Veterans who are a part of what many consider the "Greatest Generation" are dying at rate of 1,000 per day.
One veteran, both a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the invasion of Normandy, is finding a way to not just talk about his experiences but try to teach awareness and appreciation for the men that he fought beside and who haven't been able to tell their stories.
Paul Kennedy, who has traveled to many high schools around the country to speak about his experiences, will speak at Warsaw Community High School Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the Tiger Den for a Veterans Day convocation. The public may attend. For more information, call 574-371-5099.
Kennedy entered the Indiana Naval Reserve when he was 18 years old. From there his unit of 250 men was called to active duty on Nov. 4, 1940.
On the USS Sacramento, they traveled from Michigan City through the Great Lakes to Montreal, Canada, from the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean, and then to Pearl Harbor in August 1941.
Kennedy was on watch from midnight to 4 a.m. on Dec. 7 and had just barely gotten to sleep as the Japanese began their attack on the harbor. In just one hour and 45 minutes, 350 planes came in two major waves, destroying 19 major ships and killing 2,280 of Kennedy's fellow soldiers.
After Pearl Harbor, Kennedy's tour of duty continued into "destroyer duty" in the North Atlantic. Later, he was even involved in the invasion of Normandy, France.
Kennedy said the only thing that helps him deal with what he has experienced is to talk about it. Because of what Kennedy went through on Dec. 7, and the other interactions he's had with war, he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for many years. He said he suffered from this ailment for quite sometime until he realized that talking about his encounters is truly the only thing that helps him.
However, it is not just personal benefit that motivates this veteran to publicly talk about Pearl Harbor and World War II. He said he realizes that students need to learn more about this infamous day in history and the events that surround it.
"I talked to a history teacher that told me that in the current history books, there is only about a page and a half to two pages that focus on the attack on Pearl," said Kennedy. "And that's just not enough for students to fully understand and appreciate what went on."
Kennedy said, "The current generation of young people doesn't fully realize and understand the seriousness of war, and the only way for them to understand what happened is to hear it first hand."
