CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas —
There was a small crowd of people who took part in the annual Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony at Sherrill Park.
One World War II veteran wasn’t too happy about the small crowd on Wednesday.
"People don’t care," said World War II survivor Jose Mendez. "You can see it here, where we have 330,000 people in this area and we don’t even have two or 3 percent to come out. So people don’t care."
Mendez said Pearl Harbor was the catalyst for him enlisting in the Army where he eventually fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo also noticed the lack of people at the annual ceremony.
She said she plans to invite students in the future, so that the younger generations can rub shoulders with veterans and learn about their sacrifices for our country.
Guajardo said she believes Pearl Harbor helped to really change the face of the city.
"I think Pearl Harbor definitely had an effect on Corpus Christi, and not only Corpus Christi but our residents," she said. "We became a military city. We became a patriotic community that supports those who served and continue to serve, and it really started a new chapter for the city of Corpus Christi."
Korean War veteran Dotson Lewis said he tried to sign up to serve in the military after Pearl Harbor, but was told he was too young.
He said he remembers how that attack changed everything.
"Immediately, we started getting rationing and we started working toward the war effort," he said. "We began to collect cans and all that kind of stuff in the thing that I like about it was that, everybody got with it. It’s something we need to do today."
101-year-old Bob Batterson is a World War II Navy veteran. He agreed that Corpus Christi changed from a quiet coastal town to a bustling military hub.
After Pearl Harbor, NAS-Corpus Christi soon became the largest flight training base in the world.
Many of the men who couldn’t get into the military took jobs on the base, as did many of the women around town, all playing a vital part in the eventual allied victory.
"It made Corpus Christi a very strong military city, and there was a lot of government activity here because of it, and, I assume, that will continue," he said.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- These houses are lit! Here's where you can see Christmas lights in Corpus Christi
- Man bitten by shark while surfing at North Packery Channel
- South Texas drag productions company said they're upping security due to threats
- Nueces County traffic stop turns into largest liquid fentanyl drug bust in US history
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for your daily news and exclusive extended interviews.
Do you have a news tip? Tell 3!
Put your name and contact information below, or email tell3@kiiitv.com, so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
If you do not have a photo/video to submit, just click "OK" to skip that prompt.