The Aurora Council of the Navy League held their 47th annual Pearl Harbor Day Memorial Luncheon in the Gaslite Manor Banquet Hall here to remember the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack and honor local survivors, Dec. 5.

Nearly 300 people attended the event to honor Navy veteran, Joe Triolo of Zion, Illinois, and Army Veteran, Everett "Jim" Schlegel of Elgin, Illinois. Triolo was a crewmember aboard the USS Tangier (AV-8) and Schlegel was stationed at the U. S. Army's Schofield Barracks during the attack by Japan on Dec. 7, 1941, that signaled the beginning of World War II for the United States.

In an interview with Chicago ABC News affiliate, Triolo said, "We were at war. We knew we were surprised. We knew they were out to kill us. To see those ships capsized and sunk with people that were alive, still alive and they stayed alive, we found out later, for some time before they perished. You try to push on. You do the best you can. That's why I'm here (today) -- for those fellows that didn't make it."

Triolo and Schlegel were given a standing ovation from the many veterans, local leaders and youth in attendance at the event.

"It is truly an honor and a privilege to recognize our American heroes from the attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago and pay tribute to those who gave their lives that day," said Navy Capt. Douglas Pfeile, Chief-of-Staff for Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) and keynote speaker. "Today's Navy lives on through your legacy. Your bravery and the courage and bravery of your shipmates and soldiers have not been forgotten and they remain an inspiration to our current and future generation of Sailors, Marines and military members in general."

The event is held in conjunction with Ted Brattin Civic Youth Awards by the Aurora Rotary Club to honor youth who have shown outstanding leadership and selfless service to the community. The awards are presented in memory of Mr. Ted Brattin, who served in the U. S. Marine Corps during World War II and was involved in the founding of the Aurora Council of the Navy League and the Aurora-Naperville Rotary Club.

The NSTC commander, Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, and his staff oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy's citizenship development program. That includes overseeing Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy's only boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois; Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at more than 160 colleges and universities across the country; Officer Training Command (OTC) in Newport, Rhode Island; and the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development program at more than 600 high schools worldwide.



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For more news from Naval Service Training Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.