Friday marked 60 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, what may have made this anniversary different from some of the others in recent memory is that the younger generations now have an idea of what citizens must have been feeling on Dec. 7, 1941.

There have been two attacks on American soil - Pearl Harbor and those attacks on September 11. Many see the similarities between the two as both are now thought of as days of infamy. "It was on our soil and they were both sneak attacks," said Mineola Deputy Mayor Lou Santosus at a Dec. 7 ceremony held at Memorial Park.

Those who gathered at the Veteran's Memorial last Friday remembered the first ever attack on United States soil. On Dec. 7, the Japanese attacked the United States' military installations at Pearl Harbor. Since Sept. 11, the attack has taken on new meaning.

American Legion Post 349 Commander Sal Cataldo, who led the ceremony, spoke about the two days that will now both live in infamy. Some of Mineola's veterans spoke of their memories of Pear Harbor.

Walter Hobbs, speaking on behalf of Veterans of Foreign Wars Private Adolph Block Post 1305, recalls being in his first year of college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology when the attack on Pearl Harbor came.

Everything in the world changed on that fateful morning, Hobbs recalls. Soon after the attack, Hobbs enlisted in the Navy. For many young men, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the path from a life of peace to that of war came rather quickly.

Barney Bartolo was in the Navy during the attack on Pearl Harbor, although he was not in Hawaii. Even though the war had raged on in Europe, Bartolo said everyone was taken by surprise. "Nobody knew what to do. I remember that day every day of the year," he said.

Former trustee for the village Isidore Irace, who was already in the National Guard at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, said he is lucky to be alive today, as he recalled his service during war.

Although Pearl Harbor is a dark day in American history as the attack claimed over 3,000 American lives, it served as an example of America's ability to persevere. It is an example Americans like to lean on since Sept. 11.

Veteran Gerry Olsen points out that there is a newfound patriotism in the lives of many. Instead of taking freedom for granted, since Sept. 11, citizens have been displaying the flag proudly. "We're getting patriotism back again," he said.

It is something the veterans of the country never lost sight of, but now others are following their example. Pearl Harbor brings back memories for many of a difficult time and although younger generations may not have lived through the day of the attack, it serves as a reminder that freedom doesn't come without a price.