Looking Back on 12/07/41

John Latko, 84, knows this may be the final journey he will make from his home in Indiana to the place where his ship was sunk by Japanese fighter planes in 1941.

The 61st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor was expected to be a subdued commemoration today. Last year, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks helped create a flurry of interest that drew thousands to Hawaii and Pearl Harbor.

Latko, a former Marine private, may be one of just 50 Pearl Harbor survivors who attend today’s services. Last year, about 2,500 survivors attended, officials at the USS Arizona Memorial said.

“I’m getting old and I move slowly,” said Latko of Hammond, Ind. “I thought I’d come this last time to pay my respects to my fallen shipmates.”

On Dec. 7, 1941, Latko and his shipmates aboard the West Virginia were getting ready to enjoy a picnic and a baseball game at the naval ammunition dump when the surprise attack began.

“As we’re waiting on deck, we see a plane coming over, dive-bombing,” he said. “We noticed the red circle on it and then we realized that there’s something wrong.”

Then, his ship -- about 40 yards from the doomed battleship Arizona -- was hit; 213 were killed. The attacks killed 2,390 people, including 1,177 men aboard the Arizona.

A more reserved observance of the anniversary will not diminish the significance of the day, said Daniel Martinez, a historian for the USS Arizona Memorial.

“It’s the type of attack that was so savage that it’s just etched into the memories of Americans,” Martinez said. “It’s a stain in the American fabric that’s difficult to wash away.”