Sadly, this year could mark the end of an era. The number of members in the national Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, which was founded in 1958, have dropped so low, the possibility of shuttering it will be discussed at its national convention in Honolulu, which began Saturday and runs through Friday. The San Diego chapter has 74 members, but a few days ago it ran a rather somber ad on San Diego's Craiglist page stating:
Denise Goolsby of the Desert Sun in Palm Springs reports that out of 60,000 military personnel on the island during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack, there are only an estimated 3,000 survivors still participating in chapters scattered across the country, and only about 100 are expected to make it to Honolulu this week. A motion will be brought up during the general meeting to discuss whether to continue or disband the group.
U.S. Army Air Corps veteran Jim Donis, 91, of Palm Desert, tells Goolsby:
Adds Pearl Harbor survivor Bernie Rubien, 92, of Rancho Mirage:
