The last survivor aboard the USS Arizona, destroyed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, passed away on April 1, 2024 at 102 years old. His name was Lou Conter, and he was a local resident of Grass Valley, California.
Students at NU didn’t know that Conter resided in Grass Valley until the subject was brought up by history teachers. Curious and wanting to pay their respects, some students signed up to leave class from 3rd to 5th period to go to the memorial.
“I went to the funeral they had for him,” said Eleni Keriotis (10). “They put the coffin in the car and drove to the cemetery, and we watched the car procession drive by. There were a lot of flags and we listened to a guy from the military talk about the guy that had passed. It was really cool to experience because what he went through was a big part of history.”
NU students heard the loud roar of passing jet engines during 5th period on Tuesday afternoon. Several jets from Strike Fighter Squadrons 125 and 151 flew over the NU campus as part of the memorial service, according to stripes.com.
Another way Lou Conter was honored was the American flags put up in downtown Grass Valley. This was important because the flags only come out on important holidays such as the Fourth of July or Memorial Day.
“Pearl Harbor was a significant event in American history and Conter was emblematic of a generation that sacrificed so much for the nation.” Said Mr. Homan, World History teacher.
