| December 07, 2007: The 66th Anniversary of the Bombing of Pearl Harbor
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the battleship USS Shaw explodes after being hit by bombs during the attack on Pearl Harbor, (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, File) |
The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, prompted the United States involvement in World War Two in which more than 450,000 Americans died.
The attack killed more than 2,400 Americans and wounded another 1,100.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it, "A date that will live in infamy." There are only about 5000 survivors still living.
The following is a statement released by Secretary R. James Nicholson, Department of Veterans Affairs, on Pearl Harbor Day 2005 in tribute to those lost during this national tragedy.
"Few days in American history are burned into our national consciousness like December 7. On this date 64 years ago, the American fleet at Pearl Harbor suffered a crippling blow. More than 2,300 soldiers, sailors and Marines were lost, and the nation was thrust headlong into the largest global conflict in human history.
Today, it is the stalwart veteran survivors of Pearl Harbor who remind us not only of this solemn chapter in the American story, but also of the great courage and resolve that continues to define us as a Nation …
We also pause to salute the courageous people of the Hawaiian Islands for whom December 7, 1941, was not just a surprise attack on the forces of the United States military, but an unprovoked attack on their homeland. Despite its status as a U.S. territory, Hawaii and its citizens responded with great fortitude and determination, many serving with distinction in the U.S. military.
For all Americans, Pearl Harbor Day should inspire us to remember the precious gift of freedom that has been handed from one generation to the next for more than 229 years."
Related Articles:
Pearl Harbor vets recall the terror, flames, confusion and dead(kansas.com)
Five survivors keep history alive at Pearl Harbor(USA Today)
Pearl Harbor screams still ring(examiner.com)
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