Photo: World War II Enlistment Ceremony – June 7, 1942

Exactly six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, marking the U.S. entrance into World War II, Naval induction ceremonies were held in more than 500 cities across the country to mark and avenge the Japanese attack. At exactly the same hour and minute that the first bomb fell, the swearing in ceremony took place: 12:25 p.m. MST. Ten men from nearby communities took their induction oaths in Durango. They hailed from Bayfield, Falfa, Lebanon, Monte Vista and Del Norte, as well as Waterflow and Farmington, New Mexico. This photo, with friends and families standing proudly by, was taken outside the Kiva Theater downtown, immediately after the ceremony. The Kiva Theater was located at 813 Main Ave., immediately south of what is today the Main Mall. <br><br>Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org