Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2470 and American Legion Post 33 in Ottawa held a ceremony to remember Pearl Harbor Day Wednesday. The ceremony remembered three men from Ottawa who died during the attack on December 7th, 1941. Speaker Ron Leiteriz talked about Marine Cpl. James McCarrens, Navy Cook Herman Koeppe, and Capt. Robert Halterman. McCarrens and Koeppe died on the U.S.S Arizona and Halterman died on the U.S.S Okalahoma.
The ceremony ended with a gun salute and a playing of “Taps.” Afterward, two flags that were stored for eleven years at the VFW building that belonged to the American Legion were returned to the legion.
Wednesday is the 81st anniversary of the attack. 2,403 service members and civilians died during the Japanese attack.
Roger Reynolds speaks during the Pearl Harbor Day ceremony.
One of the flags the Ottawa VFW returned to the Ottawa American Legion.