TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) -- Lauren Bruner has been to Arizona before.
In December for the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, he rang the bell that was once on the U.S.S. Arizona alongside fellow survivor Claredon Hedrick.
"It's like coming back home again," Bruner said. "You get a lot of satisfaction, just seeing everybody."
Bruner was one of the last men off of the battleship during the Pearl Harbor attacks.
On Friday he got a chance to see an exhibit to honor the U.S.S. Arizona and its crew. The exhibit includes photos and artifacts to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks. It will be open to the public at the Special Collections section of the U of A library through December.
The university is also in the process of building a permanent memorial for the U.S.S. Arizona. It will include bronze medallions for each of the 1,177 men who died in Pearl Harbor. Young students will get the chance to see the names of the young people who died paying the ultimate sacrifice.
"They got to be able to know their ancestors," Bruner said. "And they should be proud of them."
For Bruner, it's still difficult to talk about what happened and the friends he lost on that December day.
On Saturday Bruner will attend the Arizona game when they take on Hawaii. The team will be sporting jerseys made to honor the U.S.S. Arizona.
