On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, more than 2,400 Americans were killed when Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii, propelling the United States into World War II.
This Sunday, Loveland veterans will mark the 84th anniversary of the event with a remembrance ceremony honoring those who died and those who have carried their stories forward.
“It was a big thing that happened to our country,” said Cody Smith, commander of American Legion Post 2000, the event’s host. “We just don’t want anyone to forget.”
The ceremony will take place at noon in front of the flagpole at Dwayne Webster Veterans Park, which is named for a Loveland resident who served aboard the USS Arizona and was killed during the attack.
The event will open with the Mountain View High School JROTC color guard presenting the colors, followed by a rendition of the national anthem by Melissa Flaherty, familiar to many for her performance at Loveland’s 9/11 memorial event.
The ceremony’s guest speaker will be third-generation Loveland resident Eric Weedin, a strong supporter of veteran causes in Loveland. He will tell the story of his uncle, who was serving at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day and was wounded in the attack.
“It’s important we keep those stories alive,” Smith said.
Smith said the ceremony remains intentionally brief — about 45 minutes — but features powerful symbolic elements, including the Marine Corps League, buglers sounding taps and the Honor Bell, which is traveling to Loveland once again.
“They were here last year, and they’re coming again. It adds something really meaningful,” he said.
This year’s remembrance will also include a moment of silence for two figures significant to Loveland’s veterans community. Attendees will honor Tony DuMosch, the longtime organizer of the event, who died nearly one year ago, as well as Jessie Mahaffey, one of the last known Pearl Harbor survivors who had served aboard the USS Oklahoma. Mahaffey died earlier this year at age 102.
Smith said acknowledging their absence is a reminder of why the ceremony matters.
“There’s not many left from World War II and the Pearl Harbor time frame,” he said. “We want to make sure the younger generation doesn’t forget. A lot of people today don’t know what Pearl Harbor was. Events like this keep the memory alive.”
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