the planes, he wouldn't talk about what happened."
Adams continued explained her father worked until he was 38 years old when he had his third breakdown. He had a body shop through which he supported his children.
"He got to where he couldn't go anymore, he got labeled with a lot of things that he didn't deserve. He was a very quiet man and he was a very good man, and we will always remember Pearl Harbor," said Adams.
At the completion of the ceremony, Taps was played as presented by John Piersol.
