There is a sadness in certain events that, like it or not, have become a part of our lives. For the younger generation, it is September 11th and for the older generation it is December 7th, the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
I don’t remember the Pearl Harbor attack and I don’t think it was until I experienced September 11th that I could really understand the horror my grandparents must have felt on that day. In the attack, two Navy battleships (the USS Arizona and the USS West Virginia), one minelayer, and two destroyers were sunk. Three cruisers, one destroyer, and six battleships (the USS Oklahoma, the USS California, the USS Maryland, the USS Tennessee, and the USS Nevada) were damaged. After it was all said and done, 2,333 were killed and another 1,139 were wounded. Of those killed, 1,177 of them were on the USS Arizona. Right after the attack, the United States entered World War II.
This year, 50 survivors of the attack as well as hundreds of their family members are remembering the day that will “live in infamy” at the Pearl Harbor pier. The pier overlooks the USS Arizona Memorial, which has become a watery tomb for those who did not survive the attack.
At exactly 7:55 a.m., the time of the attack, the crowd observed a moment of silence for those lost in the attack. Overhead, Chinook helicopters flew in formation then a B-2 Stealth Bomber flew over. There was expected to be a crowd of about 2,500, although that is smaller than the 65th anniversary last year, which included some 500 survivors of the attack.
Each year, more and more survivors of Pearl Harbor die from disease or old age. After all, it has been sixty-six years since that disastrous, yet memorable event. There are other Pearl Harbor memorials around the country today, but sadly, many World War II veterans are finding the number of veterans they are losing each year exceeds the number that can attend any memorials.