On this day 75 years ago, the Japanese surprise attack on naval base Pearl Harbor prompted a second world war. Wednesday, we remember that day, and the thousands of lives lost. Madison Cavalchire went to Bonaire and sat down with 92-year-old World War II veteran John Knowles to hear his story.
"I was part of the first draft from Telfair County, and there were 39 of us," Knowles said.
World War II veteran, John Knowles, says out of those 39 men, 38 came back home to Central Georgia.
"I hear so many people say, well I gave the government so many years of my life, or I gave the base so many years of my life," Knowles said. "I don't ever feel like I gave the government nothing."
On December 7th, 75 years ago, a younger Knowles had just been drafted to the Army. He was at basic training at Camp Wheeler near Macon the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
"They didn't talk about it much," Knowles said. "They just figured we wasn't supposed to know anything."
Knowles says he didn't realize the impact of Pearl Harbor, until he returned home from the war in 1945.
"We had 587 days of actual combat," Knowles said.
Before that, he fought overseas in West Africa and in Italy.
75 years later, the almost 93-year-old has a clearer vision of what Pearl Harbor meant.
"I think a lot of times about how the Japanese marched our soldiers on those long marches, death marches they called it," Knowles said.
And what it still means today.
"I'm thankful it's all over, it's all over."
Knowles was also a Purple Heart recipient in 1944 for being wounded in combat.