Subdued anniversary at Pearl Harbor following flurry of interest last year due to Sept. 11

<br>PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) _ John Latko, 84, knows this may be the final journey he will make from his home in Indiana to the place where his ship was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in 1941. <br><br>The

Friday, December 6th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) _ John Latko, 84, knows this may be the final journey he will make from his home in Indiana to the place where his ship was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in 1941.

The 61st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor was expected to be a subdued commemoration Saturday. Last year, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks helped created a flurry of interest that drew thousands to Hawaii and Pearl Harbor.

Latko, a former Marine private, may be one of just 50 Pearl Harbor survivors who attend Saturday's services. Last year, about 2,500 survivors attended, officials at the USS Arizona Memorial said.

``I'm getting old and I move slowly,'' said Latko of Hammond, Ind. ``I thought I'd come this last time to pay my respects to my fallen shipmates.''

On Dec. 7, 1941, Latko and his shipmates on the USS West Virginia were getting ready to enjoy a picnic and baseball game at the naval ammunition dump when the attack began.

``As we're waiting on deck, we see a plane coming over dive-bombing,'' he said. ``We noticed the red circle on it and then we realized that there's something wrong.''

Then, his ship _ about 40 yards from the USS Arizona _ was hit and 213 men were killed. The attacks killed 2,390 people, including 1,177 men aboard the Arizona.

A more reserved observance of the anniversary will not diminish the significance of the day, said Daniel Martinez, a historian for the USS Arizona Memorial.

``It's the type of attack that was so savage that it's just etched into the memories of Americans,'' Martinez said. ``It's a stain in the American fabric that's difficult to wash away.''

Larry Rodriggs, who wrote the book ``We Remember Pearl Harbor,'' was just 9 years old at the time of the attack, but he said he'll never forget the day in Honolulu. He was with his family on the way to church when they saw the low-flying planes and puffs of smoke in the distance that followed.

``We thought, sure enough, that this was the beginning of invasion and occupation,'' said Rodriggs, whose book details the effect of the attack on civilians.

The 61st anniversary will include traditional elements _ a moment of silence, the playing of Taps, the passing of a naval ship, and a fly over by the Hawaii National Guard in missing man formation.

In a time of uncertainty, as aging survivors die at a higher rate, visitors to Pearl Harbor on Thursday called it a constant reminder of the potential for danger.

``It's a symbol of what can be lost from war,'' said Otis Brooks Jr., a post-Pearl Harbor veteran from Muskegon Heights, Mich.