The "history lesson" was delivered by Judge Pregerson, who is 91 years old [1] and presided at the argument. Popehat's article notes that Judge Pregerson began

The "history lesson" was delivered by Judge Pregerson, who is 91 years old [1] and presided at the argument. Popehat's article notes that Judge Pregerson began the day by announcing that it was the 70th anniversary of the day that he, then a young Marine officer, was severely wounded in the Battle of Okinawa. If he had said he'd been wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, it would have been only a little more surprising. It's both amazing and wonderful that a WWII veteran is still actively serving on the bench. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Pregerson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Pregerson