(CNN) -- For 70 years, survivors of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor have captivated listeners with their firsthand accounts, recalling buddies who died in their arms or the glasses worn by a low-flying Japanese pilot. They have participated in solemn wreath-laying ceremonies and spoken to civic groups and school children about the infamous day and the need for the United States to remain vigilant. But the gradual loss of the World War II generation has accelerated, and this year, perhaps more than any before it, evidence of a tide change is inescapable. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, founded in 1958, is dissolving December 31. The passing of time, the difficulty in finding chapter officers and the health of its 2,700 members have taken their toll.
@highlight
Pearl Harbors Survivors Association formally disbands at end of month
@highlight
Another group, individuals are taking up the baton
@highlight
This year's commemoration marks 70 years since Dec. 7 attacks on Oahu
@highlight
Cremated remains of two service members will be placed in ships at Pearl Harbor
The attack shook America's confidence and ushered the country into @placeholder
"We were trained to fight the @placeholder, and the Japanese were trained to fight us," Bennett said.