PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by Japanese forces 80 years ago. More than 2,300 people died.
“When I went into the service. I was 18 and spent my 19th birthday in a prison camp,” World War II Veteran Thomas Houdek said.
Read: Survivors gather to remember those lost at Pearl Harbor
Houdek is 95 years old now.
“I always remember it all the time. I keep the names of people that I knew who passed away. My cousin served in the Pacific and a sniper got him right between the eyes,” Houdek said.
Around a dozen people gathered in Downtown Plymouth at the Plymouth Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street for a memorial service.
Ronald King is a Vietnam Veteran. He said the Pearl Harbor memorials are more than just to remember what happened -- it’s to respect those who fought in the war.
“It’s a day of sacrifice. It’s a day that we remember the Veterans that went before us and gave their lives. We honor them. We respect them and will forever have remember what they did for our country,” King said.
It’s an honor Houdek doesn’t take lightly.
“I’m so honored to serve my country,” Houdek said.