Legion, VFW host Pearl Harbor Day observation
Wednesday, Dec. 7, marked the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Pine Island American Legion Post 136 and Pine Island VFW Post 4653 observed the day with a ceremony “commemorating our comrades and honoring the survivors of the United States Armed Forces who have served, died and were wounded during one of the most disturbing times in our nations past, the attack on Pearl Harbor.”
“This is a very important day for Americans to remember,” Legion Commander Tom Lewis said at the ceremony. “We lost 2,400 sailors and soldiers in two hours that morning, half of them on the Arizona, and another 1,000 were wounded. It was a devastating blow to the country.”
The ceremony began with the posting of the American flag, Pledge of Allegiance and the opening prayer. Lewis opened the ceremony with remarks about the fateful day.
“Just before 8 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. 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.”
On the day following the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech before Congress, calling Dec. 7 1941, a “date which will live in infamy.” The U.S. Congress then declared war against Japan.
“The United States wasn’t prepared for war and the Japanese plan was simple,” Lewis said. “They believed if they destroyed the Pacific fleet, they would win the war. But they left the bases most vital onshore facilities: the oil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docks. They also didn’t count on the industrial might of the United States and the will of the American people.”
“President Roosevelt said in his speech that no matter how long it would take, the American people will win through to absolute victory,” Lewis said. “It took almost four years, Sept. 2, 1945, for the Japanese to surrender.”
“Today, 75 years later, most of the witnesses are no longer with us but the legacy of the men and women who defended Pearl Harbor on ‘the Day of Infamy’ will always remain,” VFW Chaplain Austin White said. “It was a day that defined America and changed the world.”