Pearl Harbor veterans tell their stories
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Friday marked the 71-year anniversary of the bombing of Peal Harbor, one of the most devastating attacks on American soil.
Several local survivors of the attack gathered at the Headliners Club in Downtown Austin to commemorate the day.
The bombing killed more than 2,300 service members and nearly 50 civilians. It also drew the United States into World War II.
Mayor Lee Leffingwell joined members of Honor Flight Austin and other veterans at the event.
WWII veteran Andrew Desrochers said he remembers the attack like it happened yesterday.
"We were terrified,” he said. “The first thing we know, you look at Pearl Harbor and they are dropping torpedoes over there, and ships are getting blown up and fire. The harbor was an inferno."
Veterans with first-person memories are becoming harder to come by. Honor Flight Austin says anywhere from 800 to 1,000 World War II vets die every day.