Manteca High’s JROTC program will commemorate Pearl Harbor Day on Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.

The highlight of the brief and solemn program will be the unveiling of and dedication of the newly painted murals at the school depicting two days of infamy in the history of the United States: the terrorists’ attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, and the surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 which led to the entry of the United States into World War II.

The murals, painted with “colors (that) don’t run” by Buffalo art students, are among the collection of various murals on campus that started as a student project under now-retired art teacher Kirt Giovannoni. MHS JROTC instructor Chief Warrant Officer (ret.) David Torres said the newest patriotic-themed murals were just completed Friday by the students. Doing the honors of unveiling the paintings will be World War II veterans, he said.

In addition to the unveiling of the murals, the Pearl Harbor Day observance will include a brief program in the school auditorium. It will include a JROTC battalion formation and marching down the street, as well short speeches to be given by the veterans.

Torres said they have been looking for local Pearl Harbor survivors that they would like to invite as special guests “but there are scarce.” The ones that he knows of are from Stockton, he said. As of Friday, though, they have had two World War II veterans who said they will be attending the event.

For any questions about the event, call Chief Torres at (209) 825-7340.