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Hickam NCO remembers grandfather during Dec. 7th ceremony

By Staff Sgt. Terri Paden, 15th Wing Public Affairs / Published December 09, 2013

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JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Hawaii Tears prick the corner of Tech. Sgt. Andrew Shepherd's eye as he accepts the folded flag in honor of his late grandfather, Marion Shepherd, at the December 7th Remembrance Ceremony at Hickam Field.

Shepherd, who's assigned to the 15th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, had the unique opportunity of attending the remembrance ceremony on behalf of his family and being a participant - an experience he said left him "utterly speechless."

"Today was different than I expected it to be," he said after the ceremony. "I knew it would be emotional, but it was almost hard for me to keep my composure at times ... there are really no words to describe the moment. Being able to participate gave me a chance to honor my grandfather and show my gratitude to him and his comrades on a personal level, and I'm thankful for having had the opportunity."

Marion Shepherd was assigned to Hickam Field after enlisting into the Army Air Corps, and survived both the December 7th attack on the base and the Battle of Midway in 1942 before passing away at 89 years-old when Shepherd was nine years old--but not before leaving a lasting impression on his grandson who enlisted in the Air Force nearly 10 years later.

"I'd always thought my grandfather had an interesting story and it definitely did influence me joining the military and volunteering to come to Hawaii," said Shepherd. "He's definitely remembered as a hero in my family, and whenever I drive to and from work ... and I see the hangar he worked in or the old consolidated barracks he lived in it's a reminder that grandpa was here. It's a very sobering moment, a very cool memory."

Shepherd said he'd found out about the annual ceremony, which pays tribute to the fallen heroes and survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Hickam Field, shortly after permanently changing station to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in August 2013. Given his family's history he was eager to get involved with the event.

"I was raised in a very patriotic family," he said. "I remember grandpa's patriotism. He had a flag at the house he would raise and lower every day and his medals were on the wall and I think that was passed down to me through my father. Days like this reinforce that patriotism for me."

The Wyoming native said though he'd learned of his grandfather's historical past when he was a child, it wasn't until growing up and joining the military himself that he gained a full appreciation for his grandpa's service himself.

"Grandpa left quite the legacy in our family and Dad was really proud of me for joining the Air Force," he said. "I'll never forget the first time I deployed he told me that he knew his dad would have been proud of me and that made me feel pretty good. I was proud because I knew what I was doing was bigger than myself and I was honored to be doing something that would have made someone I always looked up to proud of me."

In addition to honoring Marion Shepherd, the ceremony recognized four Hickam Field attack survivors as well as a host of family members who were in attendance on behalf of their loved ones who were killed in action or deceased. Shepherd said that was the best part of the ceremony for him.

"The symbolism of seeing them present the flags to the survivors and the families was overwhelming," he said. "Those flags represent everything we stand for, and it was a very emotional moment for me."

Shepherd said it was surreal being able to talk with men who'd worked with is grandpa when he was stationed at Hickam.

"It was awe-inspiring talking to guys who had worked with grandpa," he said. "I met a widow whose husband was on the same flight my grandpa got shot on in during the Battle of Midway, and that to me, is what these types of events are all about. I'm proud to know his memory is still being honored even though he's since passed on."

Though this was Shepherd's first opportunity to participate in a remembrance ceremony, his family members are actively involved in events and Shepherd said he's a firm believer that it is necessary to make sure people always remember.

"Everyone remembers Pearl Harbor because so many lives were lost, but it's unfortunate that most people don't remember the other places that were attacked and the other service members that were lost," he said. "These types of events are necessary because it's our small way of showing that we remember them and to express our gratitude for their sacrifices. Some of these people gave everything ... they gave their lives and there's no real way that we can ever repay that other than to keep honoring their memories and remembering their sacrifices."