Vets Join Stars At 'Pearl Harbor' Premiere

The atmosphere Monday evening for the world premiere of the summer blockbuster "Pearl Harbor" was a somewhat bizarre mix of glamour and dignity, two ingredients that don't always fit together, especially in Hollywood. But this wasn't Hollywood. The red carpet this day and night was laid on a pier at Pearl Harbor alongside the USS John C. Strennis, one of the newest aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy. And while the stars were the most popular people on the carpet, the most revered were the hundreds of survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack, all in their 70s or 80s, many wheelchair-bound, who were all cheered as heroes as they approached the USS Stennis before throngs of paparazzi and fans. The applause was especially sincere from the hundreds of current military personnel on hand for the premiere. "I'm hoping to see that these younger generations realize what actually has gone on," World War II Army veteran Joseph Aruda said. "This way with this movie, I think it will stir them up, and it's something I think people will remember." Aruda was drafted into the Army Nov. 15, 1941 and was stationed at Schofield Barracks. The attack happened 22 days later. "I was out on liberty at the time," Aruda said. "When I found out that the planes were coming in, we got called back. I spent the evening there (at Schofield Barracks Army base) with our tents all knocked down. The next day when we pulled our bunks back, I found a bullet hole in my GI bag." Then there were the stars. Ben Affleck, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale (pictured, right) were the main attractions for fans and dozens of journalists. But even they took moments to remember the survivors. When asked who he would like to thank most, Hartnett replied, "Mostly the survivors. They were the people who made this role come to be and I hope they like it." "This is amazing," Beckinsale said. "To be a part of this whole experience with the survivors and nurses is absolutely mind-blowing." "I think the message is not about the United States or Japan or the Second World War or right or wrong," Affleck (pictured, left) said. "It's about what a terrible cost it is for people to have to go to war. I think the ultimate message from this movie is that it's something we ought not ever to do again." The men responsible for putting the $150 million film together say that they're thrilled to have it finally make it to the big screen. "We had a great experience here," producer Jerry Bruckheimer said. "The only hard process about filming here was getting the money. Once we got the money, the filming was fantastic." Bruckheimer and company plan to travel overseas in the next month, mainly to Japan and Europe, where has film has yet to debut. "I want to thank Hawaii for letting me into their back yard and into their hallowed ground here," director Michael Bay said. "It was a wonderful experience here and the people were great." One of the ways that Bruckheimer and Bay thanked Hawaii was with a dazzling 15-minute post-movie fireworks show, one of the best Hawaii has ever seen, that could be seen for miles.

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