The Community R6 High School gym was packed full of people that represented all walks of life on Wednesday, Dec. 8, the 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day.
The Japanese attacked Pearl …
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The Community R6 High School gym was packed full of people that represented all walks of life on Wednesday, Dec. 8, the 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day.
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Rear Admiral Samuel G. Fuqua served on the U.S.S. Battleship Arizona. Fuqua was knocked unconscious by one of the bombs that hit the ship. After coming to, he directed efforts to fight the fires and rescue wounded crewmen. His selfless acts earned him a Medal of Honor. Fuqua attended public schools in Laddonia and one year at the University of Missouri, then served with the U.S. Army and U.S. Naval Academy, retired as a Rear Admiral and is buried at Arlington Cemetery.
To kick things off at the ceremony on Wednesday, Naval Reserve Officer's Training Corps of the University of Missouri presented the Colors.
The ceremony featured speeches from Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe; Charles (Chip) Nagle, Admiral Fuqua's grandson; and Navy Admiral Phillip Sobeck, from TRANSCOM at Scott Air Force Base. Mexico's own historian Tony Robertson, served as emcee.
"December 7, 1941 stands both as an historical milestone and an inflection point. A milestone in that, like other events such as the Kennedy assassination, 9/11-folks living at the time remember just what they were doing, and where they were when they heard the news. An inflection point, in that the lives of millions of people were dramatically transformed that day, compared to before," said Robertson. In his closing remarks Robertson told the audience "I would like to leave you all with this thought: Over 330 Sailors and Marines from the USS Arizona survived the sinking. Me like our Native Son Samuel Fuqua made that possible. Think of them, their loved ones. Think of how many children, grand-children, great-grand-children, and eve two-great-grand-children they had. All of them living legacies of the selfless service, sacrifice, and courage of men like Admiral Samuel Fuqua."
Two signs created by the Missouri Department of Transportation that will be displayed when entering and leaving Laddonia were then revealed by Lt. Gov. Kehoe. The signs will be placed along each entrance to Laddonia on Highway 19.
