National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

12/1/2017 (Permalink)

Some communities hold special memorial services on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.©iStockphoto.com/JPecha

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, which is annually on December 7, 1941 commemorates the attack on Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, during World War II.

The flag should be flown at half-mast to honor those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many associations, especially those linked with Pearl Harbor survivors or those who died from the attack, participate in special services to commemorate the event. Memorial services are held at the venue for USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. this activity include: wreath-laying ceremonies; keynote speeches by those associated with the event and survivors’ recollections of the Pearl Harbor attack.

The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Hawaii. The attack came as a surprise to the American Army and Navy. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded.

The Japanese military had hoped that the attack on Pearl Harbor would prevent the United States of America from increasing her influence in the Pacific. However, the events in Pearl Harbor actually led to the escalation of World War II. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked in a speech to Congress stated that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was “a date which will live in infamy”. Congress approved his declaration with just one dissenting vote. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States, and again Congress reciprocated.

The United States Congress established the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal or Pearl Harbor Survivor's Medal in 1991 which marked the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor This medal can be awarded to any veteran of the United States military who were present in or around Pearl Harbor during the attack by the Japanese military. The medal can be awarded to civilians, who were killed or injured in the attack.