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Colorado Springs Pearl Harbor survivor to attend State of the Union
http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-pearl-harbor-survivor-to-attend-state-of-the-union/article/1544838
By Tom Roeder Updated: January 19, 2015 at 7:47 pm
A 101-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor from Colorado Springs will accompany Sen. Michael Bennet to the State of the Union address Tuesday in Washington.
Retired Navy Lt. Jim Downing is the oldest known survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941, surprise attack on the American fleet at anchor in Hawaii.
"Lt. Downing is a hero who has lived an incredible life. Our nation is indebted to him and his fellow sailors for their service in defense of our country," Bennet, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Inviting him to attend the State of the Union is a one small act we can make to help honor him and the men and women who served during the attack on Pearl Harbor."
Downing was ashore from the USS West Virginia when Japanese planes put seven torpedoes into the battleship's hull. After the attack, he helped fight fires aboard the ship and assisted in the rescue of sailors.
FULL story at link.
