We must honor and appreciate our veterans while they are alive since they have sacrificed so much for us!
Gary Sinise made veterans feel special!
The National World II Museum in New Orleans hosted a lavish gala for World War II veterans on Wednesday. The oldest Pearl Harbor survivor was honored with a flag-lined procession.
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His 5-year-old great-grandson and 21-month-old great-granddaughter attended the occasion.
On Friday, Eskenazi boarded an Amtrak train from California to New Orleans for his 105th birthday. Additional Army, Navy, and Marine veterans flew in for the ceremony.
The Soaring Valor Program, a charity founded by actor Gary Sinise, helped soldiers and first responders. The initiative takes WWII soldiers and their guardians to the museum.
Pearl Harbor occurred while Eskenazi was an Army private first class. He remembers waking up to a bomb dropping near him but not exploding.
As Japanese bombers sank the battleship USS Arizona, Schofield Barracks exploded. Despite German planes’ machine gun fire throwing up dust around them, the veteran offered to drive a bulldozer across a field to clear it for a runway.
“I don’t even know why—my hand simply went up when they asked for volunteers,” Eskenazi said. “Nobody else raised their hand because they knew it meant go. Unconsciously.”