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Ceremony at Battleship NJ Marks 70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

By Mike DeNardo

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- Veterans gathered this morning at the Battleship New Jersey to commemorate the 70th anniversary, this Wednesday, of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

A 21-gun salute punctuated the solemn memorial in honor of the lives lost at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th, 1941.

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(Rep. Rob Andrews throws a wreath into the Delaware River. Credit: Mike DeNardo)

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Today's ceremony was organized by US Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ).

"What this is really about is to remember the bravery and the example that these men and women set," he said today.

Walter Straus of Sicklerville, Pa., now 92, was stationed at Pearl Harbor shortly after the attack that killed nearly 2,400 Americans.  He recalls seeing the oil and bubbles from the sunken battleship Arizona.

"The cost was, in lives and in injuries that people carry to this day, is beyond comprehension," Straus told KYW Newsradio this morning.

Rep. Andrews says the sacrifice at Pearl Harbor symbolizes the sacrifice of every veteran who has ever served.

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