Pearl Harbor Commemorates 75th Anniversary

Published on October 30, 2016 10:00 PM in Driving Destinations

The memory of a surprise attack on a remote US naval base seared its place in the American psyche.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The assault that rocked the island base the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, destroyed four battleships, killed more than 2,400 people, and shocked the American public. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dubbed the December morning as a “day that will live in infamy.”

The battle of Pearl Harbor remains the largest attack on a US military base, and the raid thrust the nation into World War II. The very next day, Congress approved joining the armed conflict that affected almost every landmass on Earth.

This year’s somber anniversary includes memorial services, concerts, and celebrations for returning survivors.

Pearl Harbor’s significance has already been chronicled in a long list of books and movies. While the 75th commemoration remembers the tragic battle, this year’s reflection also underscores the ultimate triumph of human spirit and reconciliation.

Activities surrounding the 75th commemoration include the Pearl Harbor Parade, Dec. 7. The annual memorial parade is the official public event honoring those lost in the attacks. There’s a commemoration at the memorial for the U.S.S. Arizona, which sustained the bulk of the morning’s causalities. www.PearlHarborParade.org

Visitors can go to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, built above the sunken ship. Naval personnel ferry visitors to the monument that’s open every day of the year. Tickets to the memorial are free, though there can be a service charge to secure a reservation. Learn more about the World War II Valor in the Pacific memorial here. https://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm

American Battleships moored at Pearl Harbor:

U.S.S. Arizona
U.S.S. California
U.S.S. Pennsylvania
U.S.S.Tennessee
U.S.S.Maryland
U.S.S. Nevada
U.S.S. West Virginia
U.S.S. Oklahoma

Famous Quotes about Pearl Harbor:

“A day which will live in infamy.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“Never a day goes by..when I haven't thought about it. I don’t talk about it too much, but when December rolls around I do." Donald Stratton, Pearl Harbor survivor during a 2014 interview with PEOPLE Magazine.

“We saw the skies filled with aircraft, dive bombers and torpedo planes diving on and torpedoing our ships. The harbor was ablaze with thick oil burning all around the ships." Leo Priest, Pearl Harbor survivor, in a 2013 interview with USA TODAY.

“There’s not many of us left to think about it,” Jackson B. Davis, Pearl Harbor survivor and former Louisiana state senator, in a 2014 Washington Post article about the dwindling numbers of those who lived through the attack.

For more information visit www.pearlharbor75thanniversary.com.The memory of a surprise attack on a remote US naval base seared its place in the American psyche.