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Local WWII Veteran remembers Pearl Harbor

Local WWII Veteran remembers Pearl Harbor
Local WWII Veteran remembers Pearl Harbor
Posted at 5:15 PM, Dec 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-07 17:15:00-05

CARRABELLE, Fla. (WTXL) - December 7, 1941, a day that will 'live in infamy' a day that caused the United States to enter World War Two.

Many of the men who joined the military after the attack on Pearl Harbor are no longer with us.

The ones who are, are still honored to share their stories. 

It's a day that many will never forget.  

"I was glued to the television. Couldn't believe it, that anyone would attack us," said Robert Dietz, WWII Veteran. 

Dietz was only 12-years-old when he saw Japan's air raid on the U.S. Naval Fleet in the Hawaiian Islands. It inspired him to enlist in the Army when he turned 17.  

"We all served for the same purpose when they attacked us, that's why we have to fight back," said Dietz. 

That same fight inspired Gerald Lake to join the Army. He died several years ago, but his daughter Bonnie Greenblett remembers him with pride.  

"My dad just loved being in the Army," said Bonnie. 

Lake was once honored to guard the Tomb of the Unknowns.  

"He was asked to guard it and that's a very big honor, it's a very special part of him that he loved most of all, that's the highest honor of all," said Bonnie.  

The honor, something you'll hear about from many of the Veterans in this generation, the Greatest Generation. They are honored to be Americans. 

"Just be proud that we are Americans. Other people can't live like we are," said Dietz. 

And with that honor comes a responsibility to remember Pearl Harbor.  

"It's part of our heritage. It's part of who we are, we should never forget," said Bonnie. "We can always go on with our lives but we will always be Americans."