QMCS Mickey Ganitch, USN (Ret.)

Mickey Ganitch, a 101-year-old survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, holds a football statue he was given, in the living room of his home in San Leandro, California. Ganitch was getting ready for a match pitting his ship, the USS Pennsylvania, against the USS Arizona when Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The game never happened. Instead, Ganitch spent the morning, still in his football uniform, looking out for attacking planes that anti-aircraft gunners could shoot down

Spend a few minutes with Mickey Ganitch, a Navy veteran who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, and you quickly understand that he’ll keep that history alive, telling stories, cajoling, even singing about it, until his last breath (which he doesn’t plan on taking any time soon).

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, Ganitch is one of roughly 392,000 who are still alive, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. They die at a rate of about 300 a day.

Ganitch refuses to let Pearl Harbor be forgotten. He enjoys telling youngsters, too, about the war. “You can’t ignore what happened in the past if you want to look for the future,” he says.

Think of someone you know — young or old — who revels in naval history . . . and invite them to be your guest. We'd love to have them join us for our monthly Commandery ZOOM Meeting. (Instructions will be sent to companions before the meeting).

** Gather an hour before our Commandery Meeting and chat in the ZOOM application in an unformatted, unmoderated manner. You can join us so we can see your face and engage in light conversation (or just listen, nod, and smile). So, from 11a to 12 noon our Chat room will in Happy Hour mode! **