Pearl Harbor remembered during Williamsburg ceremony

Over two-dozen people gathered outside the Whitley County Courthouse Saturday afternoon to commemorate the 78^th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Dianne Chambers and David Etter placed a wreath Saturday in front of the veteran’s memorial at the old Whitley County Courthouse.

The Whitley County chapters of the National Society of The Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution organized the memorial service.

“Today we are commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor, which was 78 years ago, which was on Dec. 7, 1941. We have placed a wreath at the veteran’s memorial for about the past 10 years on Dec. 7,” noted Dianne Chambers, regent for the William-Whitley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“It is not just to recognize our WWII veterans, but all of our veterans and active military. We want to show our appreciation for and respect for them for their service and their sacrifice. You have made such as great difference for our

Dianne Chambers addressed the crowd of more than two dozen in attendance.

country.”

Over 2,300 military members died during the 1941 attack.

This year’ Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day was held in honor of Pearl Harbor survivor Edward Moses, who was the last surviving Whitley County native at Pearl Harbor that fateful day.

Moses died on July 24, 2000, and is buried in Piney Grove Methodist Church Cemetery.

“We are grateful to people like Ed, who were part of that, and that as they survived, they encouraged the rest of us to always be vigilant and alert and to understand that freedom isn’t free,” said. Dr. David Etter, president of the Captain Charles Gatliff Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

During the ceremony, organizers also noted the burial this year of Corbin native Ulis Steely, a Machinist’s Mate 1^st Class, who was serving on the USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor when he died.

In October 2018, his remains were identified.

Etter and Chambers laid a wreath in front of the veterans’ memorial at the Whitley County Courthouse to close out Saturday’s ceremony.

Among those in attendance Saturday was a youth group from St. Aloysius in New Canaan, Connecticut, which was staying in Corbin as part of a mission effort with the Christian Appalachian Project.