Tomorrow, Saturday, December 7, is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared would forever live in infamy. Although events of that day 83 years ago are foreign to the several generations that have followed, the day is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by hundreds of thousands of Americans during four pivotal years in American history. Indeed, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the impetus behind the nearly immediate voluntary enlistment of a host of future BVA members in the war effort.
On that December morning, just before 8:00am, the surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor began. The attack killed more than 2,400 Americans. Each year on this day, a few remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, veterans, and visitors from all over the world come together in remembrance and honor. The acts of courage and heroism on that day have shaped the world as we know it. Joining our fellow Americans, BVA honors now and always this everlasting legacy that includes the Association’s founders and others who joined BVA in the late 1940s.
Pearl Harbor Day commemorations across the country have typically been solemn occasions commemorating not only the lives lost and the bravery of those who survived the surprise December 7 attack on Hawaii, but the unity and resilience of the United States as a nation during World War II.
Traditions and observances of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day include flags at half-staff, moments of silence, documentaries and educational programs, donations to organizations that assist World War II veterans, and events that honor the service of The Greatest Generation. The following will take place onsite at Pearl Harbor: speeches by military leaders and historians, wreath-laying ceremonies, and the tolling of bells to honor the fallen.
“The acts of courage and heroism on that day have shaped the world as we know it,” a listing for the day’s events reads. “We honor this everlasting legacy now and always.”
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii is hosting a commemoration ceremony of approximately 90 minutes tomorrow at 12:30pm Eastern Time marking the 83rd anniversary of the attack. The ceremony will be livestreamed on YouTube via Pacific Historic Parks.
