Seventy-years ago today, nearly 2,400 people lost their lives when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor.
The event got the United States involved in World War II.
At the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2777 in Burton sits Norbert Sergeant.
Most people call him "Sarge."
"When somebody calls me by my first name, I have to stop and think who are they talking to," says Sergeant.
This Sergeant was a Navyman, who did not wait to be drafted.
He enlisted after the attack on pearl harbor. "I guess just patriotism, I don't know what else because everybody back then, every young man wanted to get in there."
Sarge is a member of what Tom Brokaw calls the "greatest generation," those that grew up during the Great Depression and served in World War II.
It's estimated 1,100 World War II veterans die every day.
The last World War 1 veteran to see active duty died this spring.
Sarge says his generation produced patriots but that future generations did not carry the torch quite so high.
"That started just after WWII. I mean, in extra wars, they had to draft them because they could not get them any other way, but that's something I've never been able to understand."
He was 22 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
He's now 92, but his memories are still fresh about Japanese destroyers getting too close to his ship.
"That's when we started getting scared."
Sarge lost four men from his ship in combat.
He says he was also willing to die for his country and would not change a thing.
"I don't know too many things I would do any different."
Sarge tells NBC25 after got back from the war the United States offered him full benefits for his service. He turned them down, saying he already had a good job waiting for him and that the benefits could be used for someone who truly needed them.
