SPOKANE, Wash. – Wednesday marks the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Remembrance ceremonies were held across the country, including one in Spokane. Almost all of our Pearl Harbor veteran survivors have passed away, except for one. Wednesday’s ceremony was dedicated to him.
Bracing against the cold, Ray Garland stepped off the bus alone. He is no longer one of Spokane's living Pearl Harbor veteran survivors, he is the only one. For years, he belonged to an elite group of heroes, proud U.S. military veterans.
Each and every year, we have honored them for their bravery in the face of an unprecedented attack, to thank them for their service, and for sharing those stories that only they could remember. That group of Spokane heroes got smaller and smaller. Until this year, there is just one.
"Time goes by, I guess. You get to be my age, and all your friends are gone," said Garland. "I didn't think I'd be the last one here. I was kind of the youngest one of the group."
He said he is grateful for the chats they had. And on this day, as Ray sat there all alone, it was a stark reminder that real heroes are never truly gone.