Bill McAnany, a crew member on the U.S.S. Solace, was sight-seeing nearby when chaos insued at Pearl Harbor.
McAnany will always remember the announcement from the car radio.
"And sure enough they were broadcasting that anybody in the service should get back to their ships or stations, and indecently we had a japanese cab driver," McAnany said.
The U.S.S. Solace was a hospital ship and had a front row view of to all the mayhem.
James Underwood, another crewman that witnessed the attacks on Pearl Harbor, said "when i got to the porthole I saw the Utah, which was a target ship, capsize."
"The U.S.S. Arizona, which was just forward of our ship, burst into... poof," said Ralph Laebtke.
The Solace was the first one to send help to the Arizona, evacuating the wounded and pulling the injured out of the water which was covered in burning oil.
McAnany said he doesn't want to take life for granted and that each reunion, like the one today in Lubbock, rekindles old friendships.
"About noon, the commanding officer of the naval air station, got on the bull horn and said, now here this, all hands standby to repel boarders. Which is an ordinary saying, the days of the wooden ships, but they thought the Japanese had landed and were coming in," McAnany said.
It is rare to see any Pearl Harbor heroes these days, but on days like today, they actually get to see each other and share their harrowing war stories.
