Remembering That Infamous Day
By John Andrews
It's believed that only five South Dakotans who were at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 are still alive, and two of them will be at Deadwood's Mount Moriah Cemetery Monday for a remembrance ceremony beginning at 11 a.m.
Steve Warren and Stan Lieberman, both of Rapid City, were seamen who still remember seeing the Japanese pilots smile and laugh as they flew in that morning and sprayed the harbor with bullets and bombs. The ceremony includes raising a coffin flag from World War II veteran Jim Martin, who died in August. A local color guard plans a 21-gun salute and echo Taps will be played. Following the ceremony at Mount Moriah, Warren and Lieberman will talk about their Pearl Harbor experiences at the Deadwood VFW Hall.
Vince Coyle, of Deadwood, called yesterday to tell us about the event. He says the veterans joked that they need to get their stories out "while they're still on this side of the daisies." All Pearl Harbor ceremonies are emotional, but Mount Moriah's especially tugs at heart strings, Coyle says. "We do echo Taps and the 21-gun salute from the hill, so the sound goes out over the valley," he says. "Then it comes back, and it really gets you."
Steve Miller, of the Rapid City Journal, wrote this story about the two veterans last month.
It's believed that only five South Dakotans who were at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 are still alive, and two of them will be at Deadwood's Mount Moriah Cemetery Monday for a remembrance ceremony beginning at 11 a.m.Steve Warren and Stan Lieberman, both of Rapid City, were seamen who still remember seeing the Japanese pilots smile and laugh as they flew in that morning and sprayed the harbor with bullets and bombs. The ceremony includes raising a coffin flag from World War II veteran Jim Martin, who died in August. A local color guard plans a 21-gun salute and echo Taps will be played. Following the ceremony at Mount Moriah, Warren and Lieberman will talk about their Pearl Harbor experiences at the Deadwood VFW Hall.
Vince Coyle, of Deadwood, called yesterday to tell us about the event. He says the veterans joked that they need to get their stories out "while they're still on this side of the daisies." All Pearl Harbor ceremonies are emotional, but Mount Moriah's especially tugs at heart strings, Coyle says. "We do echo Taps and the 21-gun salute from the hill, so the sound goes out over the valley," he says. "Then it comes back, and it really gets you."
Steve Miller, of the Rapid City Journal, wrote this story about the two veterans last month.
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Do you have a list of South Dakotans who died at Pearl?
Comment by micaela — December 4, 2009 @ 3:24 pm
Well today Dec 7, 2009 some of us War kids (those of use who grew up during the war) will be at the Journey Museum in Rapid at @:30 PM to tell our rememberamnce of those day. It will be several of us who wrote a chapter in the book Ed Martley authored and titled “WAR KIDS” The littlest generation. So if you are in the are this PM stop down to the Journey in Rapid.
Comment by Grumpy — December 7, 2009 @ 7:35 am
Micaela - There’s a story in today’s Mitchell Daily Republic that says nine South Dakotans died in the Pearl Harbor attack. http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/article/id/39177/
Comment by John Andrews — December 7, 2009 @ 9:11 am