- Video shows the 82nd ceremony commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- Local veterans gathered at the Kern County World War II memorial to honor the 82nd Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, as well the latest Pearl Harbor survivor to pass away, Bob Berman.
A dark day in history, one still remembered 82 years later.
Mayde Hurley, director of resident programs at Brookdale Riverlake, has heard the stories from Pearl Harbor survivor Bob Berman.
“He didn’t talk about Pearl,” she said. “From what we gathered, he was on the ship, under a gunner, and his quarters were hit. So his buddies were the ones who passed away.”
Berman, perhaps the last known Pearl Harbor survivor in Kern, passed away this year, taking many of his stories with him.
“You could tell he was honored to serve in the U.S. Navy,” said Jeff Toomer, executive director at Brookdale Riverwalk. “Bob was a man of few words though, because he cherished it in his heart.”
While he spent his days dancing the halls of Brookdale, his service did not go unnoticed.
“He didn’t talk too much about the kamikaze, he’d share a little here and there, but he was really proud to serve,” Hurley said. “The heroes were the ones who died, and he didn’t want to take that hero card from them.”
As veterans and community members commemorated the day with the laying of the wreath and a folded flag, Hurley held memories of Bob in her heart. Standing beside the memorial honoring the sacrifices made by heroes in World War II, she hopes everyone will take into their hearts the memories of those who served.
“It felt special, because I consider him part of my family, he was like my grandpa,” she said. “Continuing their legacy and knowing that people like this served, people should know.”
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