MONTE VISTA — Veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor George Blake took part in a Pearl Harbor Memorial ceremony on Dec. 7 via Zoom thanks to the effort of local businessman Bob Richards.
Richards allowed Blake, 102, the use of the Vali 3 Theatre to attend the ceremony in Hawaii virtually on the big screen. Movie theater operator, Richards, opened it up to the public so people could show their support for Blake, who lives at the Colorado Veterans Community Living Center at Homelake.
For many years Blake has traveled to Hawaii to attend a ceremony that the Pearl Harbor Memorial Foundation holds every year on Dec. 7, but was not able to make it this year.
At least 75 people attended the ceremony for Blake and sat in the theater with him. The foundation could see Blake and everyone sitting with him. The foundation spoke about Blake and mentioned what an honor it was to still have him. There was a salute given on the big screen from Hawaii.
The entire theater clapped and cheered when they heard the mention of Blake.
“Also, a special welcome to Mr. George Blake, who is watching virtually with many of his friends and fellow Veterans, from the Veterans Community Living Center. Mr. Blake served with the 41st Post Artillery Regimen. The last known living post artillery soldier who served at the Hawaii post artillery command here at Fort Kamehameha, during the attack on Pearl Harbor,” the emcee of the ceremony said.
There were various speakers throughout the ceremony in Hawaii. Some of the speakers spoke specifically about certain fallen soldiers who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor. Blake was mentioned many times as a survivor.
John Hanson, son of Private Henry Hanson, was one of the guest speakers. He spoke about his father and about Blake.
“It really is a humbling privilege to be here with the venerable George Blake once again, who was also here defending the nation that fateful day (Dec. 7, 1941), and who has remained dedicated to remembering for 82 years, remembering those who fought and died here especially. You may not agree but you are a hero sir. Thank you for your service and for profoundly inspiring all of us,” Hanson said.
Years ago, on a trip back to Hawaii Blake wrote a poem entitled “Why you not me.” In it, Blake asks why so many other people died at Pearl Harbor, yet his life was spared. The poem was also read in Hawaii.
At the end of the ceremony, Blake was helped to the front of the theater for a question-and-answer period and a special presentation.
Richards was touched by the poem and worked with James Pacheco of the Polished Edge to design a small version of it on a piece of granite that was presented to Blake.
Richards asked Blake to explain why he wrote the poem. Blake said he was at Pearl Harbor visiting like he often did, and that there was a room with names of everyone who had died at Pearl Harbor. He explained that he couldn’t sleep that night thinking about how many people had died.
“I got to thinking about it and they were just kids, the average age of the ones that died were 17-19 years old. I thought about it, and I thought if the Lord decides who lives and who dies, how come he took all those people, and I am still here. When I got up in the morning, I took those thoughts and put them into a rhyme. It’s been shown in several places around the country,” Blake said.
A larger version of the poem on stone is planned and placed either at Faith Hinkley Memorial Park, or at Homelake.
Blake enlisted in the US Army on March 5, 1940, and was stationed in Hawaii for basic training.
On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, Blake was headed to the gym to play basketball. When the attack started, Blake thought it was a drill.
“It sounded like an airplane landing on a corrugated tin roof,” he said. “Suddenly we heard explosions and a rat-a-tat-tat. The sky was full of planes. It took a while for my mind to comprehend all that I was seeing. I thought it was a very realistic drill, except there were rising suns on those planes.”
Blake survived the Pearl Harbor attack and stayed in Pearl Harbor, in Harbor defense. He returned to the mainland and worked as a Radar Instructor in Fort Monroe, Va., until he was discharged on July 15, 1945. He lived in Salida for 40 years before moving to Homelake. He turned 102 in January.
“It’s an honor to be here, and have people interested in this history. It’s humbling for me to get all this attention. I was just a 19-year-old kid who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time making history. I appreciate your interest., remembering Pearl Harbor 82 years ago.”
