ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. — Center for Hospice Care honored certainly one of Indiana’s final identified Pearl Harbor survivor in Culver with a pinning ceremony. 

Sarah Youngs the Community Relations and Engagement Liaison mentioned they discovered that one in 4 sufferers they serve is a veteran. Their latest affected person was a Pearl Harbor survivor.

Jim DeWitt has been with the Center for Hospice Care for the reason that starting of the month. He is being acknowledged by the hospice facility for his service within the army.  

“We want to show our appreciation for his sacrifice and just for his service, “ Youngs said. 

Center for Hospice Care takes pride in serving veterans, since many of its patients are former U.S military members. Youngs said they honor veterans in several ways, like pinning ceremonies, staff, and volunteer training and caring for veterans. 

So, when Youngs and her staff found out one of their newest patients is a Pearl Harbor survivor, they along with the local veteran community in Culver, honored him with a challenge coin, flag line, and a flag folding ceremony.

 “He’s our history book. We appreciated every story he told us, and just loved talking to him, and so, we felt we wanted to do a special honorarium for him,” Youngs mentioned. 

 Jim DeWitt can be featured within the Choices journal that Center of Hospice Care places out twice a yr. If you wish to learn DeWitt’s full story, you an request a replica here.

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. More than 2,000 Americans misplaced their lives that day.

DeWitt was 20 years outdated, on the time of the assault. He was aboard the USS Antares, a ship getting back from a 37 journey out sea, when it noticed a submarine close to the harbor entrance.

“Now, nobody knows what would’ve happened had we not spotted that submarine,” DeWitt mentioned.

DeWitt is without doubt one of the final identified survivors of the assault dwelling in Indiana. He recollects, arriving on the harbor round 5:30 that morning. The gate to go in was down to stop submarines from getting into. Dewitt mentioned, after the suspicious submarine was reported, the USS Ward Destroyer on obligation took care of the scenario.

“They were dropping flares where that submarine was, and I can see the Submarine, it dove down again, and I could see it underwater away. So, we watched the destroyer drop the death charges, so we figured it was just defensive maneuvers,” DeWitt mentioned.

At the time, when the primary wave of planes got here in, DeWitt and his crewmates didn’t know the magnitude of what was happening. He initially thought the assaults have been a drill.

“We could see planes coming and going, and then we could see smoke and that, but we really didn’t see it, we were listening to Hawaii music on the radio on the intercom. Then all of a sudden, they saying this is an air raid, take cover, this is an air raid, take cover,” DeWitt mentioned.

DeWitt by no means skilled what was occurring contained in the harbor. But, whereas he did survive the assault, he misplaced a pal who was on the USS Arizona certainly one of 18 ships that have been sunk within the assault.