What Is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day has been observed annually in the United States to memorialize all those who perished when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On that mournful day, about 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded.
The day signified a sea change in the United States' attitude toward World War II. The Japanese onslaught damaged multiple battleships, sinking the USS Arizona and the USS Oklahoma permanently. Others capsized, displacing crew members. The USS Utah was one notable ship. Along with naval vessels, the raid resulted in the destruction of airplanes. As a result of the strike, the United States became embroiled in a war that had been waging for two years. Additionally, the day is also referred to as Pearl Harbor Memorial Day or Pearl Harbor Day.
What Is The History Of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?
On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the American Army and Navy facility in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The raid took the American Army and Navy by surprise and resulted in significant losses of life and equipment. Over 2000 people of the United States were killed and over 1000 were injured. Additionally, the Americans lost a significant chunk of their battleships and roughly 200 planes stationed in the Pacific region. Over 60 Japanese troops were killed, wounded, or apprehended. Additionally, the Japanese Navy suffered the loss of five midget submarines and 29 planes.
The Japanese military thought that the attack on Pearl Harbor would deter the US from expanding its dominance in the Pacific. However, the events of Pearl Harbor were significant in escalating World War II. The day after the assault, the US declared war on Japan, thereby initiating World War II. In an address to Congress, President Franklin Roosevelt declared that the attack of Pearl Harbor was "a day that will live in infamy." Germany shortly thereafter declared war on the United States. The phrase "Remember Pearl Harbor" swept the United States in the months following the assault, and radio stations constantly played a song of the same name.
The United States Congress established the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal in 1991, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the assault on Pearl Harbor. This honor is also known as the Pearl Harbor Survivor's Medal and may be given to any veteran of the United States military who was present at or around Pearl Harbor during the Japanese military attack. Civilians who were killed or injured in the attack may be awarded the medal.
What Do People Do In Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?
The flag of the United States of America shall be displayed on all American houses, the White House, and all United States federal buildings, as directed by the President. To memorialize those who perished in the assault on Pearl Harbor, the flag should be flown at half-mast.
Numerous organizations, particularly those associated with Pearl Harbor survivors or those who perished in the assault, participate in commemorative ceremonies. Memorial ceremonies are held at locations across the world, including the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Additionally, wreath-laying ceremonies, keynote speeches by those associated with the event, luncheons, media stories about survivors' recollections of the Pearl Harbor attack, and school activities to educate students about the attack on Pearl Harbor in relation to World War II history are scheduled.
Is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day a Public Holiday?
The day of remembrance for Pearl Harbor is not a government holiday. Government offices, schools, companies, and other organizations remain open over the holiday season. Public transportation networks operate on a regular schedule. Certain groups may host memorial services in honor of those killed or injured in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Memorials have been erected to commemorate or signify the occasion. For instance, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is a marble memorial that was dedicated in 1962 to the sunken USS Arizona. The memorial honors all military personnel killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The memorial was created by architect Alfred Preis, an Austrian-born citizen of Honolulu who was interned following the Pearl Harbor assault as part of the Japanese and German Americans' internment policies at the time.
Another Pearl Harbor Day memorial is the USS Utah, a battleship that was attacked and sank on December 7, 1941, in Pearl Harbor. In 1972, a memorial to the sailors of the USS Utah was dedicated on Ford Island's northwest shore, near the ship's ruins. In 1989, the ship was included on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark. Additionally, it serves as the official state ship of Utah. Over the years, the public has also been able to purchase memorabilia, books, and films concerning the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Interesting Facts About Pearl Harbor
We've discovered that our audience is fascinated with facts and trivia about our country and military. As a result, we've compiled a list of intriguing facts about Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
Pearl Harbor was merely one component of the Empire of Japan's organized attack on the United States' naval position in the Pacific. To keep America out of the conflict and to prevent them from interfering with other nations' invasions to gain the resources the US was no longer selling, Japan needed to completely destroy the US Pacific Fleet. The Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island were also participating in the surprise strike. Japan also launched attacks on British-controlled Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The concerted strike on the US and European military forces in the Pacific lasted around seven hours in all.
The decision to declare war before the attack sparked intense controversy. For years, it was assumed that the message's failure to arrive on time was an accident. It was only afterward that the Japanese army and navy made a concerted effort to convince the administration to conceal the attack on Pearl Harbor. Unbeknownst to them, US troops had intercepted and decrypted the communication that was later transmitted via official channels, despite the absence of any indication of an imminent attack inside.
Aircraft carriers constituted a critical component of the Allied military effort that resulted in victory. As fate would have it, all of America's Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers were away from Pearl Harbor during the attack.
Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Pacific War had been raging for years. Since 1937, the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China have been fighting openly. However, aggressions were already on the rise prior to then. Japan attacked and annexed the Chinese region of Manchuria as early as 1931.
Japanese-Americans were picked up and interned hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Before the final camp was liquidated in 1946, about 120,000 individuals lived in the camps, the majority of them were American citizens.
What To Wear In Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?
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Where to buy products related to Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?
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