Long Island remembers: ‘Dropping of the Roses’ marks 84 years since Pearl Harbor attack
The ambush from the Japanese killed over 2,300 troops and catapulted the United States into World War II 84 years ago.
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The "Dropping of the Roses" ceremony at the American Air Power Museum marked the 84th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, remembering those who died and the veterans who served our country, like Dominick Critelli, 104, of Floral Park.
"I remember the buddies that I left behind. I gained 80 years. Those guys are still 22 years old and buried," said the WWII veteran.
The ambush from the Japanese on the Hawaii naval based killed more than 2,400 American soldiers and civilians, sending the U.S. into World War II.
The Long Island Air Force Association organized the remembrance in Farmingdale.
"We cannot let generations of Americans forget what happened in Pearl Harbor that day. The bloodshed, the sacrifice, the courage," said Bill Stratemeier, with the Long Island Air Force Association.
For the 84th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Navy cadets flew 84 roses to New York City and dropped them near the Statue of Liberty.
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Band
The plane dropped the roses at 12:55 p.m., the exact time in New York that Pearl Harbor was attacked.
