MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, along with members of The Greatest Generations Foundation, toured the island visiting memorials, as well as Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Dec. 5, 2014.
The nonprofit foundation returns to Hawaii each year with veterans from the “greatest generation,” a term coined by broadcaster Tom Brokaw in his book of the same title, about World War II service members who grew up in the Great Depression.
Michael “Mickey” M. Ganitch, a Pearl Harbor survivor, said the former service members wanted to pass on the knowledge of their experiences to keep younger members of the military informed of the past.
The visitors went to the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy and met with all ranks, from lance corporal to master gunnery sergeant, answering any questions they had.
Lance Cpl. Casey Loveless, with Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, said to this day, Marines feel a sense of pride carrying the same title as those who paved the way for them.
“It’s cool because it’s not something you can get from television,” Loveless said. “It’s history you can only get from these guys.”
Loveless said the Marines couldn’t help but be motivated after hearing some of the stories the veterans had to tell.
Ganitch said he and his comrades enjoyed visiting with the Marines and reminiscing about what it was like in the service.
“We were all just kids growing up,” said Ganitch, who was born in 1919. “We were all scared but we did what we were trained to do.”
Following the question-and-answer session, members of the Greatest Generation went to the Kaneohe Klipper Memorial where they met with Col. Eric W. Schaefer, the commanding officer of MCB Hawaii. Together, the group laid a wreath at the base of the monument and Schaefer thanked each veteran for their service.
Ganitch said his participation in the military is something he will always remember with fondness. He said he lived through the “Roaring ‘20s,” the stock market crash and eventually World War II, when he and his generation enlisted to help in any way they could. Now, as veterans, they come back each year so they can see the new service members.
During the last portion of the visit, the Greatest Generation went to Anderson Hall Dining Facility and ate with the Marines, continuing to answer questions into the evening.
“(We visit) trying to bring back memories to the people,” Ganitch said. “Hoping people can learn from the past.”