GARDENA, Calif. — It was the surprise of a lifetime for a World War II vet, who said he was "having one of the best days of his life" after a group of naval officers honored the vet outside his home.%
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As the men sang, Thompson stood on his front porch and saluted the men.
Ernest Thompson, 98, said he was on board the USS Tennessee during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was on the USS Missouri as a witness to the official surrender of imperial Japanese forces.
As the years went on, he would visit the USS Iowa on a regular basis. But due to health reasons, Thompson can no longer take the trek to the battleship.
"Being a World War II vet, there's hardly any of us left anymore. So all of us that's still living, we are all still heroes," Thompson told KTLA-TV.
After learning about Thompson's inability to get to the ship, the chief selects from the Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Center visited Thompson's home and sang the Navy's march song, "Anchors Aweigh" in the middle of his residential street.
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“It was really a surprise. Yeah. They marched up the street here and stopped out in front and sang a bunch of Navy songs,"
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After the naval officers got done singing, they lined up in a line and, one by one, shook Thompson's hand and thanked him for his service.
Before leaving, the officers gave Thompson with a special plaque in honor of his service – complete with teakwood from the deck of the USS Iowa, giving him a piece of the battleship he loves.
His family says Thompson still has a smile on his face from the visit. An honor for a member of the Greatest Generation.