Pearl Harbor observance planned at Republic Airport

Frank Castronovo, 91, of Elmont, says it's sometimes hard for him to remember what he had for breakfast Saturday.

But he never forgets what happened on Dec. 7, 1941, a Sunday morning, just before 8 a.m., at Pearl Harbor.

"I saw the first plane come over and said, 'What the hell was that?' " Castronovo said from his home Saturday.

Castronovo, who was based at a barracks near the harbor, hopes to be one of five Long Island Pearl Harbor veterans who attend the annual observance tomorrow at the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport.

Actually, Castronovo said his plans to attend are tentative. He's got a checkup scheduled for Monday morning.

"There's not that many of us left," he said.

According to Bill Halleran, 91, of North Merrick, about five members of the Nassau-Suffolk chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association can still walk.

"There's another 10 or 12 that are housebound for physical reasons," said Halleran, who is president of the group.

At the moment of the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, Halleran, a second-class yeoman in the Navy, was in the executive officer's office aboard the USS Phoenix, a light cruiser in the harbor.

"I heard the first bomb, looked out the porthole and saw the Japanese planes dropping torpedoes," Halleran said Saturday.

The program at Republic Airport will feature survivors and clergy, who will bless roses that will later be dropped by vintage aircraft over the Statue of Liberty in honor of those who died in the attacks.

The program at the museum, 1230 New Highway in Farmingdale, will begin at 10:30 a.m.

"I'll participate in any plans they have," said Andrew Terrono, 92, of Massapequa, another Pearl Harbor survivor. "I'll be thankful to God he spared me."