Lt. James Downing, an American hero, is being honored in Colorado Springs. A bridge in the city is being named after him.
James Downing, 103, is the world's second-oldest Pearl Harbor survivor. To honor him and his service to our country, the Colorado House and Senate unanimously approved a resolution renaming the I-25 Cimarron Bridge in Colorado Springs after him. State Rep. Dan Nordberg presented the house joint resolution. [caption id="attachment_15334" align="aligncenter" width="190"]
Photo courtesy of Time[/caption]
Lt. Downing enlisted in the Navy in 1932, at the age of 19. He served as Gunner's Mate 1st Class and postmaster aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia in Long Beach, CA. There, he met his wife Morena, and the two were married in 1941, just one month after the couple was stationed at Pearl Harbor.
On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Lt. Downing and his wife were hosting breakfast for several servicemen at their home on base. The Downings and their guests began hearing loud explosions in the distance. Mere seconds later, an anti-aircraft shell hit just outside their home, creating a massive crater. Lt. Downing and his fellow servicemen realized that they were under attack and immediately went to their ships. The U.S.S. West Virginia was already on fire and sinking when Lt. Downing reached it.
Lt. Downing slid down the gun barrel of another ship to get to the U.S.S. West Virginia, where he tried to prevent the fire from spreading to live ammunition lockers. When the bombing stopped and Lt. Downing looked at the clock, three hours had passed. He felt like it had only been half an hour. After the attack, he made it his personal mission to reach out to the families of many other servicemen who did not survive the attacks and provide information about their lost family members. He also reached out to the families of those who had survived but were not well enough to write their own letters.
I think we can all agree, we're thrilled to see this local American hero honored in such a way! Share your well wishes and thoughts with us in the comments below!
