SALIDA — In the small town of Salida is a man with a big historic story. George Blake is 100 years old and there is one life event that still sticks out to him.
December 7th, 1941 started as a normal day for Blake, who said he went over to play basketball, but a day of hoops turned into a day of infamy.
"First thing I heard was a loud loud explosion 150 airplanes striking that area, flying to the tops of palm trees."
That's when Blake sprang into action.
"They grabbed me and another fella and put us right on the beach, I said the beach around Pearl Harbor near the entrance. with a machine gun, in case they try to land," says Blake.
More than 2,400 service members and civilians were killed on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor. The event led to the U.S. entering World War II.
After the war, Blake left the military in 1946 to start a new adventure. He settled down, got married, and had a family.
Fast forward 80 years. Blake is in rehab, but after he heals he wants to see his kids and then hopefully go to Pearl Harbor one last time.
When asked about his message when it comes to the Pearl Harbor attacks, he said he wants future generations to never forget, and to learn about what happened on that day.
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