SANFORD — Don Littlefield and Leon Tanguay, 90 and 93, respectively, can’t say exactly what they were doing on Dec 7, 1941, when Japanese air forces bombed Hawaii at Pearl Harbor.

The war had been raging in Europe for two years.

Both men acknowledged they knew what would happen next, and it did — America entered World War II.

It was to go on for three more years, and both men served with the military during the war.

Tanguay was a U.S. Army scout with the 28th Infantry when hewas taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans near St. Lo, France, on Aug. 5, 1944. The 19-year-old was held for nine months.

Littlefield was a member of the U. S. Navy, he was in the crows nest near the whistle on a minesweeper when the end of the war came.

The two were among those present Thursday when Sanford veterans groups marked Pearl Harbor Day. 

Littlefield made his way to the water’s edge and gently tossed the ceremonial wreath into Number One Pond.

Chaplain Manny DeAmaral offered a prayer.

“Let us be reminded of life, liberty, justice, freedom and democracy that we may be ever grateful to You and those veterans who gave so much for their country,” he prayed.

Three shots rang out into the morning stillness, fired by an honor guard.

Members of the Junior ROTC  presented the colors.

Jim Bachelder of the Veterans of Foreign Wars sounded Taps.

According to the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center, the total number of military personnel killed in the attack December was 2,335, including 2,008 Navy personnel, 109 Marines, and 218 Army. There were 68 civilian deaths, making the total 2,403 people dead; 1,177 were from the USS Arizona.

The number of wounded came to 1,143 with 710 Navy, 69 Marines, and 364 Army, as well as 103 civilians, according to the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center.

Japanese personnel losses in the attack totaled 55.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].