GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ)- On this 76th anniversary day, one local Pearl Harbor Survivor is sharing a less common perspective of what December 7th is about to him.
Green Bay resident Firman Balza is one of few survivors living in Wisconsin, and says to him, it’s more about learning rather than reflecting.
“To me it’s just another day, but to a lot of other folks, they don’t even know about it. I can’t even begin to put enough emphasis on how horrendous it was for Firman.”
But rather than look back on the day, Balza uses December 7th to share a message from the words of President Franklin Roosevelt.
“Find out someway in the world where we can get rid of our weapons and shake hands and do stuff in a kindly matter. We haven’t cultivated the fact that we have to learn to get along and live together in a world of peace.”
Firman entered the US Navy in January 1941 and arrived at Pearl Harbor in July.
“1941 when Firman stood on the deck of the USS Maryland, and watched all that death and distruction, and we sign that deceleration that we will not do that anymore and we are still doing it.”
Firman urges everyone today, Don’t Make a Scene, Make a Change,
“Don’t make a great big thing out of it, turn it around and make something useful out of it, and we are not doing that.”
If he has one request for this anniversary day, it’s remember the words of President Roosevelt.
“If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.”
Balza is one of few survivors that reside in Wisconsin.
