East Meadow’s Pearl Harbor survivor honored

East Meadow’s own Gerard Barbosa was one of four Pearl Harbor survivors in attendance during a ceremony marking the 69th anniversary on Tuesday at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale.

Barbosa, 87, attended the event with family members, friends and fellow members of the East Meadow VFW Post No. 2736.

Each honoree — Barbosa, William Halleran, Seymour Blutt and Bernard Berner — was presented with proclamations from President Barack Obama. The event also included the traditional blessing of the roses ceremony. This year, it was 69 roses, intended to represent each year since the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Barbosa said he felt a connection with the past when he interacted with some of the current Navy regulars and reservists in attendance.

“When I look around and see all these young guys, it sends me back to the early days,” Barbosa said on Wednesday. “It makes me feel good that there are still a lot of young guys willing to sacrifice and go out for the service.”

Barbosa, a Navy gunner’s mate, was 17 when he was stationed in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the day of the attacks.

As recounted to the Herald in 2006, Barbosa ate breakfast aboard the USS Raleigh when he heard that another ship was being bombed. Barbosa joined his comrades in fighting back and protecting the ship, which was bombed but did not sink.

As a civilian, Barbosa worked for the Republic Airport, the Long Island Rail Road, Grumman Aerospace and the Transit Authority. During his tenure at Grumman, he was part of a team that built the Lunar Excursion Module that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.

He moved to the East Meadow Knolls in 1993, where he continues to live with his wife, Marie. 

Photos were provided by Jeffrey Rosenking.