Scene at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. Photo by Wikipedia

A bittersweet anniversary took place as fur of the remaining nine survivors of the USS Arizona were reunited for the anniversary of one of America’s darkest days. The men promised it would not be the last time they are together.

In advance of the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor that sank their ship, the men, members of the USS Arizona Reunion Association, gathered on Tuesday, Dec. 2 for what was the last official survivor gathering of the group. At a news conference that took place in a building which overlooks the Arizona memorial, the me – all over the age of 90 - vowed it wouldn’t be their last meeting, even if they have to meet somewhere other than Hawaii.

Louis Conter, 93, of Grass Valley California declared that the group still has time to go and will be back out here even if no one else can make it.

Donald Stratton, 92, survived having more than 65% of his body burned after the forward part of the ship where he was stationed was hit. His injuries kept him hospitalized for more than a year. The Navy gave him a medical discharge but he reenlisted a year later. He credits the Lord for saving the few that survived.

December 7 marked the 73rd anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the forces of Japan. Over 2,400 sailors, Marines and soldiers lost their lives. The four survivors toasted shipmates with replicas of wine glasses from their ship and with a bottle of sparkling wine given to the group from President Gerald Ford.

As they arrived for the conference, the men were saluted and treated to music from the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band. They posed for pictures with tourists and reminisced about what happened that day so many years ago.

John Anderson, 97, of Roswell, New Mexico was on his way to breakfast after just having attended church services. Someone told him they’d seen planes heading in and he grew teary-eyed as he spoke about the twin brother he lost that day.

The men watched a live feed of a dive that entered the Arizona. Inside, more than 900 bodies out of the 1,177 who died on the ship still remain interred. Ashes of 38 survivors are also interred there.

Daniel Martinez, a National Park Service historian moderated Tuesday’s discussion. He was overcome with emotion when he shared that Lauren Bruner, 94, of Mirada, Calif. had signed papers indicating his desire to be interred at the Arizona. Conter is making those same arrangements for himself. It is his belief that people will continue to visit the memorial site of the USS Arizona and he and his shipmates will be glad for the company.

There are moments we celebrate in life such as weddings, births and graduations but one that inspires hope and a sense of romance mingled with the commitment of family is the wedding anniversary. The longer the marriage, the more inspirational it becomes, particularly in a day when marriages are almost treated as disposable commodities. One Iowa couple, both 99 years old, demonstrates the true meaning of wedded bliss as they celebrate an unbelievable 79 years of matrimony.

Alvin and Eula Blankenship of Council Bluff, Iowa live in an assisted living facility together now but talked about their long relationship. Eula described how they danced together, and then started “going together” before they eventually married in 1934.

Alvin, who admits his memory isn’t what it used to be sys he still remembers the wedding. They got married in the afternoon and he says it was hot.

The couple lived on the family farm where they raised a daughter. They picked corn and worked hard. Eula credits the lifestyle with being the secret to a long a life.

Today, both use walkers to get around and life has taken on a slower pace. Alvin says they are pretty lucky to have come this far. Eula says it hasn’t always been easy. She recalls that she and Alvin had their share of “spates,” some of them pretty bad but she says you get over it and go on.

In a video on MSNBC, the couple is seen moving around the facility where they live using walkers with wheels for support. They were interviewed in a dining room area and seemed to be quite healthy and happy. Those who know them have little doubt they will still be together next year to celebrate their 100th birthdays and 80 years of togetherness as man and wife.

Chief Warrant Officer Scott Hinson was flying home from Afghanistan a week after his wedding anniversary and wanted to do more than just give his wife flowers for their 20^th anniversary. So he took things a step farther.

Hinson convinced 19 of his fellow passengers to help him out. Each agreed to give his wife a rose as they got off the plane.

Scott had been thinking about it for some time and enlisted the aid of his daughters to help make it something special. They arranged to stand next to their mom with a sign saying “Welcome Home Chief Hinson” to help alert the other passengers as to the identity of the army officer’s wife.

Did it work? Kristi Hinson was completely taken by surprise by the act. She noticed two passengers coming down, each carrying a single rose and wondered what it meant. Dismissing it, she looked around and then looked back at the escalator for her husband.

Before she realized it, the people were standing behind, her wishing her a happy anniversary and handing her roses.

Not only did Hinson orchestrate the Rose Parade, he arranged to have it videotaped as well. The video which can be found on YouTube, shows Hinson’s wife’s stunned look as each person walks up to her and hands her a rose.

At one point, Kristi is shown wiping away a tear as the dawning realization of what is happening hits her.

Scott delivered the 20^th rose himself.

Through the help provided by the USO office in Atlanta, Hinson was able to pull off this tribute to his wife. They arranged to get the roses to him during a connecting flight.

On board the plane, however, things nearly went wrong when the stewardess handed out a few of the roses to people who weren’t in on the activity. When they disembarked, they started to wander off, get coffee and milled around. Others took charge and helped make sure all the roses got delivered to Kristi.

In the movie “The Agony and Ecstasy” with Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II and Charleton Heston as Michelangelo, the resounding question from the Pope throughout the movie was “When will you make an end?” That question was more or less answered on November 1, 1512 when Michelangelo’s famed fresco was unveiled to the public for the first time.

The collection of frescos that adorn the walls and ceilings of the chapel were commissioned by Pope Julius II. It took Michelangelo more than four years to complete the work which has now become one of the Vatican’s most beloved pieces of art and a popular tourist attraction.

Initially, the project was for the artist to paint the portraits of the twelve apostles. Instead, more than 300 figures in striking array and emotionally charged scenes were depicted. The painter used “the naked words of scripture” as his inspiration and relied on the Old Testament for what would become one of the greatest artistic treasures of the world.

The creation of such beauty was conducted through the use of suspended platforms that forced Michelangelo to work in contorted and uncomfortable positions for hours and hour every day. The end result of his suffering was a masterpiece that continues to inspire and awe 500 years later.

There has been talk of restricting the number of visitors to the Chapel to protect the painting from the humidity caused by large numbers of people in the small space. For now, the chapel is open to the public, for a fee, where this 500 year old work of art can be enjoyed. You can also find views of the work online if you can’t make the trip to Rome.