Meet The Oldest Living Pearl Harbor Survivor
Ilidia Nicholas,
Joseph C. Eskenazi turned 105 earlier this year, and is the oldest known survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks. He had enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941, just mere months before the attacks occurred.
That morning, he was awoken from his Schofield Barracks room just 17 miles from Pearl Harbor. He ran outside and witnessed a low-flying Japanese airplane drop a bomb about 150 feet away.
Eskenazi, just 22 years old at the time, immediately raised his hand to volunteer to help clear bombed-out railroad tracks so other soldiers could move heavy equipment and repair the airfield.
While in the vehicle, one last plane strafed him and machine gun fire erupted all around him. Luckily, he did not get hit.
When asked what the secret to living into your hundreds, he says "I don't let anything bother me too much. Just like a bird, they get wet and they just shake it off." His birthday wish: to live to be 120!
Here at Flag Shirt, we love to highlight Veterans for their sacrifice to our great nation.
Thank you to Joseph and all Veterans for your service. If you have a patriotic hero you'd like to nominate, we'd love to feature them!
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