COVID-19 dampens but won’t undermine the Hawaiian ceremony.
The event, scheduled for September 2nd, was planned as a showstopping celebration that U.S. veterans had been looking forward to for years. But with COVID-19 spikes on Oahu, Hawaii’s most populous island and location of Pearl Harbor, ceremonies had to be pared back quite a bit. 200 veterans and their families are still slated to attend, just with restrictions in place in order to accommodate social distancing rules.
“I’ve been told what I need to do in order to be responsible for myself but also toward others,” said WWII veteran Jerry Pedersen. “I can’t hug the people that I’d like to hug.” Pedersen watched the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri and turned 95 on Wednesday. Other federal officials will also be in attendance.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the health and safety of our veterans as they celebrate.
- For Defense Secretary Mark Esper as he works to honor the efforts and lives of our veterans.
- That the Lord would protect the United States as we continue to fight against COVID-19.
Sources: AP News, MSN, Stars and Stripes
