A Navy veteran of Pearl Harbor celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday surrounded by well-wishers in Church Point, Louisiana.
News 15 reported the celebration took place at American Legion Post 225. In a social media post, the Legion said Monday, “Mr. Joe Richard’s 100th birthday celebration was amazing. We can’t thank everybody enough for making this day so special.”
“A special thank you to our National Guard, Navy, and local veterans for showing up to support our Brother!!” the American Legion’s announcement continued.
Richard, who is reportedly Louisiana’s last Pearl Harbor survivor, was there when the Japanese attacked on the morning of December 7, 1941, a day that will never be forgotten.
The surprise attack involved hundreds of enemy Japanese fighter planes that destroyed or damaged approximately 20 American naval vessels and hundreds of planes, according to History.com.
“More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan,” the website read.
Video footage shows the horrific scene with explosions going off, blazing infernos, and ships sinking into the water:
Richard saved more than 30 sailors from the wreckage in the days after the infamous attack, and those actions have brought him much honor.
In 2022, Richard recalled working to rescue sailors from the wreckage. “We passed by the Oklahoma, and I thought I heard a tap. So, I asked the boatswain mate to cut the motor off and we paddled around.”
“We made a couple of rounds ’til after a while you heard, ‘Pop, pop, pop.’ So we went and got our equipment, came and cut them out. There was three men in there. Just their heads sticking out of the water,” he explained.
During the recent birthday party, one of his daughters said, “He’s taught us the most important thing: to take care of the veterans.”