The oldest living survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor celebrated is 105th birthday a little early, at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Wednesday. He was greeted by hundreds of flag flying admirers that lined the sidewalk outside the museum. He and 14 other World War II vets rode an Amtrak Train from California to New Orleans for the occasion. The trip was made possible by the “Soaring Valor Program”, dedicated to aiding vets and first responders. They arrange trips to the museum for WW II Vets and their families. Richard Eskenazi was a Private First Class in the Army when the attack occurred. His memories include being awakened when a bomb fell — but didn’t explode less than 50 fee from his bunk at Schofield Barracks; reverberating explosions as the Battleship USS Arizona was sunk by Japanese bombs; and machine gun fire from enemy planes kicking up dust around him after he volunteered to drive a bulldozer across a field so it could be used to clear runways. When asked what his life advice would be, he said:
Eskenazi will celebrate his actual birthday in Redondo Beach, California, with family, on January 30th. What an incredible story of a much more incredible man.
