Pearl Harbor Day: Remembering the brave on December 7th

Today marks a pivotal moment in history. It’s a day many Americans and people around the world will never forget. In fact, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt described today as a “date which will live in infamy.” Dec. 7 is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day also known as Pearl Harbor Day.

On Dec. 7, 1941, just before 8:00 a.m. on a calm Sunday morning, the Japanese attacked the United States Naval Base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, without warning or provocation. More than 2,300 American men and women were killed and more than 1,100 people were injured during the surprise attack by the Japanese on the United States Naval Base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 21 American ships and over 320 American aircraft were destroyed or damaged. On Dec. 8, 1941, the day following the attack, the United States declared war on Japan.

The USS Arizona is the final resting place for 1, 177 crew members who lost their lives that day and “commemorates the site where World War II began for the United States.” There were more than 1 million gallons of fuel on the USS Arizona when the incident occurred. Decades later, about nine quarts of oil still leak from the USS Arizona on a daily basis. Some call the oil drops “Black Tears.”

While only 1 million people who served in World War II are still alive, today we honor the lives lost and remember those who served on that fateful day over 70 years ago.