Remembering infamous date

The 65th anniversary of the bombing at Pearl Harbor will be observed on land and at sea today in Newport-Mesa, with events at Orange Coast College and aboard the tall ship Lynx in Newport Harbor.

While events may be few to commemorate the attack against the United States naval base on Dec. 7, 1941, they promise passion and patriotism. The “date which will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it, is one many will never forget.

“I think it is important to remember the huge sacrifices that were made in this country and the vast amount of treasure that we expended to defeat Nazism and Japanese militarism,” said Charles J. Quilter II, a retired Marine colonel who is working to complete his doctorate in history at UC Irvine.

“It took a tremendous effort not only by U.S. military but also by people at home,” said Quilter, who has served in Vietnam, Bosnia and Iraq.

Orange Coast College’s Social and Behavioral Sciences division has put together a remembrance, though the event was actually sparked by more recent events.

Susan Smith, a history instructor at OCC, said the commemoration was planned as a “direct response” to the student trustees’ recent decision to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from their meeting agendas. The students later reversed that decision.

“We are trying to say, as loudly as possible, to our community that we still consider God and country important,” Smith said.

Keynote speaker George Key, great-great-grandson of “The Star-Spangled Banner” author Francis Scott Key, will reflect on his ancestor and his own experiences as a World War II veteran.

The program also features a Camp Pendleton Marine Corps color guard, a Pearl Harbor eyewitness account from retired Lt. Col. Andrew Weniger, OCC President Robert Dees and others.

The campus observance will take place today from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Giles T. Brown Forum. The public is encouraged to attend this free event.

Veterans looking to commemorate the day can head to Newport Harbor and board the tall ship Lynx for a ride that includes a cannon salute and the laying of a memorial wreath in the Pacific Ocean.

The Lynx Educational Foundation, the event’s coordinator, expects more than 15 veterans to turn out for the voyage, some of whom will wear a full uniform.

The ship will sail from the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum at 141 E. Coast Highway from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $50 per person or $45 for seniors. Anyone interested in participating should be at the museum by 8:30 a.m.