Bunkie Magnet cheerleader to perform in Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii

Bunkie Magnet High School cheerleader Brooke Hollingsworth will perform with Varsity Spirit’s top-tier All-Americans in the Pearl Habor Memorial Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii, this Thursday (Dec. 7). 

“I feel so honored to be an All-American Cheerleader on such a significant day in our history,” Hollingsworth said in a press release issued by Varsity Spirit Special Events. “Both my great-grandfathers made significant contributions in the war effort.” 

According to a Dec. 7, 1941, article in The Town Talk, the Japanese launched a surprise aerial attack on Honolulu on the same date 82 years ago. More than 2,403 people died in the attack, according to a May 12, 2023, article in USA Today, with Navy servicemen making up the largest number of casualties at 2,008. U.S. Army soldiers, Marines and civilians also were among the causalities. The attack resulted in the U.S. declaring war on Japan and entering World War II. 

“Additionally, this trip to Pearl Harbor is particularly meaningful to Brooke because both her great grandfathers were a significant part of the war effort,” her mother, Julie Hollingsworth, said in an email. “One of her great-grandfathers, Bill Shirley, was a bombardier or bomb-aider for the Navy, riding as a guide in the planes over Japan to sight the bomb-targets for accuracy. Her other great-grandfather, JD Simpson, built Liberty Ships for the Merchant Marines, who supplied troops overseas as a direct result of the devastating loss to the U.S. fleet of ships at Pearl Harbor.” 

The release states that “Liberty Ships were mass-produced at an unprecedented scale as part of the Emergency Ship Building Program enacted by the U.S. President. The Liberty ship became a symbol of American determination and fight during war time.” 

Athletes also will have the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Hawaiian luau and a trip to the Pearl Harbor Memorial and the USS Missouri Battleship, according to the release.