BLADENSBURG, Md. — Memorial Day was a proud and poignant one in Bladensburg, Maryland, where the town’s historic Memorial Grove Park gained a significant new addition — thanks to the vision and determination of a 16-year-old high school student.
Ethan Mendoza, dressed in his Boy Scouts of America uniform, unveiled a new Pearl Harbor memorial that he designed and developed as part of his Eagle Scout project. The tribute honors the 2,403 Americans who lost their lives in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. An event that marked America’s entry into World War II more than 83 years ago.
The new memorial features a striking anchor, symbolizing the seven U.S. ships sunk in the attack. It stands in contrast to the town’s previous Pearl Harbor marker — a decaying sign on a wooden post that Ethan felt did not adequately reflect the gravity of that pivotal day in American history…